Many patients recall a “meaningful evaluation of life” during CPR that cannot be explained by the trick of a dying or disordered brain, researchers say. 

The US study found that the lucid experiences of death occurred in nearly 20% of patient survivors while they were seemingly unconscious and dying.

Lead author, intensive care specialist Dr Sam Parnia says the findings provide evidence that patients undergo a “unique inner conscious experience” while on the verge of death and in a coma, including awareness without distress.

“These lucid experiences cannot be considered a trick of a disordered or dying brain, but rather a unique human experience that emerges on the brink of death,” said Dr Parnia, an associate professor in the NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City.