What question did this study set out to answer?

The study aims to examine brain activation associated with the recall of authentic near-death experiences (NDEs).

April 23, 2026Resuscitation Plus0 citationsOpen Access

Neural Regions Associated with Memories of Recalled Experiences of Death (REDs; Authentic Near‑Death Experiences NDEs): A Preliminary Functional MRI Study

JRJosé Alonso RuizUniversidad Católica de Murcia MRMayte Rodríguez-González-MoroUniversidad Católica de Murcia TSTomás SeguraUniversity of Castilla-La Mancha

Key Points

The study aims to examine brain activation associated with the recall of authentic near-death experiences (NDEs).
Conducted functional MRI analysis with a block-design paradigm for RED recall.
Involved 15 participants who had clinically documented life-threatening events.
Applied region-of-interest analyses with family-wise error correction.
Significant activations were found in the precuneus, posterior cingulate, and medial prefrontal cortices.
No activation occurred in primary sensory or limbic areas.
Findings support RED recalls engaging introspective brain regions related to autobiographical memory.

Abstract

• Controlled fMRI recall of RED/authentic NDE memories was successfully implemented. • Consistent activation in precuneus, PCC, MPFC, DLPFC, angular gyrus, secondary visual cortex, MTG, and OFC. • RED/authentic NDE recall engages autobiographical memory and default mode network regions. • No activation was observed in primary sensory or limbic cortices. • Findings support RED/authentic NDE memories as vivid, context‑rich autobiographical recollections. This observational study examined brain activation patterns when people relive their memories of recalled experiences of death (REDs), also known as authentic near-death experience (NDE) memories, using structural and functional MRI under normal cerebral perfusion in participants with clinically documented life-threatening events and loss of consciousness. Fifteen participants (7 women, 8 men; aged 18–75) were evaluated using two scanners. A block-design paradigm (recall RED–rest) was applied, with prior psychological training, physiological monitoring, and radiological review. Analysis was performed using SPM25. A whole-brain threshold was applied at an uncorrected level of p < 0.001 with a minimum cluster extent of k ≥ 10 voxels. Region-of-interest (ROI) analyses were performed using small-volume correction with voxel-wise family-wise error (FWE) correction (pFWE < 0.05). Significant activations were observed in the precuneus (BA7), posterior cingulate cortex (BA23/31), medial prefrontal cortex (BA10), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (BA9/46), angular gyrus (BA39), secondary visual cortex (BA18/19), middle temporal gyrus (BA21), and orbitofrontal cortex (BA47). The parahippocampal region (BA36) showed a non-significant trend. No activation was found in primary sensorimotor or limbic areas. The reliving of RED/authentic NDE memories was associated with the engagement of brain networks implicated in autobiographical memory and the default mode network (DMN), suggesting the involvement of introspective and self-referential processes. The observed activation patterns were not consistent with those typically reported for primary sensory hallucinations. Controlled reliving of memories of REDs/authentic NDEs may represent a useful experimental paradigm for investigating multisensory autobiographical memory and neural processes related to conscious self-experience. These findings are consistent with vivid episodic recollection and differ from neural patterns commonly associated with imagined or false memories.

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