One of the largest studies to date examining consciousness around the time of death is the AWARE II study.

It looked into 2,060 cardiac arrests, of which 330 survived (to hospital discharge). Of this number, 140 patients were considered eligible to be interviewed for the study.

The patient’s recalled experiences were initially classified into five broad categories.

Category 1: confirmed no awareness and/or memories.
Category 2: perceptions of awareness and/or memories.
Category 3: detailed memories but no NDE.
Category 4: detailed memories and NDE, but no auditory/visual awareness or recall.
Category 5: detailed memories and NDE with auditory and visual awareness and recall.

Of the 140 people who were interviewed, only 1 was classified as having Category 5 memories.
Additionally, this case contained recollections that were independently verifiable.

This case was a 57-year-old male, who had a VF arrest and described an out-of-body experience (OBE) in which he was observing the scene from above. He was able to accurately describe people and events that were occurring during his resuscitation.

A review of his medical records corroborated his account. Specifically the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED).

(Before the cardiac arrest) “I was answering (the nurse), but I could also feel a real hard pressure on my groin. I could feel the pressure, couldn’t feel the pain or anything like that, just real hard pressure, like someone was really pushing down on me. And I was still talking to (the nurse) and then all of a sudden, I wasn’t. I must have (blanked out). . ..but then I can remember vividly an automated voice saying, “shock the patient, shock the patient,” and with that, up in (the) corner of the room there was a (woman) beckoning me. . .I can remember thinking to myself, “I can’t get up there”. . .she beckoned me. . . I felt that she knew me, I felt that I could trust her, and I felt she was there for a reason and I didn’t know what that was. . .and the next second, I was up there, looking down at me, the nurse, and another man who had a bald head. . .I couldn’t see his face but I could see the back of his body. He was quite a chunky fella. . . He had blue scrubs on, and he had a blue hat, but I could tell he didn’t have any hair, because of where the hat was. The next thing I remember is waking up on (the) bed. And (the nurse) said to me: “Oh you nodded off. . .you are back with us now.” Whether she said those words, whether that automated voice really happened, I don’t know. . .. I can remember feeling quite euphoric. . . I know who (the man with the blue hat was). . .I (didn’t) know his full name, but. . .he was the man that. . .(I saw) the next day. . .I saw this man come to visit me and I knew who I had seen the day before.”

Post-script – Medical record review confirmed the use of the AED, the medical team present during the cardiac arrest and the role the identified “man” played in responding to the cardiac arrest.

Recollection # 2 “At the beginning, I think, I heard the nurse say ‘dial 444 cardiac arrest’. I felt scared. I was on the ceiling looking down. I saw a nurse that I did not know beforehand who I saw after the event. I could see my body and saw everything at once. I saw my blood pressure being taken whilst the doctor was putting something down my throat. I saw a nurse pumping on my chest. . .I saw blood gases and blood sugar levels being taken.”

Unfortunately, this is the extent of the reporting on this person as published in the AWARE II study.
It is a shame that the researchers did not dig down into this case a little deeper including interviews with the staff involved and attempts to corroberate any further recalled details.