Literature Review #4

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Citation:

Greyson, Bruce. “Western Scientific Approaches to Near-Death Experiences.” Humanities (Basel), vol. 4, no. 4, MDPI AG, 2015, pp. 775–96, doi:10.3390/h4040775.

Author/ Summary:

This article is written by Dr. Bruce Greyson, a leading expert on near death experiences. His article explores the topic of NDEs as well as their effects and causes. He discusses the invariancy of NDEs across cultures, regardless of cultural expectations. He also found that 10-20% of people who come close to death have an experience with NDE. This article also points out the invariance of near death experiences across people with differing cultures, ages, and beliefs points to either a neurophysiological process in the brain or a mystical domain. It is difficult to research the true causes of NDEs since they have an unpredictable and subjective occurrence. Dr. Greyon also conducted research on the effects of drugs/ medicine on NDEs. His research found that drugs and physical alterations can actually inhibit NDEs, contrary to popular belief. 

Key Terms:

One of the key terms in this article is “ neurophysiological explanation” The article goes into a lot of detail about possible physiological and neurophysiological explanations behind near death experiences. In addition, “out of body experience” is a popular key term in the article. It discusses how OBEs are commonly linked with NDEs. It even states, “The accuracy of out-of-body perceptions during NDEs challenges the conception that they are hallucinations. (Greyson).

Three quotes:

“Moreover, patients who had fevers or were given drugs when near death actually report fewer NDEs and less elaborate experiences than do patients who remain free of drugs and fever. These findings suggest that drugs or physiological alterations in fact inhibit NDEs” (Greyson).

“Although cultural expectations and parameters of the brush with death influence the content of some NDEs, near-death phenomenology is invariant across cultures. That invariance may reflect universal psychological defenses, neurophysiological processes, or actual experience of a transcendent or mystical domain.”(Greyson).

“Although most people who survive close brushes with death report greater appreciation for life, near-death experiencers manifest this in greater zest for life, more intense appreciation for nature and friendship, and living more fully in the moment without concern for the impression they might make, whereas non-experiencers often respond to a close brush with death by becoming more cautious and less likely to take risks” (Greyson).

Value: 

This article is of great value to me because it really helped me to understand near death experiences. Also, Dr. Greyson’s research helped my argument because it found that medicine and drugs actually inhibit near death experiences, rather than cause them which is what most people believe.