Do Psychedelics Allow us to Die before we Die?

Welcome to The Psychedelic Blog. I write about the Impact of Psychedelics on Grieving, Relationships, Culture, and Death. This week, I’m exploring the relationship between Psychedelic experiences and Dying.

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“To be fearful of death is like being afraid of an undulation in the ocean.” — Alan Watts

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Psychedelics, Near-Death Experiences, the Dying Brain, and Tibetan Buddhist Wisdom

The parallels between Psychedelic experiences and Near-Death experiences (NDEs) are undeniably fascinating. A 2022 recording of an 87-year-old dying patient’s brain activity showed a surge in activity moments after the heart stopped, hinting at the mysterious processes that accompanies death. What exactly is happening in these moments? Those who have transcended baseline consciousness through Psychedelics like Ayahuasca, Bufo, and DMT may offer clues to one of humanity’s greatest mysteries. Tibetan Buddhists, who appear to wield remarkable agency over how and when they die, may offer insights as well. Let’s dive in.

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Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash

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DMT & Near-Death Experiences (NDEs)

This study from Imperial College London showed that the Psychedelic DMT can evoke experiences strikingly similar to near-death experiences (NDEs). Thirteen healthy volunteers received intravenous DMT in a controlled setting and completed the Greyson NDE Scale to measure the resemblance of their experiences to NDEs.

Participants reported sensations like ego dissolution, encounters with a bright light, and other elements typically associated with NDEs, suggesting both experiences may involve similar brain activity.

Key Findings:

• All participants scored above the threshold for an NDE on the Greyson scale.

• Strong parallels emerged, especially in feelings of inner peace, out-of-body experiences, and encounters with “beings” or entities.

These results indicate that DMT can induce experiences closely mirroring NDEs, offering a model for studying the brain’s role in these profound states.

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5-MeO-DMT & NDEs

This study involved a 54-year-old man who had both an NDE during a coma caused by bacterial meningoencephalitis and a 5-MeO-DMT experience. There were similarities and differences between the two experiences. Shared themes included transcendence of time and space, ego dissolution, and profound feelings of cosmic love.

Certain aspects, such as life review and encounters with deceased loved ones, were unique to NDEs. The absence of a life review during a 5-MeO-DMT experience might be due to its brevity, as these experiences typically last only 10–15 minutes. In contrast, life reviews are commonly reported during Iboga experiences, which are much longer in duration.

Key Findings:

• Common Themes: Both the NDE & 5-MeO-DMT experiences involved ego dissolution, transcendence of time and space, and cosmic love.

• Unique NDE Elements: The NDE featured a life review, encounters with deceased loved ones, and a perceived threshold of no return, which were absent in the Psychedelic experience.

• Participant’s Perspective: Despite similarities, the participant felt his NDE was fundamentally different and more life-altering than his Psychedelic experience, suggesting that NDEs may not be fully explained by endogenous Psychedelic processes.

This study contributes to the debate about whether consciousness in NDEs is distinct from Psychedelic states, proposing that each activates different dimensions of perception.

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Comparing Experiences: NDEs vs. Psychedelic Experiences (PEs)

This study, involving researchers like Charlotte Martial & Robin Carhart-Harris, examined the phenomenological similarities and differences between NDEs & Psychedelic experiences among 31 adults who had experienced both.

Key Findings:

• Phenomenological Overlap: Both NDEs & PEs elicited mystical experiences, including feelings of unity, transcendence, and ineffability.

• Sensory Differences: NDEs were associated with disembodiment, while PEs often involved vivid visual imagery.

• Enduring Effects: Both types of experiences led to lasting positive changes in attitudes toward death, well-being, and life purpose.

These findings suggest that while NDEs & PEs share significant characteristics, they also have distinct sensory and phenomenological elements. This research furthers our understanding of altered states of consciousness and their profound psychological impact.

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A Glimpse Into the Dying Brain

In 2022, researchers captured the brain activity of an 87-year-old patient during his final moments, offering unprecedented insights into the brain’s function during death. Using EEG, scientists recorded a surge in gamma oscillations—brain waves associated with memory retrieval, dreaming, and meditation—during the 30 seconds before and after the heart stopped.

