Near-Death 'Heavenly Lights' Linked to CO2

Study ties carbon dioxide to eerie visions
By Emily Rauhala,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 8, 2010 4:40 AM CDT
Updated Apr 10, 2010 6:52 AM CDT
Near-Death 'Heavenly Lights' Linked to CO 2
That light at the end of the tunnel may have more to do with C02 than heaven, a new study suggests.   (Shutter Stock)

That "heavenly" light at the end of the tunnel may have more to do with carbon dioxide than an afterlife, a new study finds. Slovenian researchers studying near-death experiences found that people who reported seeing their life—or light—flash before their eyes had higher levels of CO2 in their systems. Up to 25% of cardiac patients report having such experiences.

The study, which followed only 52 patients, found an association between seeing light and higher levels of carbon dioxide, but that does not mean CO2 necessarily caused the effect, scientists pointed out. However, the findings seem to mesh with previous work on the link between the carbon dioxide and hallucinatory experiences. "It is potentially another piece of the puzzle, although much more work is needed," one scientist tells the BBC. (More death stories.)

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