Michael, Pascal (2022) A comparison of NN-DMT, changa & 5-MeO-DMT and the near-death experience: qualitative analyses and reviews of the neuroscience. PhD thesis, University of Greenwich.

Preview

PDF Michael, Pascal - PhD Thesis 2022.pdf - Published Version Download (5MB) | Preview

Abstract

A complete explanation of the near-death experience (NDE) has still not been developed. However, the elevating effects on entropy and thus on richness of experience by psychedelics implies their possible endogenous function in the, otherwise ‘paradoxical’, recovery of consciousness near death. Psychometric and semantic analyses have indicated psychedelics, especially those reliably inducing immersive states of novel realities, to act as robust psychopharmacological models of the NDE. Thus far, no studies have yet conducted dedicated, comparative analyses to illuminate the qualitative content, which would have implications for DMT’s contribution to this variable, subjective level of the NDE. Virtually no studies have used participants uniquely poised to compare the states by reporting both experiences, nor explored drug mixtures echoing NDEs’ complex pharmacology.

The present thesis sought to provide a thorough elucidation of the experience engendered by the serotonergic psychedelic N,N-DMT, by conducting a thematic and content analysis of interviews from a naturalistic field study. This also included administration of the near-death experience scale (NDES). This qualitative and psychometric analysis was systematically compared with two different extant studies of classical NDEs. One case study is reported, entailing a thematic analysis and use of the NDES on an individual’s 5-MeO-DMT and near-death experience. Another two case studies are reported, involving content analyses and use of the NDES on experiencers of both the DMT-containing changa and an NDE.

The DMT analysis revealed 100% of participants breaking through to another space and 93% reported meeting other entities. Pervasive bodily, sensorial, psychological and emotional transformations in experience are also thoroughly elaborated. The comparison with the near-death experience highlighted there to be phenomenological differences in the appearance and frequency of features, such as encounters with the dead, life review and threshold of no return being much less common in DMT. Sequencing may be also less apparent in DMT. The most novel and enlightening conclusion, however, is that the core level at which discrepancies exist is at the qualitative level of content, where DMT expresses each feature in a fundamentally idiosyncratic way. This said, a small minority of DMT participants more closely mirrored NDEs (while content is still DMT-like). The 5-MeO-DMT report did not reproduce most of the NDE, including those not reproduced in the above DMT comparison. Although the classical mystical dimensions, especially time-space transcendence, were profoundly modelled by 5MeO. Despite this, the subject self-rated the experiences to be highly dissimilar. A speculative, novel neural model of their NDE is proposed. The changa reports showed a low-moderate similarity with the individuals’ own NDE, but high similarity with NDEs in general. One offered a high self-reported similarity, though the other a notably lower one. Non-replicated features in the prior comparisons were observed, except for encounters with the deceased.

The explored drug states can each be considered ‘NDE-mimetics’ in their differential modelling of only some features and universal failure to generate the same content. Each were, varyingly, individually discussed in terms of their comparability to other exceptional experiences, their possible therapeutic application, and neural correlates. The final discussion elaborated on the NDE’s neurobiological intersection with psychedelics, including a ‘phenomeneurology’ in which the qualitative states were correlated to neuroscientific literature, as well as on the parapsychological components to these states, lastly speculating as to the ontological implications of this. The conclusions of this thesis has ramifications for whether psychedelics can grant access to the near- and real-death experiences of oneself in the inevitable future or of loved ones.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Uncontrolled Keywords:	near-death experience, psychology
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > School of Human Sciences (HUM)
Last Modified:	25 Nov 2024 15:33
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/48699

Actions (login required)

View Item

Downloads