Researchers found people with near death experiences are more likely to have a sleep-wake system in which the rapid eye movement state of sleep can intrude into normal wakeful consciousness.

For the study, a near death experience was defined as a time during a life-threatening episode of danger when a person experienced such events as a sense of being outside the body or seeing an intense light.

Sleep Intrudes into Wakeful State

The study compared 55 people with near death experiences to 55 people of the same age and gender who had not had a near death experience.

Researchers found people with near death experiences are more likely to have a sleep-wake system in which the rapid eye movement state of sleep can intrude into normal wakeful consciousness.

Examples of REM intrusion include waking up and feeling that you cannot move or having sudden leg muscle weakness.

60 Percent Reported REM Intrusion

Of the people with near death experiences, 60 percent reported having the REM intrusion, compared with 24 percent of people who had not had near death experiences.

These findings suggest REM state intrusion contributes to near death experiences, said neurologist and study author Dr. Kevin Nelson of the University of Kentucky.

The study appears in the journal Neurology.