Near Death Experiences (NDEs) and Psychedelic Experiences: Commonalities and Insights
Paolo Cardone (PhD, University of Liege) & Pauline Fritz (Speech Therapist, PhD Student at the University of Liege)
Thursday 16 July, 8PM CET (7PM GMT, 2PM EST, 11AM PST)
Online (OPEN Community Platform)
Cognitive neuroscience has recently become interested in altered states of consciousness such as near-death experiences (NDEs) and psychedelic experiences. While these two phenomena differ in several aspects (NDEs may occur spontaneously in life-threatening situations, while psychedelics are induced by the intake of specific substances), there are notable similarities in their phenomenology. In this presentation, we will explore the extent to which these experiences resemble each other and discuss methods for investigating these parallels. Building on this comparison, the speakers will propose that the psychedelic experience can serve as a model for studying NDEs in laboratory settings. Additionally, the speakers will review current research efforts in our lab aimed at scientifically examining NDEs under controlled conditions. This presentation will provide an opportunity to discuss the methodology and rationale for integrating these two domains, as well as the challenges associated with studying their neurophysiological mechanisms in laboratory settings.