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NDEs & Science Go back to the sources.
What does research say about near-death experiences? A gateway to the publications, so you can read, compare and form your own view.
From foundational work to recent research: 36 publications have been added to the 45 entries on the EMIste page ↗ and the Galileo report. Each addition links to its source and a summary in English. Last reviewed: 20 October 2026.
01 / 82 Research article · Journal of Near-Death Studies, 16, 5–26
1972 in the source
Karl L. R. Jansen
Ketamine and a neurobiological model
＋ Open summary02 / 82 Book · Mockingbird Books
Raymond A. Moody Jr.
Early NDE accounts
＋ Open summary03 / 82 Book · Harper & Row
1978 in the source
Michael B. Sabom
Accounts and medical data
＋ Open summary04 / 82 Research article · OMEGA—Journal of Death and Dying, 7(2), 103–114
1980 in the source
Russell Noyes Jr., Roy Kletti
Depersonalization in the face of danger
＋ Open summary05 / 82 Book · Harper & Row
Michael B. Sabom
Accounts and resuscitation
＋ Open summary06 / 82 Related publication · Book
1983 : NDEs after a suicide attemptSutherland, 1992
Why this related reference? A book by Sutherland published in 1992 has been located, but no match was found for the study of 39 suicide attempts attributed to 1983. The link is a bibliographic lead, not confirmation of that statement.
Mention in EMIste: Sutherland, 1992 · timeline marker 1983.
07 / 82 Related publication · Research article
1986 : Long-term psychological effectsGabbard & Twemlow, 1991
Why this related reference? The article located from 1991 reexamines the role of the sense of impending death in NDEs and out-of-body experiences. It does not match a longitudinal study of 76 people conducted in 1986.
Mention in EMIste: Gabbard & Twemlow, 1991 · timeline marker 1986.
08 / 82 Research article · The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 171(6), 369–375
1988 in the source
Bruce Greyson
The Greyson scale
＋ Open summary09 / 82 Related publication · Book
1990 : Observations during cardiac arrestSabom, 1998
Why this related reference? The 1998 book is identifiable and presents the Atlanta Study, which began in 1994. No match has been established for either the 26 accounts or the 1990 date stated on the source page.
Mention in EMIste: Sabom, 1998 · timeline marker 1990.
10 / 82 Related publication · Research article
1994 : A typology of NDEsGreyson, 1994
Why this related reference? The identifiable typology dates from 1985 and is based on 89 experiences. No 1994 article matching the analysis of 73 accounts has been identified: this link is a corrected thematic match, not validation of the citation provided.
Mention in EMIste: Greyson, 1994 · timeline marker 1994.
11 / 82 Research article · The Lancet, 358(9298), 2039–2045
1999 in the source
Pim van Lommel, Ruud van Wees, Vincent Meyers et al.
NDEs after cardiac arrest
＋ Open summary12 / 82 Related publication · Book
2001 : Journeys and transformationsFenwick & Fenwick, 1995
Why this related reference? A 1995 book has been identified. Its catalog record does not confirm a longitudinal study of 379 cases conducted in 2001; the book should not be presented as that supposed article.
Mention in EMIste: Fenwick & Fenwick, 1995 · timeline marker 2001.
13 / 82 Incomplete reference
2008 : Comparisons across cultures and periodsHall, 2010
Search details No publication matching “Fredrich Hall” / “Hall, 2010” and this cross-cultural analysis has been identified. Without a title, journal or DOI, no publication link can reliably be provided.
Mention in EMIste: Hall, 2010 · timeline marker 2008.
Unidentified reference No link can be attributed with certainty
14 / 82 Research article · Resuscitation
2010 in the source
S. Parnia, D. G. Waller, R. Yeates et al.
NDEs in cardiac arrest survivors
＋ Open summary15 / 82 Research article · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
2012 in the source
J. Borjigin, U. Lee, T. Liu et al.
Brain activity after cardiac arrest
＋ Open summary16 / 82 Research article · Nature Reviews Neuroscience
2013 in the source
Steven Laureys
Death, unconsciousness and the brain
＋ Open summary17 / 82 Incomplete reference
2014 : Brain imaging during an NDEMartial et al., 2017
Search details No publication matching the claimed first imaging study has been identified. Several Martial et al. articles dated 2017 exist: one analyzes 154 accounts, another examines memory characteristics using questionnaires. They do not measure brain activation during an NDE. The untitled citation is ambiguous; the proposed links are only related work.
Mention in EMIste: Martial et al., 2017 · timeline marker 2014.
Unidentified reference No link can be attributed with certainty
18 / 82 Incomplete reference
2016 : Inventory of empirical studiesAudette, 2016
Search details No identifiable 2016 publication by John Audette matches a systematic review of more than 300 studies. Incomplete reference: do not assign it another author, title or DOI.
Mention in EMIste: Audette, 2016 · timeline marker 2016.
Unidentified reference No link can be attributed with certainty
19 / 82 Related publication · Book
2017 : Accounts and cultural diversityLong, 2010
Why this related reference? Jeffrey Long’s 2010 book with Paul Perry is a plausible match and should be presented as a book, not a 2017 research article. The number of 39 countries and the specific description are not verified by the institutional record; the untitled citation does not allow a certain attribution.
