by Stuart H. Gray
Overview
Dr Sam Parnia is an honorary research fellow at the University of Southampton, UK, and a fellow of pulmonary and critical care medicine at Weill Cornell Medical Centre, New York. He is the founder of the Human Consciousness Project, and he has now run two scientific studies called AWARE and AWARE-II. They both study brain physiology and human consciousness during cardiac arrest. Sam’s aim is to use science to discover what happens when people die.[1]
Organ Revitalization After Death
In his fascinating new book, Parnia exposes a number of research areas that are going on in medically-based brain, consciousness, and Near Death Experience (NDE) studies. He describes OrganEx, the innovative new technique for revitalizing organs after a 6 hour period after death. Tests in pigs have successfully revitalised the physical brain, though not permitted return of markers of consciousness.[2] He also presents case studies to support his thesis that life and death are not the binary states we assume them to be. He draws the analogy of wading into the ocean where life is land and the ocean is death. As you walk in, you become more submerged in water. In other words, your body goes from medical shock to full heart attack. Oxygen is eventually no longer being fed to the brain. If you keep walking, you become completely submerged and unable to be rescued. If your heart is stopped for long enough, there will be nothing that medical science can do to revive you. He notes that, deciding when you are completely off land and in the ocean, is a continuum. But stay submerged long enough and no one will be able to pull you out.[3]
Scientific Analysis of Those in Resuscitation
In AWARE-II, the researchers attached brain monitoring systems to people being actively revived after cardiac arrest. Though their EEG showed brain waves had flatlined, they exhibited periodic spikes of activity during resuscitation.[4] Further, brains are found to be resilient to oxygen deprivation. The tissue does not deteriorate as quickly as previously thought. A process called disinhibition kicks in to put the brain into hibernation.[5]Parnia suggests that hypoxia causes the brain to enter a hibernation mode that can be reversed if oxygenation is returned in a careful and controlled way.[6] In this process, Parnia says spikes of EEG activity occur after flatlining and these are signals of disinhibition and the possible activation of brain areas that are normally not used.[7]
Subjects who were successfully resuscitated with a recalled experience of death reported a vast expansion of consciousness while their EEG was flat. They describe themselves hovering near their body, observing resuscitation attempts, possessing lucidity and clarity of thought that exceeded their normal experience in life. They believe that consciousness pervades everything, came to the surprised realization that they had died, yet still remained connected to their body by a metaphorical cord.[8] These experiences were reported by both adults and children.
The Ethical Assessment of the Individual
While in the gray zone of death, people commonly reported a life review. They lucidly contemplated what was morally right and wrong about their actions while alive.[9] Experiences were relived, and their implications to other people and animals were viewed through different perspectives. A compassionate and powerful personal entity was found to be present to help the NDE experiencer (NDEer) draw lessons, and to grow into a more compassionate person.[10] Higher levels of knowledge exist in reality, and whatever good or harm we do in life was ultimately done to oneself.[11] Downstream consequences of action and inaction in life were understood.[12] This life review is a painful experience, but is also described as both positive and educational. On returning, people with memories of this life review generally change, becoming more compassionate and caring individuals.[13] The only judgment involved during the review came from the subject themselves, not the compassionate entity. The person believed they were being given a second chance to realize what was important was altruistic and selfless actions in life.[14] A system of values exists in the gray zone of death that reflects a very different value system to the rat race of modern life.[15] The goal for those who return with a recalled experience of death is to improve as a human being in their lived experience.[16]
Parnia also explores the mind body problem, arguing that while the mind and the brain are correlated, one affecting the other, there is not necessarily causation going on. The brain does not cause the mind any more than gloved hand is caused by that glove. Yet the hand, and the glove, move together and one affects the other.[17]
Busting NDE Myths
He then busts a variety of NDE myths. He argues convincingly that NDEs are not easily explainable by traditional means. For example, autoscopic experiences involve hallucination of oneself. Yet this hallucination affects people differently than out of body (OOB) experiences during an NDE. NDEers do not report duplicates, and do not report illusions. When autoscopy occurs, it is well understood by the subject that they have experienced a hallucination. In contrast, NDEers know their experience was realer than real life, unique, and the experience stays with them.[18]
Another natural explanation compares NDE to DMT drug use. Subjects who hallucinate during drug use typically experience haphazard and unexpected trips. NDEs are different. NDErs don’t see random things. A consistent structure to the experience exists. While it can be interpreted differently, the core NDE elements are shared across cultures. Re-evaluation of life from an ethical perspective is one core element of the NDE. Also, drug trips lead to grandiouse feelings; I am God. Yet NDErs are left humbled by their experience. NDEs present as the opposite of drug fueled hallucination.[19]
Are NDEs dreams? No. How could humans at different times and different places all have the same dream involving an out of body experience, life review, etc? NDEers report the experience as realer than real despite their flat brain waves. Dreams occur to those with active brains, yet we know dreams are unreal when we awake. Further, flying in dreams commonly occurs, but is very non-specific. Yet in NDEs, NDErs often report verifiable details from their OOB experience.[20] While dreams didn’t happen, the OOB events they report did. Also, why would a dream involve a searching moral evaluation of ones life?
