Psychology and Near-Death Experiences: Challenges to and Opportunities for Ongoing Debates about Consciousness

The nature of consciousness continues to intrigue psychologists. Although much understanding has been progressed within the past few decades, psychological notions of consciousness continue to be based on a materialist reductionist model, which implies conscious processes are a function of neurological processes occurring in the brain. Yet, increased attention and empirical investigation of neardeath experiences (NDEs) poses challenges to this materialist reductionist position, and suggests consciousness may not be reliant on functioning neurological processes. This article will review the current state of knowledge about NDEs, and discuss some challenges they pose to materialist reductionist models of consciousness. It will conclude by suggesting acknowledgment and acceptance of NDEs as valid phenomena worthy of advanced empirical investigation, presents an opportunity for the discipline of psychology to significantly contribute to ongoing debates about the nature of consciousness.