Mention in EMIste: Long, 2010 · timeline marker 2017.
20 / 82 Incomplete reference
2017 : Transformations after an NDEAudette et al., 2019
Search details No 2019 systematic review is identifiable under this reference. The displayed date of 2017 also differs from the citation. Do not replace it with other authors’ work on lasting effects.
Mention in EMIste: Audette et al., 2019 · timeline marker 2017.
Unidentified reference No link can be attributed with certainty
21 / 82 Incomplete reference
2019 : Review of physiological mechanismsGreyson, 2019
Search details Bruce Greyson’s institutional bibliography does not allow this 2019 review to be identified from the description. Work and lectures from that year exist, but are insufficient to identify the stated article. A title, journal or identifier is required.
Mention in EMIste: Greyson, 2019 · timeline marker 2019.
Unidentified reference No link can be attributed with certainty
22 / 82 Incomplete reference
2020 : Neural correlates in functional MRIMartial et al., 2020
Search details No functional MRI study matching this description has been identified. The linked 2020 perspective article discusses NDEs as disconnected consciousness; it does not report imaging of NDEs as they occur. Do not present it as the stated study.
Mention in EMIste: Martial et al., 2020 · timeline marker 2020.
Unidentified reference No link can be attributed with certainty
23 / 82 Incomplete reference
2021 : Cross-cultural comparisonsCharland-Verville et al., 2021
Search details No 2021 cross-cultural meta-analysis attributable to Charland-Verville et al. has been identified. Similarity of themes with her other work is insufficient to establish the reference; the claimed universality should not be considered demonstrated.
Mention in EMIste: Charland-Verville et al., 2021 · timeline marker 2021.
Unidentified reference No link can be attributed with certainty
24 / 82 Incomplete reference
2021 : NDEs and lucid dreamsEngmann et al., 2021
Search details No Engmann et al. publication from 2021 matching this comparison has been identified. The survey by Kondziella, Dreier and Olsen (2019) examines the association with REM sleep intrusion using questionnaires, with no brain activity measurements or experimental comparison of lucid dreams; it is a separate related study.
Mention in EMIste: Engmann et al., 2021 · timeline marker 2021.
Unidentified reference No link can be attributed with certainty
25 / 82 Incomplete reference
2021 : Psychological factors and NDE contentZoëga et al., 2021
Search details No publication matching Morten Zoëga / Zoëga et al. (2021) and this topic has been identified. The reference has no title, journal or identifier that would allow it to be located with certainty.
Mention in EMIste: Zoëga et al., 2021 · timeline marker 2021.
Unidentified reference No link can be attributed with certainty
26 / 82 Incomplete reference
2021 : NDEs and COVID intensive careMartial et al., 2020
Search details No Italian study of COVID patients matching Martial et al. (2020) has been identified. The Belgian study by Rousseau et al., published in 2023, concerns 126 survivors of a prolonged intensive care stay; it should not be equated with the stated reference.
Mention in EMIste: Martial et al., 2020 · timeline marker 2021.
Unidentified reference No link can be attributed with certainty
27 / 82 Incomplete reference
2022 : NDEs and premonitory dreamsBonfioli et al., 2022
Search details The reference could not be located with this author, date and topic. No primary article on NDEs and premonitory dreams has been identified; the link is left empty.
Mention in EMIste: Bonfioli et al., 2022 · timeline marker 2022.
Unidentified reference No link can be attributed with certainty
28 / 82 Incomplete reference
2022 : NDEs and meditative statesEngmann et al., 2021
Search details The Engmann et al. (2021) reference could not be located for a US study of NDE–meditation neural correlates. The identifiable work by Birk Engmann does not validate this description.
Mention in EMIste: Engmann et al., 2021 · timeline marker 2022.
Unidentified reference No link can be attributed with certainty
29 / 82 Incomplete reference
2022 : EEG during cardiac arrestVan den Broek et al., 2022
Search details The Van den Broek et al. (2022) reference could not be located for an EEG study of NDEs during cardiac arrest. Author, title and journal details are insufficient to identify an article; the link is left empty.
Mention in EMIste: Van den Broek et al., 2022 · timeline marker 2022.
Unidentified reference No link can be attributed with certainty
30 / 82 Incomplete reference
2022 : Meta-analysis of EEG dataFracasso & Friedman, 2022
Search details No Michigan EEG meta-analysis by Fracasso and Friedman from 2022 was located. A 2012 publication by these authors concerns self-reported electromagnetic effects: it does not match the description.
Mention in EMIste: Fracasso & Friedman, 2022 · timeline marker 2022.
Unidentified reference No link can be attributed with certainty
31 / 82 Incomplete reference
2022 : Magnetic stimulation and perceptionsAndersen et al., 2022
Search details No Andersen et al. (2022) article matching visual modeling of NDEs through transcranial magnetic stimulation at Imperial College was located.
Mention in EMIste: Andersen et al., 2022 · timeline marker 2022.
Unidentified reference No link can be attributed with certainty
32 / 82 Incomplete reference
2023 : EEG markers and theta wavesKondziella et al., 2023
Search details The Kondziella et al. (2023) reference could not be located for theta EEG markers of NDEs at Max Planck. The stated date, affiliation and method are unconfirmed.
