Throughout history, there have been numerous cases where those who had been clinically pronounced as dead have returned back to life, able to convey their experience during physical death. These are known as Near Death Experiences (NDEs). Though no current scientific instruments can be used to measure the non-tangible phenomena, there have been universal parallels in many of the accounts. Proponents of the material worldview take a skeptical view of such data, writing is off as pseudo-scientific and unsubstantiated, though it constitutes valid data nonetheless due to the amount of information available and the correlations that can be drawn across various cultures and demographics, and across successive generations. 

When patients are classified as clinically brain dead by health professions, this is corroborated by a flat line in EEG readings, yet the consciousness of NDE patients continues to exist independently from the body in an altered state. This cannot be explained by current mainstream scientific literature, and seems to contradict the commonly accepted claim that consciousness is just a byproduct of the brain and could therefore not exist independently of it. Some subjects upon returning to life have been able to report what was happening at the location of their physical body during death in such precise detail that many clinicians and other witnesses have had their world view turned completely upside down, left with no choice but to accept spirituality into their lives. 

Subjects have been able to recall the specific details in operating theatres, such as how many doctors there were, what instruments they were using and on which parts of the body. In one case, a patient described a clinician’s instrument that resembled an electric tooth brush in appearance, and the carrying case of a specific colour and structure. The owner of this tool was taken aback at the accuracy of the description, deeming it virtually impossible for anyone to know outside his field of interest. 

Another patient exhibited an unusual characteristic not commonly documented amongst NDE patients. Whilst pregnant, the subject was diagnosed with a condition that can lead to excessive bleeding and death in rare circumstances. During premonitions, she saw the worst case scenario coming to fruition and, convinced of her destiny, shared this with her husband and doctor with unwavering certainty. During a C-section labour, the loss of blood caused her to be pronounced dead, but her baby survived. She had predicted this would be the precise outcome, even though ordinarily both mother and baby would not survive. 

It is common in expanded states of awareness for the boundaries between the inner and outer world to dissolve and for consciousness to interact with the environment in a fluid way. When unbound from physical density, time is reported to dissolve and consciousness takes on a less linear trajectory. The separation between objects diminishes and consciousness appears to animate all things, even those that we recognise as inanimate in physical form. It is in this state where individuals report interacting with the spirits of loved ones who communicate words of comfort and wisdom to them, characterising such experiences as loving and blissful. Deceased relatives often tell their loved one that it is not yet their time and that they must return to their physical bodies to see out their destiny. It as at this point that the individual reports being thrust back into the body, feeling a pulling sensation like an energetic chord drawing them back to their body.

These accounts resemble the phenomenon of astral projection, where in the transitional state between wakefulness and sleep, known as the hypnagogic state, subjects experience a sensation known as sleep paralysis. In this state the body becomes completely immobile, though the subjects consciousness is still alert. Those unfamiliar or uncomfortable with the experience report this as terrifying and characterised as a complete loss of control over the physical body. It is this fear itself that seems to snap the person back into movement, but in situations where the subject embraces the relaxation, they feel their consciousness detaching from the physical body and are able to observe their dormant body as an outside observer. This tends to happen when the subject is on their back and there are numerous visual representations of this depicted as the etheric body rising above the physical body in a state of independence, yet still connected through an energetic (etheric cord).

Depending on the degree of experience or control over ones consciousness, individuals report entering the astral plane, able to navigate through conscious intent to different places. Subjects are able to report where they went and what others were doing who they visited at that precise time. Others report feeling states of extreme ecstasy/bliss as they detach from their bodies, like a weight has been lifted and the vibration has risen. This altered state can be accompanied by various sounds or bright lights, none of which are present in the room at the time, particularly as most instances occur during the night in the dark, and in many cases in solitude. Like NDEs, astral projection has been reported universally across generations, and with many similarities. Both phenomena grant plausibility for the existence of consciousness independent of the body, and so consciousness drives the body rather than the reverse, with the brain acting like a transducer.

Psychedelics have also enabled access to extra-sensory states of perception beyond the limited bandwidth of visible light perceived by the five senses. The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή (psyche, “soul, mind”) and δηλείν (delein, “to manifest”), hence “soul-manifesting”, implying the use of psychedelics to access the soul and untapped potential of the human mind. Recently, the term entheogenic has come to denote the use of psychedelic drugs in a religious/spiritual/mystical context. This exploration of the metaphysical realm gives rise to profound changes within the individual who is able to retrieve repressed aspects of the psyche embedded in the unconscious, providing an opportunity to confront and release trauma otherwise hard to access from a more sober state. For this reason, plants like ayahuasca and psilocybin mushrooms are classed as having medicinal value and have been revered throughout human history as a powerful tool to assist the individual with their healing and to expand their mind beyond the physical paradigm. 

Ayahuasca is native to Latin America in the Amazon. Its active component, DMT, is responsible for inducing the psychedelic visions which some argue correspond to the pineal gland of the brain, recognised as the third eye in traditions such as Hinduism and Buddhism and referred to as ‘the seat of the soul’. Because of the dream-like state that DMT induces, it has been theorised to play a role in sleeping and is connected to near death experiences, where similar perceptions are reported. Whether or not DMT corresponds directly with the pineal gland, its consciousness expanding properties are undeniable and have been documented throughout history in written and aesthetic form, particularly amongst indigenous cultures who have a powerful way of depicting the rich array of symbols and archetypes, in all its colourful and mystical splendour. This has captured the curiosity of people from all cultures across the world, and increasing numbers are venturing over to South America to delve into this hidden world. Though anecdotal, the commonalities lend credence to the existence of higher states of perception.