Near-Death Experiences, Japan's Centenarians, and Baby Allergies

A near-death experience usually occurs in the wake of a traumatic physical event or a life-threatening medical event, such as when someone is revived after cardiac arrest. While the experience varies, NDEs commonly feature a feeling of detachment from the body, visions of bright lights, a warped sense of time, or feelings of peace.

> There's a new hotly contested explanation for NDEs. (More)
> The main criticism of the new NDE explanation argues that they're too complex to be the byproduct of an oxygen-deprived brain. (More)

Records of NDEs date back to the ancient Greeks and are found across cultures worldwide. The first known clinical observation was recorded in 18th-century France. In the 1970s, psychiatrist Raymond Moody pioneered the academic study of NDEs as medical events after an acquaintance relayed his own near-death experience.

> The oldest medical report of an NDE is from 1740. (More) 

> Roughly 4,000 NDEs have been recorded for analysis. (More)

> The University of Virginia's Division of Perceptual Studies was founded in 1967 and explores NDEs, psychedelics, and more. (More)

A 2026 survey suggests as many as 23% of people have had NDEs, and research published in 2017 indicates NDEs commonly include reports of peacefulness (80%), bright lights (69%), and encounters with other people or spirits (64%). Scientists seeking to explain NDEs have been investigating them by studying the electrical brain activity of people experiencing them, collecting thousands of anecdotal accounts, and drawing upon psychedelic research to search for clues about human consciousness across NDEs and psychedelic use episodes.

> NDEs have become a more respected area of scholarly work. (More)

> Discover similarities between psychedelic trips and NDEs. (More)

Discover more: 

> Watch our 1440 Original primer on NDEs. (More)

> See the 16-question test used to judge if something is officially an NDE. (More)

> People across the religious spectrum have reported NDEs. (More)
>... explore everything we've learned about Near-Death Experiences.

 News in Context 

1440 brings you the knowledge and context behind recent intriguing stories:

Japan has crossed a new threshold: Over 100,000 people are centenarians, and 88% of them are women. (More)

> In some countries, seniors already comprise more than one-quarter of the population. 

> Read about how demographers verify age claims.

Scientists have figured out how to make donated livers "younger" to try to boost their success rates in the body. (More)

> A novel approach in clinical trials taps livers from gene-edited pigs to clean blood. 

> Explore how to sign up for organ donation at this website.
> Learn how to become a living kidney donor and why you don't need to be a direct medical match to help an intended recipient.

Only about three-quarters of Americans think the measles vaccine is safe for kids, even as America experiences its worst measles outbreak in decades. (More)

> Pennsylvania has four times as many measles cases this year as in the past 30 years—combined.

> A 10th-century physician described measles as "more to be dreaded than smallpox."

Ethicists are mulling over a new brain research advance after researchers created the most extensive mouse-human hybrid to date, with human neurons booming in mouse brains. (More)

> Chimeras containing two sets of DNA can occur naturally, not just in the lab.

> Can brain research advances restore a sense of touch for people with paralysis?

 Medical Developments Spotlight 

We love spending time learning about the latest medical breakthroughs and spotlighting research that piques our interest, may influence future research directions, or inform healthcare conversations. Here's what we found this week.

Eating extra nuts and eggs during pregnancy and while breastfeeding doesn't reduce a baby's allergy risk, according to a randomized clinical trial.

MedPage Today | Crystal Phend. The surprising finding comes from a study that asked women with a history of food allergies in their families to eat at least six eggs and 60 peanuts weekly from 23 weeks of gestation through 4 months post-birth (while breastfeeding). The work indicates that the regimen had no effect as compared with mothers who ate a standard diet with just a few eggs and 30 peanuts weekly, or fewer. (More)

> A cooked version of an allergen sometimes won't trigger an allergic response.

Emergency room visits for gambling disorders nearly doubled after Canada expanded its online gambling market, particularly among young males.

CBC News | Nick Hogan. Researchers assessed emergency room visits for gambling disorders in Ontario, the first province to allow private companies to join the existing government-run online gambling market, and saw a 154% increase in ED visits among males aged 10-29 and a 116% increase in such visits among males aged 30-44 after the liberalization of the country's law. The legal change led to more than 80 private gaming and betting sites in Ontario alone. There were no significant ED rate changes among women. (More)

> Exposure to gambling at young ages is linked to greater gambling disorder risks.

GLP-1 use has been tied to a rare brain disorder that stems from severe B-1 malnutrition.

The Independent | Julia Musto. Around 11% of US adults now take the weight loss and diabetes drugs—some 30 million people—but researchers searching through US FDA's adverse event reports and related literature discovered 15 cases of patients who developed a rare neurological condition called Wernicke encephalopathy that can lead to permanent memory loss. Most of those patients were also suffering from intense GI side effects from the drugs, suggesting patients with that symptom may be at elevated risk for Wernicke encephalopathy. (More)

> Explore our 1440 resources on GLP-1s to learn about how they work, their history, and more.

 Coffee Was Once Put on Trial

 Etcetera 

> Neutrogena just released the first US sunscreens containing the ingredient approved by the FDA in June.

> Coffee was used for hand washing in the 10th century.

> TikTok's child safety features only work about half the time.

> An infant lived for 3 weeks with a baboon heart in 1984.

> About 20% of adults will develop arthritis. 

> Is it better to get vitamin D or wear sunscreen if you have darker skin?

> Meet "menobelly"—the fat that accumulates around the abdomen with menopause.
 

> Forcing a smile can actually make you feel better.

> Chronic poor sleep elevates the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
 

> Nearly 5 million Americans live in food deserts, which boosts disease risk.

> Myth-busted: Leprosy doesn't actually cause fingers or toes to fall off.

> Ticks must typically be attached for 24 hours, and closer to 36, to transmit Lyme.