Human Consciousness Project

The Human Consciousness Project is a professional organization, located at the University of Southampton, set up to study the nature of consciousness, the human brain and clinical death.[1][2] The project is multidisciplinary[1][3] and involves scientists and physicians worldwide.[1][2] Sam Parnia serves as director of the project.[1]

History

The organization was founded by Sam Parnia.[1][4] In 2008 the project announced that it was undertaking a collaboration with 25 medical centers across Europe and America in preparation for a study called AWARE (AWAreness during REsuscitation). More than 1000 cardiac arrest survivors were recruited for the study.[5][6][7][8] The study was to introduce a multi-disciplinary perspective, cerebral monitoring techniques, and innovative tests.[7] Among the innovative research designs was the placement of images in resuscitation areas. The images were placed on shelves below the ceiling and could only be seen from above. The design was constructed in order to verify the possibility of out-of-body experiences.[8][9][10]

AWARE-study

The first results from the AWARE-study were published in the medical journal Resuscitation in 2014,[11] and attracted the attention of the media.[12] The study was led by Parnia together with Peter Fenwick, Stephen Holgate and Robert Peveler.[2] The article was a multi-author text.[11] The authors reported that 101 out of 140 patients completed stage 2 interviews. They found that 9 out of 101 cardiac arrest survivors had experiences that could be classified as near-death experiences. 46% could retrieve memories from their cardiac arrest, and the memories could be subdivided into the following categories: fear; animals/plants; bright light; violence/persecution; deja-vu; family; recalling events post-CA. Of these, 2% fulfilled the criteria of the Greyson NDE scale and reported an out-of-body experience with awareness of the resuscitation situation. Of these, 1 person described details related to technical resuscitation equipment. None of the patients reported seeing the test design with upward facing images.[9][13][14][15][16][10][17]

AWARE II

A follow-up study, the AWARE II, is currently being conducted,[10] and results have started to appear.[18]

References
  1. Palchik, G. Conference Report: The Nour Foundation Georgetown University & Blackfriars Hall, Oxford University Symposium Series Technology, Neuroscience & the Nature of Being: Considerations of Meaning, Morality and Transcendence Part I: The Paradox of Neurotechnology, 8 May 2009. Philos Ethics Humanit Med 4, 9 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1186/1747-5341-4-9
  2. University of Southampton. "World's Largest-ever Study Of Near-Death Experiences." ScienceDaily, 10 September 2008. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080910090829.htm. Accessed 19 June, 2022
  3. United Nations. Press conference on opening of UN/NGO Symposioum 'Beyond the Mind-Body Problem': New Paradigms in the Science of Consciousness, 11 september 2008. https://www.un.org/press/en/2008/080911_NGOSymposium.doc.htm
  4. Sam Parnia. Writers Directory. 2018, June 15.
  5. Holden, Constance. Random Samples: Probing Near-Death. Science, Vol 321, sept. 2008 https://www.jstor.org/stable/20144858
  6. Stephey, M.J. What Happens When We Die? TIME magazine, Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008, www.time.com, retrieved January 2, 2023
  7. Agrillo, Christian. Near-Death Experience: Out-of-Body and Out-of-Brain? Review of General Psychology, 2011, Vol. 15, No. 1, 1–10
  8. Bókkon, István; Mallick, Birendra N.; Tuszynski, Jack. Near death experiences: a multidisciplinary hypothesis. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, September 2013, Volume7, Article 533 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00533
  9. Weintraub, Pamela. Seeing the light. Psychology Today, September 02, 2014, www.psychologytoday.com, retrieved January 3, 2023
  10. Orlando, A. (2021). Death Defying. Discover, 42(6), 50–58.
  11. Parnia S, et al. AWARE—AWAreness during REsuscitation—A prospective study. Resuscitation, Vol. 85, Issue 12, P 1799-1805, December 01, 2014 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.resuscitation.2014.09.004
  12. Engmann, Birk. Does research on near-death experiences fulfil the quality criteria of medical studies? Advanced Studies in Medical Sciences, Vol. 8, 2020, no. 1, 1 –7
  13. Olvera-Lopeza, Edgardo & Varona, Joseph. Editorial: “AWAREness during CPR: Be careful with what you say!” Resuscitation 85 (2014) A5–A6, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resuscitation.2014.09.023
  14. Robb, Alice. The Scientists Studying Life After Death Are Not Total Frauds. The New Republic, October 8, 2014, www.newrepublic.com, retrieved January 3, 2023
  15. Tassell-Matamua, Natasha A. & Lindsay, Nicole (2016) “I’m not afraid to die”: the loss of the fear of death after a near-death experience, Mortality, 21:1, 71-87, DOI: 10.1080/13576275.2015.1043252
  16. Rice, DT, Nudell, NG, Habrat, DA, Smith, JE and Ernest, EV. CPR induced consciousness: sedation protocols for this special population. British Paramedic Journal 2016, vol. 1(2) 24–29
  17. Lichfield, Gideon. The Science of Near-Death Experiences. Empirically investigating brushes with the afterlife. The Atlantic, April 2015, www.theatlantic.com, retrieved January 9, 2023
  18. Parnia et al. Awareness and Cognitive Activity During Cardiac Arrest. Circulation, Vol. 140, No. Suppl 2, 19 November 2019 https://doi.org/10.1161/circ.140.suppl_2.387
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