For some, it’s confirmation of an afterlife, but recent research suggests near-death experiences (NDEs) may have more to do with irregular sleep patterns.
People who’ve been through NDEs have a less regulated boundary between sleep and wakefulness, according to a study by Dr Kevin Nelson, a professor of neurology at the University of Kentucky.
“The brain switch linking wakefulness and rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep is different,” says Nelson. “It’s more likely to blend the REM state and wakefulness into one another.”
His research found that 60% of people with NDEs also have episodes of REM intrusion, where sleep paralysis and visual or auditory hallucinations intrude on their waking hours.
Excerpt: http://www.readersdigest.com.ph/rd/rdhtml/en/magazine/mag_fullcontent.jsp?cid=5735
