According to Kelly and colleagues, near-death experiences include which of the following?

• A. Life review is the only component
• B. Out-of-body experiences do not occur during near-death experiences
• C. Enhanced mental processes during severe impairment
• D. They are solely related to religious belief

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is that near-death experiences can involve heightened mental activity even when the body is under extreme distress. Kelly and colleagues emphasize that people sometimes report unusually clear thinking, rapid mental processing, and vivid mentation during severe impairment. This cognitive dimension helps explain accounts of lucid awareness or recall during resuscitation, suggesting that the experience isn’t just spiritual or purely sensory, but can include enhanced mental processes under extreme conditions. The other options don’t fit as well because life review is not the only component of NDEs, out-of-body experiences are commonly reported rather than absent, and NDEs are not solely tied to religious belief given the cross-cultural and secular reports.