Positives
Discussion of Objective Morality
Parnia spends time in section two describing and assessing the life review that his NDEers experienced. This involved an ethical assessment of their lives, and their discovery that they were not as morally good as they thought they were. He concludes that the value system in this gray zone of death during their life review is at odds with what our materialistic society values. The death state is an exquisitely humane and moral place. This is a very unexpected discovery, and Parnia makes some great observations about it.
The NDEer’s ethical assessment is not what anyone would expect, yet it seems to be a common experience. Why would so many NDEers across different cultures consistently imagine such an evaluation? If it is simply an imagined process taking place in a dying brain, why then would one’s moral compass radically change at death? It seems more likely that this review is not manufactured by the dying person’s brain.[21] Rather, the NDEer is being subjected to this review by a third party.
Parnia notes there is an honesty and humility amongst the NDEers who have gone through this review. There was no self justification and noone remembers arguing with the conclusions drawn from their moral evaluation. No shifting of blame occurs.[22] The powerful yet loving and powerful presence doing this evaluation possesses a moral center one cannot hide or escape from. The NDEer comes back knowing how imperfect they are and they typically decide they want to live a better life where they demonstrate love towards people.
I think it is helpful for Parnia to highlight this review, because it shows that humans are subject to a moral standard that is imposed upon them by powers higher than themselves, and their society. We may think morality is relative to the times and places in which we live. But the gray zone of death shows NDEers they always have been subject to the moral requirements of a person who conducts their review. This aligns with many aspects of Christianity. For example, our life choices matter to God (2 Cor. 5:10), we are here to love other people (1 Cor. 13:2; Eph. 5:25; Matt. 22:39), and God believes that seeking knowledge is important for people (Proverbs 3:15). Power should be replaced by a servant attitude (Matt. 23:11,12).
Belief Alone is Not Enough
Parnia also picks up the interesting conclusion that belief in a religious entity alone is insufficient for those who have a life review. Belief is important only in so much as what it leads you to do in your life.[23] This actually seems consistent with many parts of Christianity. Throughout the gospels, Jesus challenged the religious leaders about their attitudes and their observations which missed God’s loving heart for people. For example, he challenged them by healing on the Sabbath (Matt. 12:13-14). He also taught the parable of the sheep and the goats where he said our eternal destiny is decided by both our recognition of the Lord, and our active obedience in actively loving other people. Because when we choose to live that way, we show we love him (Matt. 25:31-46). In fact, to claim I have faith in God, but then do nothing to help and love other people, is to be mistaken (James 2:14 – 17). We have no faith in that case.