Mention in EMIste: Kondziella et al., 2023 · timeline marker 2023.
Unidentified reference No link can be attributed with certainty
33 / 82 Research article · Transcultural Psychiatry
2023 in the source
John Belanti, Mahendra Perera, Karuppiah Jagadheesan
Culture and NDE content
＋ Open summary34 / 82 Related publication · Research article
2023 : NDEs and psychedelicsTimmermann et al., 2023
Why this related reference? A probable match is Timmermann et al. (2018), an experimental DMT–NDE study from Imperial College and Liège. The 2023 reference and Quebec attribution are unconfirmed. Another comparison, led by Martial and coauthored by Timmermann, was published in 2024: it does not confirm the supplied citation.
Mention in EMIste: Timmermann et al., 2023 · timeline marker 2023.
35 / 82 Incomplete reference
2023 : Psychological and philosophical changesMartial et al., 2023
Search details No Martial et al. (2023) meta-analysis of lasting psychological and philosophical changes has been identified. Other studies of lasting effects exist, but should not be presented as this reference.
Mention in EMIste: Martial et al., 2023 · timeline marker 2023.
Unidentified reference No link can be attributed with certainty
36 / 82 Incomplete reference
2023 : NDEs in palliative careLindstrøm et al., 2022
Search details The Lindstrøm et al. (2022) reference could not be located for a Swedish study of NDEs in palliative care. No primary match has been identified; the link is left empty.
Mention in EMIste: Lindstrøm et al., 2022 · timeline marker 2023.
Unidentified reference No link can be attributed with certainty
37 / 82 Research article · Transcultural Psychiatry
2023 in the source
John Belanti, Mahendra Perera, Karuppiah Jagadheesan
Religion and NDE accounts
＋ Open summary38 / 82 Incomplete reference
2023 : NDEs and out-of-body experiencesKelly & Greyson, 2022
Search details The Kelly & Greyson (2022) reference could not be located for this German neurocognitive study of out-of-body experiences. Virginia institutional publications do not confirm this author–date–method combination.
Mention in EMIste: Kelly & Greyson, 2022 · timeline marker 2023.
Unidentified reference No link can be attributed with certainty
39 / 82 Incomplete reference
2023 : Psychological and neurological predispositionsThonnard et al., 2023
Search details The Thonnard et al. (2023) reference could not be located for a Canadian study of predispositions. The identifiable Thonnard et al. (2013) article concerns memory characteristics, in Liège, and does not match the stated topic.
Mention in EMIste: Thonnard et al., 2023 · timeline marker 2023.
Unidentified reference No link can be attributed with certainty
40 / 82 Incomplete reference
2024 : Pediatric NDEsGreyson & Liester, in preparation
Search details Work cited as “in preparation,” without a title, protocol, journal or identifier. No matching pediatric article by Greyson and Liester has been identified; it cannot be presented as a 2024 publication.
Mention in EMIste: Greyson & Liester, in preparation · timeline marker 2024.
Unidentified reference No link can be attributed with certainty
41 / 82 Incomplete reference
2024 : Multicenter study and EEG measurementsParnia et al., 2022
Search details Ambiguous citation: Parnia et al. (2022) corresponds to a methodological consensus statement, not an ongoing EEG study. The description evokes AWARE II, published in 2023 and conducted in the United States and the United Kingdom. Both documents are listed as leads, without declaring the source citation verified.
Mention in EMIste: Parnia et al., 2022 · timeline marker 2024.
Unidentified reference No link can be attributed with certainty
42 / 82 Incomplete reference
2024 : Stability of accounts over timevan Putten et al., 2022
Search details No van Putten et al. (2022) article or protocol matching a longitudinal comparison of NDE accounts was located. The announced 2024 launch is unverified.
Mention in EMIste: van Putten et al., 2022 · timeline marker 2024.
Unidentified reference No link can be attributed with certainty
43 / 82 Incomplete reference
2024 : Methodological quality of studiesFenwick et al., 2022
Search details No Fenwick et al. (2022) meta-analysis matching the announced preparation in 2024 was located. Do not turn this announcement into an established publication.
Mention in EMIste: Fenwick et al., 2022 · timeline marker 2024.
Unidentified reference No link can be attributed with certainty
44 / 82 Incomplete reference
2025 : East–West comparisonWu et al., 2023
Search details No Wu et al. (2023) article or protocol matching a Chinese–US East–West collaboration starting in 2025 was located. Do not substitute another Chinese study.
Mention in EMIste: Wu et al., 2023 · timeline marker 2025.
Unidentified reference No link can be attributed with certainty
45 / 82 Incomplete reference
2025 : Memory and mental imageryShaw et al., 2022
Search details No Shaw et al. (2022) article or protocol matching this British project announced for 2025 on memory–imagery networks in NDEs was located.
Mention in EMIste: Shaw et al., 2022 · timeline marker 2025.
