Near-Death Experiences Suggest Consciousness Persists After Clinical Death

Doctors Xavier Melo and Luján Comas presented research on near-death experiences during a lecture in Escaldes-Engordany, arguing that such events provide evidence of consciousness persisting after clinical death.

The session, organised by the Marc GG association—which supports those affected by loss—and backed by the Comú d’Escaldes, filled the local council's auditorium with around 200 people. Melo, a researcher and head of the Fundació Icloby, began by defining near-death experiences as events that typically follow cardiac arrest, when brain function ceases. He described patients entering a liminal state, encountering "real, coherent, and verifiable" episodes recalled with exceptional clarity and often confirmed by later checks.

Melo pointed to these accounts as "evidence pointing to real life after death." He and Comas shared cases from their book *Vida más allá de la vida*, such as that of a boy who had a near-death experience and later described its profound, lifelong effects as an adult. They also discussed the impact on medical staff, noting how surgeons who observed such incidents in operating rooms experienced fundamental changes in their outlook on life—some right away, others over time. "It has affected everyone; it is not something that goes unnoticed," Melo said.

Comas, an anaesthesiologist and resuscitation expert, outlined the scientific backing. She participates in an international study involving 19 Spanish-speaking hospitals, recognised as the second largest worldwide in this area. The research shows that, in a proportion of cardiac arrest cases with no brain activity, patients retain awareness. This is demonstrated through their reports of sights or conversations later verified as accurate.

The talk combined patient stories with study data to explore these phenomena beyond traditional explanations.