THEY are spooky and mysterious events that leave people wondering if they have crossed over to “the other side”.

Near-death and out-of-body experiences are often dismissed as the mind playing tricks due to trauma or the side-effects of medicine.

But after a worldwide study sponsored by the University of Southampton, scientists have found that some could really have happened.

The Awareness during Resuscitation (AWARE) study found that two per cent of more than 2,000 cardiac arrest patients who claimed to have had experiences could explicitly and accurately recall real events around them.

The phenomenon has been a talking point for years and inspired the Hollywood film Flatliners, starring Julia Roberts, Kiefer Sutherland and Kevin Bacon as a group of medical students who stop each other’s hearts for short periods so that they can experience the afterlife.

Dr Sam Parnia, lead author of the study and honorary research fellow at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This is significant, since it has often been assumed that experiences in relation to death are likely hallucinations or illusions, occurring either before the heart stops or after the heart has been successfully restarted, but not an experience corresponding with ‘real’ events when the heart isn’t beating.

“In this case, consciousness and awareness appeared to occur during a three-minute period when there was no heartbeat. This is paradoxical, since the brain typically ceases functioning within 20-30 seconds of the heart stopping and doesn’t resume again until the heart has been restarted.

“Furthermore, the detailed recollections of visual awareness in this case were consistent with verified events.

“Thus, while it was not possible to absolutely prove the reality or meaning of patients’ experiences and claims of awareness, it was impossible to disclaim them either, and more work is needed in this area. Clearly, the recalled experience surrounding death now merits further genuine investigation without prejudice.”