Human Consciousness Project

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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]

Contents

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]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardiac arrest</span> Sudden stop in effective blood flow due to the failure of the heart to beat

Cardiac arrest, also known as sudden cardiac arrest, is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. As a result, blood cannot properly circulate around the body and there is diminished blood flow to the brain and other organs. When the brain does not receive enough blood, this can cause a person to pass out and become unresponsive. Cardiac arrest is also identified by a lack of central pulses and abnormal or absent breathing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cardiopulmonary resuscitation</span> Emergency procedure for cardiac arrest

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure consisting of chest compressions often combined with artificial ventilation, or mouth to mouth in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore spontaneous blood circulation and breathing in a person who is in cardiac arrest. It is recommended for those who are unresponsive with no breathing or abnormal breathing, for example, agonal respirations.

Clinical death is the medical term for cessation of blood circulation and breathing, the two criteria necessary to sustain the lives of human beings and of many other organisms. It occurs when the heart stops beating in a regular rhythm, a condition called cardiac arrest. The term is also sometimes used in resuscitation research.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Out-of-body experience</span> Phenomenon in which the soul (astral body) is said to exit the physical body

An out-of-body experience is a phenomenon in which a person perceives the world from a location outside their physical body. An OBE is a form of autoscopy, although this term is more commonly used to refer to the pathological condition of seeing a second self, or doppelgänger.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Advanced cardiac life support</span> Emergency medical care

Advanced cardiac life support, advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS) refers to a set of clinical guidelines for the urgent and emergent treatment of life-threatening cardiovascular conditions that will cause or have caused cardiac arrest, using advanced medical procedures, medications, and techniques. ACLS expands on Basic Life Support (BLS) by adding recommendations on additional medication and advanced procedure use to the CPR guidelines that are fundamental and efficacious in BLS. ACLS is practiced by advanced medical providers including physicians, some nurses and paramedics; these providers are usually required to hold certifications in ACLS care.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Do not resuscitate</span> Legal order saying not to perform CPR if heart stops

A do-not-resuscitate order (DNR), also known as Do Not Attempt Resuscitation (DNAR), Do Not Attempt Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (DNACPR), no code or allow natural death, is a medical order, written or oral depending on the jurisdiction, indicating that a person should not receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if that person's heart stops beating. Sometimes these decisions and the relevant documents also encompass decisions around other critical or life-prolonging medical interventions. The legal status and processes surrounding DNR orders vary in different polities. Most commonly, the order is placed by a physician based on a combination of medical judgement and patient involvement.

Dying is the final stage of life which will eventually lead to death. Diagnosing dying is a complex process of clinical decision-making, and most practice checklists facilitating this diagnosis are based on cancer diagnoses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drowning</span> Respiratory impairment resulting from being in or underneath a liquid

Drowning is a type of suffocation induced by the submersion of the mouth and nose in a liquid. Most instances of fatal drowning occur alone or in situations where others present are either unaware of the victim's situation or unable to offer assistance. After successful resuscitation, drowning victims may experience breathing problems, vomiting, confusion, or unconsciousness. Occasionally, victims may not begin experiencing these symptoms until several hours after they are rescued. An incident of drowning can also cause further complications for victims due to low body temperature, aspiration of vomit, or acute respiratory distress syndrome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Asystole</span> Medical condition of the heart

Asystole is the absence of ventricular contractions in the context of a lethal heart arrhythmia. Asystole is the most serious form of cardiac arrest and is usually irreversible. Also referred to as cardiac flatline, asystole is the state of total cessation of electrical activity from the heart, which means no tissue contraction from the heart muscle and therefore no blood flow to the rest of the body.

Precordial thump is a medical procedure used in the treatment of ventricular fibrillation or pulseless ventricular tachycardia under certain conditions. The procedure has a very low success rate, but may be used in those with witnessed, monitored onset of one of the "shockable" cardiac rhythms if a defibrillator is not immediately available. It should not delay cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation, nor should it be used in those with unwitnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Near-death studies is a field of psychology and psychiatry that studies the physiology, phenomenology and after-effects of the near-death experience (NDE). The field was originally associated with a distinct group of North American researchers that followed up on the initial work of Raymond Moody, and who later established the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS) and the Journal of Near-Death Studies. Since then the field has expanded, and now includes contributions from a wide range of researchers and commentators worldwide. Research on near-death experiences is mainly limited to the disciplines of medicine, psychology and psychiatry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ABC (medicine)</span> Initialism mnemonics