Unidentified reference No link can be attributed with certainty
46 / 82 Report · Scientific and Medical Network
Harald Walach
A report on the foundations of science
＋ Open summary47 / 82 Book · Coward, McCann & Geoghegan
Kenneth Ring
A foundational investigation of NDEs
＋ Open summary48 / 82 Research article · American Journal of Diseases of Children, 140(11), 1110–1114
M. Morse, P. Castillo, D. Venecia et al.
NDEs in children
＋ Open summary49 / 82 Research article · The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 174(3), 165–170
Satwant Pasricha, Ian Stevenson
NDEs in an Indian cultural context
＋ Open summary50 / 82 Research article · The Lancet, 336(8724), 1175–1177
Justine E. Owens, Emily Williams Cook, Ian Stevenson
Medical danger and the sense of impending death
＋ Open summary51 / 82 Research article · Psychiatry, 55(1), 95–110
Bruce Greyson, Nancy Evans Bush
Distressing and difficult NDEs
＋ Open summary52 / 82 Research article · Journal of Near-Death Studies, 16(2), 101–147
Kenneth Ring, Sharon Cooper
Accounts of perceptions in blind people
＋ Open summary53 / 82 Research article · The Lancet, 355(9202), 460–463
Bruce Greyson
Dissociation and NDEs
＋ Open summary54 / 82 Research article · Journal of Near-Death Studies, 20(4), 215–232
Janet Schwaninger, Paul R. Eisenberg, Kenneth B. Schechtman et al.
One of the earliest US prospective cohorts
＋ Open summary55 / 82 Research article · Nature, 419(6904), 269–270
Olaf Blanke, Stéphanie Ortigue, Theodor Landis et al.
Out-of-body experiences and the integration of bodily signals
＋ Open summary56 / 82 Research article · General Hospital Psychiatry, 25(4), 269–276
Bruce Greyson
Comparing NDEs in cardiology
＋ Open summary57 / 82 Research article · Psychological Science, 15(4), 254–258
Willoughby B. Britton, Richard R. Bootzin
The temporal lobe, sleep and NDEs
＋ Open summary58 / 82 Research article · Neurology, 66(7), 1003–1009
Kevin R. Nelson, Michelle Mattingly, Sherman A. Lee et al.
REM sleep and predisposition to NDEs
＋ Open summary59 / 82 Research article · Resuscitation, 73(3), 407–411
Bruce Greyson
Memory stability over nearly twenty years
＋ Open summary60 / 82 Research article · Critical Care, 14(2), R56
Zalika Klemenc-Ketis, Janko Kersnik, Stefek Grmec
CO₂ and physiological factors after cardiac arrest
＋ Open summary61 / 82 Research article · Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 15(10), 447–449
Dean Mobbs, Caroline Watt
Overview of neuroscientific hypotheses
＋ Open summary62 / 82 Research article · PLOS ONE, 8(3), e57620
Marie Thonnard, Vanessa Charland-Verville, Serge Brédart et al.
NDE memory and the sense of reality
＋ Open summary63 / 82 Research article · Resuscitation, 85(12), 1799–1805
Sam Parnia, Ken Spearpoint, Gabriele de Vos et al.
AWARE I: memories after cardiac arrest
＋ Open summary64 / 82 Research article · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8, 203
Vanessa Charland-Verville, Jean-Pierre Jourdan, Marie Thonnard et al.
Comparing NDEs with and without a threat to life
＋ Open summary65 / 82 Research article · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 11, 311
Charlotte Martial, Héléna Cassol, Georgios Antonopoulos et al.
Order and diversity of features in accounts
＋ Open summary66 / 82 Research article · Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1424
Christopher Timmermann, Leor Roseman, Luke Williams et al.
DMT and the phenomenology of NDEs
＋ Open summary67 / 82 Research article · Memory, 27(8), 1122–1129
Helena Cassol, Charlotte Martial, Jitka Annen, Géraldine Martens, Vanessa Charland-Verville, Steve Majerus, Steven Laureys
Analysis of distressing NDE memories
＋ Open summary68 / 82 Research article · Consciousness and Cognition, 69, 52–69
Charlotte Martial, Héléna Cassol, Vanessa Charland-Verville et al.
Comparing accounts of NDEs and psychoactive substances
＋ Open summary69 / 82 Research article · PeerJ, 7, e7585
Daniel Kondziella, Jens P. Dreier, Markus Harboe Olsen
Reported NDEs and REM sleep intrusion
＋ Open summary70 / 82 Research article · Consciousness and Cognition, 86, 103049
Charlotte Martial, Jessica Simon, Ninon Puttaert et al.
Measuring NDE content with the NDE-C scale
＋ Open summary71 / 82 Research article · Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 14, 813531
Raul Vicente, Michael Rizzuto, Can Sarica et al.
EEG of a human brain around cardiac arrest
＋ Open summary72 / 82 Research article · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1511(1), 5–21
Sam Parnia, Stephen G. Post, Matthew T. Lee et al.
Definitions and methods for research
＋ Open summary73 / 82 Research article · Resuscitation, 191, 109903
Sam Parnia, Tara Keshavarz Shirazi, Jignesh Patel et al.
AWARE II: consciousness, EEG and resuscitation
＋ Open summary74 / 82 Research article · Critical Care, 27, 76
Anne-Françoise Rousseau, Laurence Dams, Quentin Massart et al.