Parnia Explores the Problem of Consciousness
He summarises some of the aspects of the hard problem of consciousness, showing how inadequate the materialist’s beliefs are. The notion that brain produces mind lacks any evidential or scientific support. In fact, as John Eccles notes, the electrical chemical brain processes are of quite a different kind of thing when compared to thoughts and intentions, consciousness and awareness.[24]
He notes that none of the NDEer reports make any sense if consciousness is produced by brain. But if we consider the possibility that consciousness is associated with, though not located in our brains, then we make more progress. In a similar way to an electromagnetic field carrying information to physical systems, our consciousness interacts with our physical brains.[25] This discussion of consciousness may align somewhat with the work of contemporary philosophers of mind. Philosopher Mihretu Guta calls for a focus on ontology before we try to understand what consciousness is. We must first consider issues of metaphysics, what categories of being there are, and how they relate. We must try to assess the ontology of properties, because otherwise, we will simply put the cart before the horse in our study of consciousness.[26]
Negatives
Flat EEGs Showing Spikes
Parnia has claimed that during AWARE-II, they measured EEG spikes from deceased persons in resuscitation that occurred unexpectedly after a prolonged flat period. He suggests the brain activity they measured on EEG machines during resuscitation could be a biological marker of brain going into hibernation, and maybe NDE.[27] He suggests this marker is not evidence that the brain is causing the NDE. Rather, the immaterial mind remains tethered to the brain in some way, and we see evidence of the NDE in the unexpected EEG readout during resuscitation.[28]
Yet it was not clear to me that Parnia’s team had actually verified that those who were being resuscitated and showed evidence that unexpected EEG spikes correlated to people who had returned to consciousness with a recalled experience of death. He seems to presume there must be a link without really having a good argument that the link exists. Further, since the spikes occurred during resuscitation, where the heart is being exercised under CPR, can he be sure these EEG spikes are not simply the natural result of blood flow through the brain during resuscitation?
Challenging Religion
In his discussion of life review, Parnia observes that NDEers do not describe anything related to religious ritual, though they do return having experienced an ethical evaluation. Parnia says that taken all together, the world’s religions are contradictory. On that basis, he seems to reject all religions. To Parnia, we need a new spirituality that represents a universally applicable rational approach to developing one’s humanity and increase cognitive understanding of real truths.[29]
I would agree that the world religions are contradictory when taken together. But they are not intended to be treated this way. The majority of religions, particularly the monotheistic ones, claim to be the single explanation of life, and the universe. To reject them all because they give different answers is mistaken. Rather, we must evaluate whether any of them present a correct view of reality. That seems to me to be the rational way to assess the religions. But I’m not sure Parnia sees it this way.
Parnia does not seem to consider the possibility that, all the religions contradict, and so not all of them can be true at the same time. Yet one religious outlook is true while the others are false. This seems likely to be the case, given how close his reported NDEer experiences seem to align with biblical Christianity. For example, as Steve Miller points out, NDEs teach us the following Biblical things about God:[30]
- God exists (Gen. 1:1)
- God is loving (1 John 4:8)
- God knows us intimately (Luke 12:7)
- God is personal (Exodus 34:6)
- God is attractive to people (Psalm 73:25-26)
- God is just and true in his judgements (Daniel 4:37)
- God is associated with light (Revelation 22:5)
They also teach is:
- Our life choices matter (2 Cor. 5:10)
- Material things are not worth obsessing over (Matt. 6:24)
- Its important to love people (1 Cor. 13:2)
- Its important to love God (Matt. 22:37)
- Seeking knowledge is important (Prov. 3:15)
- Requests and prayers are taken into account by God (James 5:16)
- Forgiveness and truth telling is important for us (Eph. 4:25)
People with the recalled experience of death come back with a true gauge of who we are as humans. Precise accountability exists for humans, scrutiny on every action and inaction occurs, and we are compared against universal moral standards. How we live determines our worth in the end.[31] This sounds very much like the conundrum that all sinful people find themselves in. We therefore require the Lord Jesus as our savior. (John 3:16)
Further, Parnia does not consider the possibility that the NDEer experience is permitted by God for some people as a halftime experience in life. Perhaps it is permitted as a way to open the person’s eyes to spiritual realities, and the importance of this perspective in life once they have returned from death. Perhaps NDEs are there to give the individual the opportunity to set off again in the right direction in life. It does not compel belief in Biblical Christianity, yet it gives compelling experiential evidence that it is true. People are left to connect the dots for themselves. Of course, people with prior religious commitments may return to life and interpret their experience differently.
