A team of Belgian and Italian scientists has made a significant breakthrough in understanding why people experience vivid and unusual visions during fainting or cardiac arrest. The findings of their study were published in the NeuroImage journal. The researchers focused on investigating brain function during states associated with loss of consciousness. To do this, they conducted an experiment with 27 healthy volunteers. The scientists induced temporary loss of consciousness using methods such as hyperventilation, orthostasis (sudden changes in body position), and Valsalva maneuvers (a specific breathing technique). After regaining consciousness, the volunteers were asked to describe any unusual memories or visions they experienced. Through high-precision brain activity monitoring (high-density EEG), the researchers discovered that certain areas of the brain became active during fainting in some participants, leading to visions resembling near-death experiences. These visions often contained mystical elements and a sense of transcendence. The analysis revealed that these visions were associated with increased activity in the delta, theta, and beta brainwave bands in regions responsible for perception and information processing. Additionally, the brain exhibited high complexity and connectivity within these bands, potentially explaining the vividness and intensity of these experiences. This study suggests that consciousness can be disrupted by bursts of neural activity, resulting in unusual and intense experiences similar to near-death phenomena. The post Light at the end of the tunnel: source of visions of the ‘afterlife’ revealed appeared first on Anomalien.com.