NDEs after a prolonged intensive care stay
＋ Open summary75 / 82 Research article · PNAS, 120(19), e2216268120
Gang Xu, Temenuzhka Mihaylova, Duan Li et al.
Gamma waves in the human brain at the end of life
＋ Open summary76 / 82 Research article · NeuroImage, 298, 120759
Charlotte Martial, Andrea Piarulli, Olivia Gosseries et al.
Syncope, NDE-like experiences and EEG
＋ Open summary77 / 82 Research article · Discover Mental Health, 4, 19
Joshua G. Kovoor, Sanjana Santhosh, Brandon Stretton et al.
Review of prospective studies after cardiac arrest
＋ Open summary78 / 82 Research article · Neuroscience of Consciousness, 2024(1), niae033
Charlotte Martial, Robin Carhart-Harris, Christopher Timmermann
NDEs and psychedelic experiences compared in the same people
＋ Open summary79 / 82 Research article · Nature Reviews Neurology, 21, 297–311
Charlotte Martial, Pauline Fritz, Olivia Gosseries et al.
An integrated neuroscientific model and recent debates
＋ Open summary80 / 82 Research article · Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice, online publication
Marieta Pehlivanova, Katherine C. McNally, Sabina Funk, Bruce Greyson
Support needs and integration
＋ Open summary81 / 82 Research article · Scientific Reports, 16, 25655
Amaury C. Mengin, Julie Rolling, Walid Oulehri et al.
NDEs and growth after medical trauma
＋ Open summary82 / 82 Research article · Nursing in Critical Care, 31(4), e70532
Kailai Gu, Jingying Huang, Jin Yang et al.
The state of NDE research in intensive care
＋ Open summary⊙ No matching references. Try another author or broaden the filters.
View all ↗ The complete bibliography is available above. Enable JavaScript to open summaries and search and filter the records.
READ WITH DISCERNMENT
The method matters How were the references verified? + Searches by author, year and subject in publisher records, PubMed, university repositories and bibliographic catalogs. A reference is identified when the citation allows a sufficiently precise match to a book or article. This identification does not validate every claim in the original text.
How were the added studies selected? + The selection covers foundational investigations, the main prospective studies after cardiac arrest and in intensive care, measurement tools, memory, cultural comparisons, distressing NDEs and experimental models. Recent reviews help identify gaps. The records distinguish clinical results, animal studies, isolated cases, models and recommendations. This selection of landmarks is not an exhaustive systematic review of all publications.
What does “related reference” mean? + A publication exists on a related topic, but its date, authors or method do not allow it to be identified as the cited reference. The link is offered separately, with this discrepancy made explicit.
Why keep unidentified references? + To make verification transparent and preserve the inventory of the original page. The absence of a match does not show that a publication does not exist. A full title, DOI or more precise bibliographic reference could help locate it.
How can the articles be accessed? + The links lead to a publication, a PubMed record, a DOI or a publisher page. Some articles are open access; others require a subscription. A book or report is identified as such: on its own, it is not a peer-reviewed experimental study.
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Neurobiological model · 1997
Ketamine as a lead for understanding NDEs Karl L. R. Jansen
The Ketamine Model of the Near-Death Experience: A Central Role for the N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance Jansen proposes that some sensations described in NDEs could be explained by the functioning of certain brain receptors, called NMDA receptors, on which ketamine also acts.
Methodology The article brings together observations on ketamine’s effects and knowledge about glutamate, a chemical messenger in the brain. It develops an explanatory hypothesis from this work.
Results The author describes similarities between some ketamine experiences and NDE accounts. He proposes that a change in NMDA receptor activity could contribute to these experiences. What we can conclude This is a model to be tested. A resemblance between two experiences does not show that they always have the same cause, or that this approach explains all NDEs.
Summary sources Summary based on the article abstract published by the publisher.
Bibliographic notes Neurobiological model article published in 1997. It is not evidence of a pilot study conducted by Jansen in 1972; that claim could not be located.
Karl L. R. Jansen · 1997 · Journal of Near-Death Studies, 16, 5–26 · DOI : 10.1023/A:1025055109480
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Book of personal accounts · 1975
The accounts that brought NDEs to public attention Raymond A. Moody Jr.
Life After Life: The Investigation of a Phenomenon—Survival of Bodily Death
Explore the book ↗ (new tab) At a glance In Life After Life, Raymond Moody brings together accounts from people who came close to death. The book helped make the concept of the near-death experience widely known.
Methodology The book presents and compares accounts collected after the events. The publisher’s description consulted does not provide details of recruitment or a comparison protocol.
What the book presents Moody highlights similarities between the experiences recounted and proposes a vocabulary to describe them. The contribution presented here is descriptive: bringing these accounts to light and opening a field of questions. What we can conclude These accounts document what people say they experienced. This presentation of the book cannot measure the frequency of NDEs or establish their origin.
Summary sources Presentation of the book based on the publisher’s record; the full text was not analyzed.
Bibliographic notes The 1975 book was identified in a library catalog. This reference is a book, not a journal article; its bibliographic identification does not validate all the methodological claims on the source page.
Raymond A. Moody Jr. · 1975 · Mockingbird Books
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
At a glance Cardiologist Michael Sabom examines memories reported by people who went through a critical medical situation and their connection to what happened in hospital.