Rejection of Hellish NDEs
Parnia decides that hellish NDEs are the result of conscious experiences after consciousness has returned.[32] They are intensive care delusions.[33] They are called hellish NDEs without scientific rigor.[34] Yet I did not find any scientific rigor in his conclusion that hellish NDEs were, in fact, delusions. They simply did not fit with his view of the NDE as an overwhelmingly positive experience. He rejects the possibility of an upsetting NDE without any engagement with the literature on the subject. This is one of the weakest parts of his argument. This is another part of NDEer reporting that also supports Biblical Christianity. Again, if the NDE is permitted as a halftime experience to awaken people to spiritual realities, the possibility of suffering in the afterlife is an important insight to gain. It may be a warning. Certainly, having experienced this in an NDE, some people may decide to do all they can to avoid this when they finally die for good. Parnia seems to have missed this possibility.
Reincarnation
There’s a subtle agreement with the idea of reincarnation in the book. Parnia states that eastern religious ideas of reincarnation aren’t part of NDEer accounts. Yet what is a part, is the NDeer assumption that the life review points to the need for multiple lives to learn everything that is required. This is pure speculation on Parnia’s part. Given that the NDEer has not finally died yet, and they are benefitting from a halftime NDE in their lives, their subsequent learning may occur post NDE before final death. (Heb. 9:27)
Scientific Objectivity
Parnia views himself as scientific and therefore objective. But this seems to be a naive view of the scientist. The scientist must make many philosophical commitments before they engage in their study of nature. For example, nature can be studied, events are repeatable, it is wrong to falsify scientific research, etc.
I think Parnia assumes his scientific focus gives him the position of an objective observer of the NDEer’s experience. Unfortunately, I’ve pointed to a few areas where his own religious commitments seem to bring bias into his book. I am not suggesting bias is wrong. I am suggesting with should properly justify the biased position we take. I am firmly biased towards a Christian worldview and interpret NDE data through that lens. I think there are strong reasons for doing so, and I have stated them in various places. Also, my colleague J Steve Miller has argued for this in his various books.
Conclusion
Sam Parnia continues to contribute important data on consciousness and the NDE phenomena. His research is important because it advances our understanding of death and its effect on both the mind and the brain. While thinking he maintains a “scientific” distance from religious worldview, he cannot help but impose his own religious worldview which seems to include a selection of elements of various religions. I think a more fruitful exercise is to consider which religious worldview is most inline with the NDE data as it is presented. I think a compelling argument can be made that Christianity is that religious worldview. For more, refer to J Steve Miller’s book, Is Christianity Compatible With Deathbed and Near-Death Experiences.[35]
[1] https://reachmd.com/profiles/sam-parnia-md-phd/jPVqRL/biography/
[2] Sam Parnia, Lucid Dying, (New York: Hachette Books, 2024), 31.
[3] Ibid., 60.
[4] Ibid., 71.
[5] Ibid., 88.
[6] Ibid., 86.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Ibid., 134.
[9] Ibid., 159.
[10] Ibid., 170.
[11] Ibid., 167.
[12] Ibid., 178.
[13] Ibid., 164.
[14] Ibid., 175.
[15] Ibid., 180.
[16] Ibid., 182.
[17] Ibid., 234.
[18] Ibid., 255 – 258.
[19] Ibid., 273.
[20] Ibid., 274.
[21] Ibid., 180.
[22] Ibid., 181.
[23] Ibid., 288.
[24] Ibid., 219.
[25] Ibid., 314.
[26] Consciousness and the Ontology of Properties, ed. Mihretu P. Guta, (New York: Routleledge, 2019), 3.
[27] Parnia, 73.
[28] Ibid., 103.
[29] Ibid., 331.
[30] J. Steve Miller, Near-Death Experiences as Evidence for the Existence of God and Heaven: A Brief Introduction in Plain Language, (Acworth: Wisdom Creek Press, 2012), 77.
[31] Ibid., 299.
[32] Ibid., 290.
[33] Ibid., 314.
[34] Ibid., 78.
[35] J. Steve Miller, Is Christianity Compatible With Deathbed and Near-Death Experiences, (2023).