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A report from a French physician in 1740 contains what is thought to be the oldest medical record of a near-death experience has been discovered.

The discovery was made by anthropologist Dr Phillipe Charlier, who bought the book for about $1 (60p) in an antique shop.

In the book a patient is being described as falling unconscious and then seeing a pure bright light that they interpreted as being Heaven.

A French medical record from 1740 (shown) was found to include the oldest known reference to a near-death experience (NDE) in a patient. The book was written by military physician Pierre-Jean du Monchaux. He describes how his patient had vivid sensations associated with NDEs

Titled 'Anecdotes de Médecine', the report was written by French military physician Pierre-Jean du Monchaux, reports LiveScience.

At the time Monchaux attempted to explain the phenomenon by saying that an increase in blood flow to the brain could be the cause behind the visions.

However, modern physicians now think that the odd sensations are actually caused by a lack of blood flow to the brain.

'Near-death experience (NDE) has been scientifically described as "a profound psychological event with transcendental and mystical elements" after a life-threatening crisis,' Dr Charlier writes in his paper.

He describes these elements as awareness of being dead, positive emotions, out of body experience, the feeling of moving through a tunnel, communication with light, observation of colours of a celestial landscape, meeting with deceased people and a life review.

Pierre-Jean du Monchaux was born in 1733 but died in 1766 at the age of just 33 in the island San Domingo from a fever.

His patient for this report was a Parisian apothecary who had a malign fever.

After his last blood test he fell unconscious for a long time, to such an extent that his assistant became worried.

'He reported that after having lost all external sensations, he saw such a pure and extreme light that he thought he was in Heaven (literally: in the Kingdom of the Blessed),' writes Dr Charlier.

'He remembered this sensation very well, and affirmed that never of all his life had he had a nicer moment.

'Other individuals of various ages and sexes reported a very similar sensation in the same circumstances.'

Monchaux then compared this case with others caused by drowning, hypothermia and hanging, and deduced that all involved the loss of blood.

He then writes that the abundant flow of blood back into the brain creates 'these vivid and strong sensations'.

During NDEs people describe having vivid sensations that seem to suggest they are moving towards a light (stock image shown) accompanied by a pleasant sensation. Monchaux thought it was caused by an increase in blood flow to the brain But modern scientist now think it is actually caused by a lack of oxygen

Today opinion is divided on the true cause of NDEs.

During such an event people describe having vivid sensations, sometimes out-of-body, that seem to suggest they are moving towards a light accompanied by a pleasant sensation.

Some experts think it is caused by a lack of blood to the brain, which sets it into 'panic mode' and it produces vivid visions as it fights to survive.

A study of heart attack patients by Southampton University, however, contradicted the notion that lack of oxygen is responsible for NDEs.

The research team studied 63 survivors of a cardiac arrest who were resuscitated at Southampton General Hospital after they had been clinically dead with no pulse, no respiration and fixed dilated pupils.

And those who reported to have a true NDE during the ordeal were actually found to have had higher oxygen levels than those who hadn't.