Methodology According to the book review, Sabom and Sarah Kreutziger identify patients through hospital records, then interview them about their memories. They also examine several characteristics of those interviewed.
What the book presents Patients describe an impression of seeing their own body or experiences perceived as transcendent. The review describes few associations with several personal characteristics studied, without providing the detailed data needed to reassess them. What we can conclude The investigation seeks to connect accounts with the clinical context. The available summary does not support a claim that all accounts were corroborated or a conclusion that separation between mind and brain was demonstrated.
Summary sources Presentation based on the Kirkus review; the full text of the book was not analyzed.
Bibliographic notes The bibliographic reference located is the book published in 1982, also cited in the following entry. The catalog confirms neither the 1978 date nor the characterization of 78 accounts as all medically corroborated.
The same book as the entry dated 1978. The statement that 102 accounts were corroborated has not been established; do not repeat it as a finding of the book.
Michael B. Sabom · 1982 · Harper & Row
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Interpretive article · 1976
Feeling detached from oneself in life-threatening danger Russell Noyes Jr., Roy Kletti
Depersonalization in the Face of Life-Threatening Danger: An Interpretation
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance Noyes and Kletti explore depersonalization: the impression of feeling distant from oneself or one’s emotions when facing extreme danger.
Methodology The authors propose a psychological and physiological interpretation of the phenomenon based on observations and earlier work. The abstract consulted does not present a new experimental trial.
Results They suggest that this detachment could help maintain attention to danger while reducing an overwhelming emotion. They also consider that the experience could take on spiritual meaning and be followed by a sense of renewal. What we can conclude This text offers a framework for interpreting experiences in the face of danger. It is insufficient to establish the cause of all NDEs or measure the frequency of these reactions.
Summary sources Summary based on the authors’ abstract available from the publisher.
Bibliographic notes The interpretive article appeared in 1976, not 1980. The authors also published a clinical description that year; the absence of a title on the source page leaves ambiguity between these two texts.
Russell Noyes Jr., Roy Kletti · 1976 · OMEGA—Journal of Death and Dying, 7(2), 103–114 · DOI : 10.2190/7QET-2VAU-YCDT-TJ9R
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Development of a measurement tool · 1983
A shared questionnaire for studying NDEs Bruce Greyson
The Near-Death Experience Scale: Construction, Reliability, and Validity
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance Bruce Greyson aims to make NDE accounts comparable using a structured questionnaire rather than a simple “yes” or “no” response.
Methodology Starting with 80 possible features, he develops a 33-question questionnaire completed for 74 experiences. Analysis of the responses identifies 16 questions and examines the score’s consistency and stability.
Results The final 16-question scale shows good consistency and repeatability in the sample studied. Its scores agree with another existing tool and distinguish clear NDE reports from more uncertain reports. What we can conclude The scale helps describe and compare reported experiences. Its score does not determine their cause or, on its own, verify what happened during unconsciousness.
Summary sources Summary based on the authors’ abstract published in PubMed.
Bibliographic notes Published in 1983. The abstract describes 74 experiences for the preliminary questionnaire and a final 16-item scale; the year 1988 and the figure of 67 cases are incorrect.
Bruce Greyson · 1983 · The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 171(6), 369–375 · DOI : 10.1097/00005053-198306000-00007
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Prospective human study · 2001
What do cardiac arrest survivors report? Pim van Lommel, Ruud van Wees, Vincent Meyers et al.
Near-Death Experience in Survivors of Cardiac Arrest: A Prospective Study in the Netherlands
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance Pim van Lommel’s team studies the frequency of NDEs after cardiac arrest and the changes reported in the years that follow.
Methodology 344 patients resuscitated in ten Dutch hospitals are interviewed after cardiac arrest. Their accounts are assessed using a standardized scale. Follow-up at two and eight years compares patients who reported an NDE with patients who did not.
Results 62 patients, or 18%, report an experience classified as an NDE; 41, or 12% of the total, describe a more pronounced experience. Follow-up describes changes in attitudes and values, greater in some respects among people who reported an NDE. What we can conclude The study documents memories and their impact. It cannot precisely date their formation or, on its own, establish consciousness independent of the brain.
Summary sources Summary based on the study abstract and the author’s presentation of the protocol.
Bibliographic notes Published in 2001. The 344 participants are survivors resuscitated after cardiac arrest; 62 (18%) reported an NDE, including 41 with a so-called core experience. These are not 344 NDEs.
Pim van Lommel, Ruud van Wees, Vincent Meyers et al. · 2001 · The Lancet, 358(9298), 2039–2045 · DOI : 10.1016/S0140-6736(01)07100-8
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Prospective human study · 2001
Memories after cardiac arrest S. Parnia, D. G. Waller, R. Yeates et al.
A qualitative and quantitative study of the incidence, features and aetiology of near death experiences in cardiac arrest survivors
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance Sam Parnia’s team investigates how many cardiac arrest survivors retain memories of their period of unconsciousness and what those memories are like.
Methodology Over one year, 63 survivors are interviewed within a week of cardiac arrest. Their memories are assessed with the Greyson scale and compared with medical data, including oxygenation, and religious beliefs.