Dying, near-death experiences (NDEs), and Psychedelic experiences (PEs) all share a striking commonality—they aren’t passive, spectator sports. Instead, they are marked by intense brain activity, suggesting that these states engage us deeply, both mentally & spiritually.

Anecdotal reports from individuals who have undergone NDEs or PEs reinforce this observation. People often describe vivid, transformative experiences filled with profound insights, feelings of love, and a sense of unity.

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Insights from ‘The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying’

The profound insights into the nature of life, death, and consciousness—ideas that parallel the themes of Psychedelics & Near-Death experiences—are central to Sogyal Rinpoche’s book. It should be required reading. Here is breakdown of where there is overlap between Psychedelic experiences & Rinpoche’s view on dying:

1. Preparing for Death as a Journey: Rinpoche speaks of death as a transition rather than an end, urging readers to prepare spiritually for it. Similarly, Psychedelics & NDEs offer glimpses into this journey, helping individuals confront mortality, dissolve fears, and, as Rinpoche might suggest, prepare their souls for transition.

2. Bardo & Altered States: The Bardo Thodol (or the "intermediate state" discussed in Tibetan Buddhism) is a state of consciousness between life and death. There are parallels between the Bardo and the altered states of consciousness induced by Psychedelics, these experiences might offer insights into what lies between life and death.

3. Living Fully by Embracing Mortality: Rinpoche's work emphasizes that facing death directly enhances our appreciation of life. This aligns with how many people use Psychedelics to gain perspective, deepen their understanding of existence, and appreciate life’s fleeting beauty. Both Psychedelics and the teachings in The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying encourage a more profound engagement with life by embracing the inevitability of death.

There’s a particularly fascinating passage in the book. It may offer an explanation for the intense surge of activity that occurs at the moment of death and during transcendence.

It continues:

Mind-blowing. You’d think that stories like these—one corroborated by medical professionals, the other from monks in a Buddhist temple, who hardly have a reputation for fabrication—would capture the world’s interest. Yet, we’ve made death so taboo that even mentioning it is often seen as dark or unnecessary. But as these accounts suggest, death isn’t shrouded in darkness; rather, it’s a profoundly transformative experience, and perhaps even a beautiful one.

There’s a lot to unpack here, but the most intriguing takeaway is that our understanding of death is fundamentally flawed—or at the very least, woefully incomplete. We often view death as an end, a void, or something to be feared. However, these experiences hint that it may be more of a transition or continuation than a cessation. Perhaps, like birth, death is just another gateway, one that we have yet to fully understand or appreciate.

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Reflections from My Bufo Experience

As the medicine coursed through my veins, an overwhelming sensation of pure, boundless love washed over me. I watched as atoms and electrons exploded and danced in the most perfect symphony I would ever witness—well perhaps, one I might experience once more.

Of all the Psychedelics I’ve communed with, nothing brings us closer to the experience of death than Bufo (5-MeO-DMT). It is the only Psychedelic that catalyzes complete transcendence. No part of the ‘self’ remains in this realm. If that isn’t an argument for the afterlife or consciousness beyond death, I don’t know what is.

I’ve yet to encounter anyone who has communed with 5-MeO-DMT and believes death is truly the end. The atheists and afterlife deniers consist entirely of people who have never transcended baseline consciousness. Their views on what happens after we die are tantamount to a man’s opinion on giving birth—formed without direct experience and thus lacking the depth that only personal encounter can provide.

These experiences, far from being mere hallucinations, offer a glimpse into a reality beyond our own. They suggest that death might not be the end we fear, but rather a profound transition—a passage into something far more expansive than the limited world we know.

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Closing Thoughts: Death as a Noble Act

Death holds a certain nobility, as the brilliant philosopher Alan Watts explores in this video. We are the universe waking up and experiencing itself. Yet, like any game of hide and seek, it isn’t meant to go on forever.

Nor should it. An endless existence would lose its appeal. There are only so many vacations we can take, only so many times we can fall in love, only so many new things to experience. Life’s magic lies in its ephemerality. Recognizing this, and accepting our mortality, is a profound act of nobility—one that deepens our appreciation for the beauty and brevity of life.

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