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How "near-death experiences" change the brain

June 28, 2004
Special to World Science

Some people who come near the point of death due to injuries or illness claim the experience has changed their lives. They report spiritual awakenings, newfound peace of mind or both. 

Researchers may have found how the brain reflects these changes. 

Accident victims fitting this description displayed unusual brain patterns in their left temporal lobe, a region near the temple, University of Arizona researchers write in the April issue of the research journal Psychological Science. 

The changes, associated with "positive coping styles," may stem from oxygen deprivation during the brush with death, they write. The patterns also resembled those found in some epileptics, they add, consistent with reports that seizures can induce mystical visions.

—EJL

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