ABC and its variations are initialism mnemonics for essential steps used by both medical professionals and lay persons when dealing with a patient. In its original form it stands for Airway, Breathing, and Circulation. The protocol was originally developed as a memory aid for rescuers performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the most widely known use of the initialism is in the care of the unconscious or unresponsive patient, although it is also used as a reminder of the priorities for assessment and treatment of patients in many acute medical and trauma situations, from first-aid to hospital medical treatment. Airway, breathing, and circulation are all vital for life, and each is required, in that order, for the next to be effective. Since its development, the mnemonic has been extended and modified to fit the different areas in which it is used, with different versions changing the meaning of letters or adding other letters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AutoPulse</span> Cardiopulmonary resuscitation device

The AutoPulse is an automated, portable, battery-powered cardiopulmonary resuscitation device created by Revivant and subsequently purchased and currently manufactured by ZOLL Medical Corporation. It is a chest compression device composed of a constricting band and half backboard that is intended to be used as an adjunct to CPR during advanced cardiac life support by professional health care providers. The AutoPulse uses a distributing band to deliver the chest compressions. In literature it is also known as LDB-CPR.

The chain of survival refers to a series of actions that, properly executed, reduce the mortality associated with sudden cardiac arrest. Like any chain, the chain of survival is only as strong as its weakest link. The six interdependent links in the chain of survival are early recognition of sudden cardiac arrest and access to emergency medical care, early CPR, early defibrillation, early advanced cardiac life support, and physical and emotional recovery. The first three links in the chain can be performed by lay bystanders, while the second three links are designated to medical professionals. Currently, between 70 and 90% of cardiac arrest patients die before they reach the hospital. However, a cardiac arrest does not have to be lethal if bystanders can take the right steps immediately.

A near-death experience (NDE) is a profound personal experience associated with death or impending death which researchers describe as having similar characteristics. When positive, which the great majority are, such experiences may encompass a variety of sensations including detachment from the body, feelings of levitation, total serenity, security, warmth, joy, the experience of absolute dissolution, review of major life events, the presence of a light, and seeing dead relatives. When negative, such experiences may include sensations of anguish, distress, a void, devastation, vast emptiness, seeing hellish places and "the devil".

Lazarus syndrome, also known as autoresuscitation after failed cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is the spontaneous return of a normal cardiac rhythm after failed attempts at resuscitation. It is also used to refer to the spontaneous return of cardiac activity after the patient has been pronounced dead. Its occurrence has been noted in medical literature at least 38 times since 1982. It takes its name from Lazarus who, according to the New Testament, was raised from the dead by Jesus.

Peter Brooke Cadogan Fenwick is a neuropsychiatrist and neurophysiologist who is known for his studies of epilepsy and end-of-life phenomena.

Sam Parnia is a British associate professor of Medicine at the NYU Langone Medical Center where he is also director of research into cardiopulmonary resuscitation. In the United Kingdom, he is director of the Human Consciousness Project at the University of Southampton. Parnia is known for his work on near-death experiences and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

GoodSAM is a global emergency and volunteer service platform and associated community co-founded by Mark Wilson OBE, Ali Ghorbangholi OBE and Ali Haddad in 2013. It is used by ambulance, police, fire, government, charity and health services to improve immediate emergency management, largely through video enabling Instant-On-Scene video assessment and from the platform’s ability to alert trusted responders to provide immediate help. It is also the platform used to deploy nearly 800,000 NHS Volunteers across the UK to support those isolating or suffering with Covid

Call-Push-Shock (CPS) is a national collaborative movement co-sponsored by Parent Heart Watch (PHW) and Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation (SCAF). It is designed to drive public awareness, understanding, and action in cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and increase survival rates by speaking in one voice across multiple organizations. CPS urges the public, when it witnesses sudden cardiac arrest, to call 911, provide CPR, and use an automated external defibrillator (AED), if available.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 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. 1 2 3 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 , September 18, 2008, retrieved January 30, 2024.
  7. 1 2 Agrillo, Christian. Near-Death Experience: Out-of-Body and Out-of-Brain? Review of General Psychology, 2011, Vol. 15, No. 1, 1–10
  8. 1 2 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. 1 2 Weintraub, Pamela. Seeing the light. Psychology Today, September 02, 2014, www.psychologytoday.com, retrieved January 3, 2023
  10. 1 2 3 Orlando, A. (2021). Death Defying. Discover, 42(6), 50–58.
  11. 1 2 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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