Table 2.

Summary of Evidence that REM Consciousness Contributes to Near-Death^*

Those with a near-death experience are strongly predisposed to life-long REM intrusion Arousal electroencephalogram recorded after cardiac arrest REM switch components linked to survival behavior that includes during systemic hypotension Many clinical conditions provoke REM intrusion into waking consciousness REM switch is part of the brainstem instrumental to the cardiovascular response to crisis (e.g. syncope/cardiac event) Vagal nerve electrical stimulation briskly provokes REM intrusion REM consciousness in situational context leads to many near-death features (e.g. out-of-body, paralysis, visual hallucinations, narrative, paralysis)

^*A fuller discussion is found elsewhere²⁷,²⁸