DMT or Divine Glimpse? Neurosurgeon Compares Near-Death Experience with Psychedelic Journey
In 2008, neurosurgeon Dr. Eben Alexander survived a life-threatening case of bacterial meningitis that led to a profound near-death experience (NDE). Years later, he recounted this experience in a best-selling book. Recently, he also explored the psychedelic realm, trying out 5-MeO-DMT, a variant of the popularly known DMT. This caught the attention of Pascal Michael, a PhD student in psychology.
Disclaimer: This post was written with ChatGPT.
Source: Is a near-death experience like a DMT trip? One neurosurgeon experienced both.
There’s a theory suggesting that the NDE might be caused by the brain’s release of DMT at the moment of death. Given Alexander’s unique position of having experienced both, he was interviewed by Michael to draw comparisons. Both experiences had parallels like feelings of transcending time and space, a sense of unity, and profound love. A notable similarity was the “ego death” or the temporary dissolution of one’s identity.
However, Alexander’s NDE was also marked by encounters with both menacing and divine beings, and an immersion in another world. Due to the depth and nature of these differences, he leans towards a transcendental interpretation of his NDE, hinting at a possible afterlife, rather than attributing it solely to the effects of DMT.
While Michael acknowledges the distinctive features of Alexander’s NDE, he also points out that such characteristics align with DMT trips. Thus, Alexander’s experiences neither refute nor confirm the theory that NDEs could be instigated by internally produced psychedelic compounds.
