In 2003, an informal group of researchers agreed to join together to research the mind, brain and consciousness as well as near death experiences. This was originally established with Dr Sam Parnia (Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine), Dr Peter Fenwick (Neuropsychiatry/Neurophysiology), Professor Professor S Holgate (Respiratory Medicine) and Robert Peveler (Psychiatry).

In 2007, this group was expanded to a larger formal collaboration with a team of international scientists and renamed the International Consciousness Research Group.