The ancient Greeks believed that when people die, their souls are transported across the River Styx and into the afterlife by Charon, the ferryman.
This myth may have some truth to it as scientists recently found that a psychedelic neurochemical could ferry the human soul into the afterlife.
Called DMT (N,N-Dimethyltryptamine) , the naturally occurring molecule is found in plants, animals and perhaps even the human brain.
When consumed recreationally, it produces powerful visual and auditory hallucinations .
Researchers at the Imperial College London found signs that DMT could be responsible for vivid hallucinations during near-death experiences (NDEs), which can occur when someone is close to dying.
Many survivors of NDEs report these inexplicable visions , such as encountering a deceased loved one, seeing heaven or hearing the voice of God.
The team determined that NDEs share similarities with the experiences of people who have taken DMT recreationally, suggesting the brain might flood itself with this psychedelic neurochemical in the moments before death.
David Luke, associate professor of psychology at the University of Greenwich in London, said there also is some evidence that DMT is released in greater quantities at the point of death in the human brain. A growing body research suggests DMT may play an important role in helping the consciousness transition from life to death, causing vivid visual and auditory hallucinations
Luke said the only evidence of the brain releasing DMT at the moment of death has been observed in animals, but from this, experts ‘can infer that this also happens [in humans].’For example, studies in rats have shown that their brains are capable of producing this psychoactive neurochemical, and release a flood of it just before death.This is a strong indication that it could be happening in humans, as cognitive phenomena in rats often translate to us.But ‘[Animals] can have distinctly different ways of producing neurotransmitters and metabolizing compounds,’ Amy Reichelt, a neuroscientist and an expert in neurodegenerative disease, told Popular Mechanics .Therefore, more research is needed to determine whether the hallucinations people experience in the moments before death are actually linked to DMT.The overlap between DMT trips and NDEs, however, suggests this […]
Scientists identify ‘ferryman’ in the brain that transports souls into the afterlife
