outside the body And other mystical experiences can change lives, and Research He suggests that they can even make people less afraid of death. But such experiences are rare, and they tend to happen accidentally and in the most extreme circumstances – like on the brink of death.
There may be another way to imitate a file Near death experience: Scientists have identified striking similarities between these experiments and Effects of narcotic drugs. According to new exploratory study Conducted by researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine, published August 24 in the journal one plus, People’s attitudes about death change after a drug experience and a non-drug-related out-of-body experience. The researchers divided more than 3,000 participants into two groups: those who had previously had an unusual non-drug experience, and those who had used a psychedelic drug: psilocybin (found in magic mushrooms), lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), ayahuasca, or nAnd then-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT). They found that about 90% of people in both groups were less afraid of death than they had before their experiences.
These findings are based on previous research showing that anestheticespecially when combined with therapy, can Reducing anxiety about the end of life. includes a 2016 randomized clinical trials that It found that psilocybin reduced depression and anxiety among 51 patients with life-threatening cancer. Co-author Roland Griffiths, a professor in the departments of psychiatry and neurosciences at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, hopes the drug can one day be used to help anyone with a fear of death. He says treatment “can significantly reduce the suffering of individuals with or without a life-threatening illness,” including by reducing the emotional pain some people feel at the end of their lives, such as depression, anxiety and isolation.
Evidence suggests that psychedelics can affect the brain, including by enhancing neuroplasticity, which indicates its ability to modulate, change, and adapt. It’s hard to say how much NDEs affect the brain. However, both experiences—near death and drug use—can be profound. About half of each group in the new study said they experienced something they might call “God” – 48% among the non-narcotic group, and 56% among those who used the drug. In the non-drug group, 85% said the experience was in the top five most important in their lives, compared to 75% of the drugged group.
The study is not a perfect representation of the scope of what happens when people take a drug or have an unusual non-drug experience. For example, the study authors noted that the participants were predominantly white and American. They have also chosen to join the survey, which means they may be especially motivated to share their experiences. In addition, there are signs that at least some people may be negatively affected by these experiences; About 1 in 20 people in each group said they were more afraid of dying afterward.
The next step, Griffith says, is additional scientific research, including large-scale surveys of the general population. For now, the new findings add hope that while death will always be inevitable, suffering eventually No need for that.
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