Marieta Pehlivanova, PhD,
Marieta Pehlivanova, PhD, a research assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, Division of Perceptual Studies, talked with The Washington Post about her research on near-death experiences.
Near-death experiences (NDEs) are intensely vivid and often life-transforming experiences, many of which occur under extreme physiological conditions such as trauma, ceasing of brain activity, deep general anesthesia or cardiac arrest in which no awareness or sensory experiences should be possible according to the prevailing views in neuroscience.
“A near-death experience can be a pretty profound experience, especially if it’s intense,” says Dr. Pehlivanova, who has studied NDEs. For some people, it can be hard to find the words to explain what they experienced. “The majority of people want to talk about [their NDEs],” Dr. Pehlivanova said, “but they may be worried about sharing it because they may be labeled crazy or not believed, and that can be isolating.”
Read the full story at The Washinton Post (subscription may be required).
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