Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Deindividuation00:57

Deindividuation

Deindividuation is a form of social influence on an individual’s behavior such that the individual engages in unusual or non-normal behavior while in a group setting. Why? Because in these group settings, the individual no longer sees themselves as an individual anymore, disinhibiting their behavior and personal restraint.
Dissociative Identity Disorder01:30

Dissociative Identity Disorder

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), previously termed multiple personality disorder, is a complex psychological condition characterized by the presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states. Each identity exhibits unique patterns of behavior, voice, and mannerisms and may possess separate memories and emotional responses. The alternating control between identities can result in memory gaps and challenges in recalling daily activities, often exacerbating the individual's...
The Scientific Method02:40

The Scientific Method

Research is what makes the difference between facts and opinions. Facts are observable realities, and opinions are personal judgments, conclusions, or attitudes that may or may not be accurate. In the scientific community, facts can be established only using evidence collected through empirical research.
Dissociative Disorders01:27

Dissociative Disorders

Dissociative disorders represent complex psychological conditions characterized by disruptions in consciousness, memory, identity, or perception. These disruptions cause individuals to experience a disconnection from their thoughts, emotions, and memories. The phenomenon is not merely an occasional lapse in attention but a profound alteration in mental functioning that can severely impact daily life.
Dissociative Fugue
A hallmark feature of dissociative disorders is the dissociative fugue...
Magical Thinking01:29

Magical Thinking

Magical thinking encompasses the belief in assumptions that defy logical reasoning yet appear intuitively convincing. It is a common psychological phenomenon that persists across various cultural and individual contexts. While these assumptions contradict empirical evidence and scientific laws, they often serve meaningful psychological roles in promoting emotional resilience and a sense of control, especially under stress or uncertainty.Thought-Action Fusion and the Law of SimilarityA key...
Bonanno's Theory of Grieving01:17

Bonanno's Theory of Grieving

Grieving is a complex psychological and emotional process that varies significantly among individuals. George Bonanno's research on bereavement identified four distinct patterns of grieving, offering a nuanced understanding of how people cope with significant loss, such as the death of a spouse, over extended periods. These patterns — resilience, recovery, chronic dysfunction, and delayed grief — highlight the diversity in emotional responses and adaptive mechanisms.
Resilience
The resilience...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Self-referential processing as the biological switch between classical and quantum functioning of the brain.

Frontiers in human neuroscience·2026
Same author

Editorial: Alleviating age-related disease burden.

Frontiers in aging·2026
Same author

Molecular Simulations of Biomembranes: From Biophysics Fundamentals to Biological Function.

Membranes·2026
Same author

Non-linearity, complexity, and quantization concepts in biology.

Frontiers in human neuroscience·2026
Same author

Exploring potential size-dependent effects of Fibonacci-based acoustic binary strings on cells as measured by cell death and cell aggregation patterns.

Bio Systems·2026
Same author

Basic Science and Pathogenesis.

Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association·2025
Same journal

Vowel acoustic parameters in speech assessment and rehabilitation of minimally verbal and speech-motor-impaired autistic children: a narrative review.

Frontiers in human neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Toward clinical translation of TMS-EEG: an integrative review of multidimensional neurophysiological measures.

Frontiers in human neuroscience·2026
Same journal

The causal efficacy of consciousness: a neuroscientific analysis and explanation.

Frontiers in human neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Temporal-oscillatory entrainment: a multi-timescale framework for rhythmic coordination from neural to social frequencies.

Frontiers in human neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Role of AQP4 in ameliorating heat stress-induced cellular injury in a cell line model through active heat acclimation.

Frontiers in human neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Correction: Cognitive state monitoring for neuroadaptive information visualization.

Frontiers in human neuroscience·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 7, 2026

Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses
06:42

Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses

Published on: September 28, 2018

Near death experiences: a multidisciplinary hypothesis.

István Bókkon1, Birendra N Mallick, Jack A Tuszynski

  • 1Neuroscience Department, Vision Research Institute Lowell, MA, USA.

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
|September 25, 2013
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Brilliant lights during near-death experiences (NDEs) may stem from enhanced bioluminescent biophotons in the brain. This biophysical model suggests these light perceptions are interpreted by the brain as external stimuli.

Keywords:
biophotonsbiophysical picture representationbrilliant lights during near death experiencesout-of-body experience (OBE)phosphenesquantum entanglementsrapid eye movement sleep (REMS)unconscious cognitive processes

More Related Videos

Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder
09:55

Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder

Published on: March 8, 2018

A Cross-Disciplinary and Multi-Modal Experimental Design for Studying Near-Real-Time Authentic Examination Experiences
08:33

A Cross-Disciplinary and Multi-Modal Experimental Design for Studying Near-Real-Time Authentic Examination Experiences

Published on: September 4, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 7, 2026

Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses
06:42

Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses

Published on: September 28, 2018

Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder
09:55

Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder

Published on: March 8, 2018

A Cross-Disciplinary and Multi-Modal Experimental Design for Studying Near-Real-Time Authentic Examination Experiences
08:33

A Cross-Disciplinary and Multi-Modal Experimental Design for Studying Near-Real-Time Authentic Examination Experiences

Published on: September 4, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Biophysics
  • Quantum Physics

Background:

  • Near-death experiences (NDEs) are often accompanied by perceptions of brilliant light.
  • Previous hypotheses have not fully explained the biophysical origin of these NDE-related visual phenomena.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and support the concept that NDE lights originate from enhanced bioluminescent biophotons.
  • To present a biophysical model explaining brilliant lights in NDEs and REM sleep.
  • To link this model to self-consciousness and quantum entanglement.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of experimental studies supporting the biophoton hypothesis.
  • Description of a biophysical visual representation model.
  • Conceptual linkage to quantum entanglement and self-consciousness.

Main Results:

  • Experimental studies support the transient enhancement of bioluminescent biophotons as a cause for NDE lights.
  • The proposed model explains brilliant lights in NDEs and dream imagery via biophotons.
  • A connection is suggested between biophysical visual representation, self-consciousness, and quantum entanglement.

Conclusions:

  • The transient enhancement of bioluminescent biophotons offers a plausible biophysical explanation for lights seen during NDEs.
  • The biophysical model provides a framework for understanding intrinsic visual imagery during NDEs and REM sleep.
  • Further research is needed to explore the relationship between biophysics, consciousness, and quantum phenomena.