Results 11.1% of survivors report memories; most of these memories have NDE features and are described as pleasant. Among the physiological parameters measured, only oxygen partial pressure differs: it is higher in the NDE group. What we can conclude Memories are uncommon in this sample. The small number of cases calls for larger studies and does not establish the cause of NDEs or the precise moment when these memories form.
Summary sources Summary based on the authors’ abstract published in PubMed.
Bibliographic notes The 2001 reference concerns 63 survivors, not 140. The figure of 140 corresponds to the first-stage interviews in AWARE, published in 2014; not all survivors reported an NDE. The 2010 date and description mix two publications.
S. Parnia, D. G. Waller, R. Yeates et al. · 2001 · Resuscitation · DOI : 10.1016/S0300-9572(00)00328-2
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Experimental animal study · 2013
A brief surge of brain activity in rats J. Borjigin, U. Lee, T. Liu et al.
Surge of neurophysiological coherence and connectivity in the dying brain
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance Jimo Borjigin’s team examines the brain’s electrical activity immediately after induced cardiac arrest in rats.
Methodology The researchers record brain activity by electroencephalogram, or EEG, during wakefulness, anesthesia and cardiac arrest. They study signal synchronization and communication between brain regions in particular.
Results A transient surge of synchronized gamma waves appears within the first 30 seconds after cardiac arrest, before the electrical signal becomes almost flat. Some indicators of the organization and connectivity of activity briefly increase. What we can conclude The rat brain can still produce organized activity at the very beginning of cardiac arrest. These measurements do not prove that the animal has an NDE and do not allow direct inferences about human experience.
Summary sources Summary based on the abstract and results of the open-access article.
Bibliographic notes Published in 2013. The study measures a transient surge in gamma activity and connectivity after cardiac arrest in rats; it collects no human NDE accounts and does not demonstrate conscious experience in the animals.
J. Borjigin, U. Lee, T. Liu et al. · 2013 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · DOI : 10.1073/pnas.1308285110
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
At a glance Steven Laureys explains how medical advances have changed the definition of death and why different states of unconsciousness must be distinguished.
Methodology The article examines neurological knowledge, changing criteria for death and the associated ethical debates. It is a review, with no new group of patients recruited to measure NDEs.
Results The ability to maintain some vital functions artificially has shifted attention toward neurological criteria for death. Controversies remain over these definitions and their implications for care and organ donation. What we can conclude This review provides reference points for discussing the brain, unconsciousness and death precisely. It does not report a direct measurement of consciousness during an NDE.
Summary sources Summary based on the author’s abstract deposited at the University of Liège.
Bibliographic notes The identifiable reference is a 2005 review of death and states of consciousness. It is not an imaging study conducted during an NDE or a demonstration of continued consciousness during cardiac arrest.
Steven Laureys · 2005 · Nature Reviews Neuroscience · DOI : 10.1038/nrn1789
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Comparison of accounts · 2008
What accounts share and how they differ across cultures John Belanti, Mahendra Perera, Karuppiah Jagadheesan
Phenomenology of near-death experiences: a cross-cultural perspective
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance Belanti and colleagues examine whether NDEs are recounted in the same way in different cultural settings.
Methodology The authors compare NDE descriptions according to their experienced and recounted content. The abstract presents a comparison of accounts, without announcing a new international survey using a shared protocol.
Results Some themes recur across cultures, but certain descriptions differ from typical Western European accounts. The authors propose that language, religion, education and beliefs influence how the experience is interpreted and recounted. What we can conclude The accounts show both commonalities and diversity. This comparison demonstrates neither an identical experience everywhere nor that culture alone explains all differences.
Summary sources Summary based on the authors’ abstract published in PubMed.
Bibliographic notes The identifiable cross-cultural comparison article by the same authors dates from 2008, and their affiliations are Australian. It describes both shared motifs and cultural variation; no new Virginia study from 2023 has been identified.
The same identifiable cross-cultural article as the Belanti 2023 entry: published in 2008, with authors affiliated in Australia. The 2022 reference and British team are unconfirmed; probably a duplicate of entry 33.
John Belanti, Mahendra Perera, Karuppiah Jagadheesan · 2008 · Transcultural Psychiatry · DOI : 10.1177/1363461507088001
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
At a glance The Galileo Commission report advocates research open to conceptions of consciousness that go beyond an exclusively materialist explanation.
Methodology Harald Walach develops a philosophical argument and discusses existing work on behalf of the Scientific and Medical Network. The report does not present a new clinical trial or a single controlled experiment.
The report’s proposals It proposes broadening the hypotheses studied and examining human experiences considered difficult to explain within the framework described as dominant. Its conclusions take the form of positions and research directions rather than new numerical findings. What we can conclude This text helps situate one strand of the debate on consciousness. Its proposals express its authors’ position and are neither a scientific consensus nor a demonstration of survival after death.
Summary sources Summary based on the report description provided by its publishing organization.
Bibliographic notes Report published by the Scientific and Medical Network, launched in 2018. It advocates a post-materialist expansion of science; it is a position report, distinct from a clinical study or scientific consensus. The PDF currently provided by the publisher bears a 2020 version date.
Harald Walach · 2018 · Scientific and Medical Network
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Investigation published as a book · 1980
Comparing accounts at the beginning of modern research Kenneth Ring
Life at Death: A Scientific Investigation of the Near-Death Experience
Explore the book ↗ (new tab) At a glance Kenneth Ring presents one of the foundational investigations seeking to compare NDE accounts in a structured way.
Methodology The book is based on interviews with 102 people who came close to death. The author develops an index to compare features of their experiences.
What the book presents About half of those interviewed report a core NDE experience, according to the author’s account of his work. The book helps structure the description and measurement of these experiences. What we can conclude This historical investigation relies on memories collected after the events. Its recruitment does not allow a frequency to be extrapolated to the whole population.
Summary sources Summary based on the cited original sources; verified on 20 October 2026.
Bibliographic notes Publication added after verification of the bibliography. This historical investigation relies on memories collected after the events. Its recruitment does not allow a frequency to be extrapolated to the whole population.
Kenneth Ring · 1980 · Coward, McCann & Geoghegan
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Comparative clinical study · 1986
What do children recount after a critical illness? M. Morse, P. Castillo, D. Venecia et al.
Childhood near-death experiences
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance This pioneering study extends research to children who survived a critical illness.
Methodology Eleven children aged 3 to 16 are interviewed after cardiac arrest or deep coma. They are compared with 29 children of similar age who received intensive care. Any memory of the period of unconsciousness is defined here as an NDE.
Results Seven of the eleven children report memories, including a sense of leaving the body or passing through a tunnel. None of the 29 children in the comparison group reports any memory of their period of unconsciousness. What we can conclude Children can report experiences similar to those of adults. The small sample and broad definition of an NDE limit comparison with current studies.
Summary sources Summary based on the cited original sources; verified on 20 October 2026.
Bibliographic notes Publication added after verification of the bibliography. Children can report experiences similar to those of adults. The small sample and broad definition of an NDE limit comparison with current studies.
M. Morse, P. Castillo, D. Venecia et al. · 1986 · American Journal of Diseases of Children, 140(11), 1110–1114 · DOI : 10.1001/archpedi.1986.02140250036031
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Cross-cultural investigation · 1986
Similarities and differences between Indian and American accounts Satwant Pasricha, Ian Stevenson
Near-death experiences in India. A preliminary report
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance This early investigation broadens a then mainly Western body of accounts with testimonies collected in India.
Methodology The authors examine sixteen Indian cases, present four accounts and compare their features with those of an earlier American sample.
Results The Indian descriptions share features with the American accounts, but also show different motifs and frequencies. The authors discuss the role of beliefs and cultural context in these differences. What we can conclude This small retrospective set allows neither a universal frequency estimate nor a conclusion that NDEs have a solely cultural cause.
Summary sources Summary based on the cited original sources; verified on 20 October 2026.
Bibliographic notes Publication added after verification of the bibliography. This small retrospective set allows neither a universal frequency estimate nor a conclusion that NDEs have a solely cultural cause.
Satwant Pasricha, Ian Stevenson · 1986 · The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 174(3), 165–170 · DOI : 10.1097/00005053-198603000-00007
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Comparative retrospective study · 1990
Does one have to be medically close to death? Justine E. Owens, Emily Williams Cook, Ian Stevenson
Features of "near-death experience" in relation to whether or not patients were near death
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance The authors compare medical proximity to death with the features of the experiences recounted.
Methodology The medical records of 58 people are examined: 28 could have died without intervention and 30 were not in life-threatening danger, despite their perception of the situation.
Results Both groups report related experiences. Some features, including heightened perception of light and perceived cognitive abilities, are more often described in the group medically close to death. What we can conclude The sense of impending death must be distinguished from objectively established danger. This retrospective comparison does not determine the mechanisms of the experience.
Summary sources Summary based on the cited original sources; verified on 20 October 2026.
Bibliographic notes Publication added after verification of the bibliography. The sense of impending death must be distinguished from objectively established danger. This retrospective comparison does not determine the mechanisms of the experience.
Justine E. Owens, Emily Williams Cook, Ian Stevenson · 1990 · The Lancet, 336(8724), 1175–1177 · DOI : 10.1016/0140-6736(90)92780-L
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Descriptive and clinical analysis · 1992
NDEs are not always peaceful Bruce Greyson, Nancy Evans Bush
Distressing near-death experiences
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance This foundational text draws attention to experiences perceived as terrifying or distressing.
Methodology The authors analyze distressing accounts and propose a descriptive classification rather than a representative prevalence survey.
Results Three forms are distinguished: a typical experience perceived negatively, a sense of nothingness, and scenes described as hellish. The authors emphasize the possible psychological impact and the need to study it more closely. What we can conclude This typology brings less frequently recounted experiences to light. It establishes neither their overall frequency nor a specific cause for them.
Summary sources Summary based on the cited original sources; verified on 20 October 2026.
Bibliographic notes Publication added after verification of the bibliography. This typology brings less frequently recounted experiences to light. It establishes neither their overall frequency nor a specific cause for them.
Bruce Greyson, Nancy Evans Bush · 1992 · Psychiatry, 55(1), 95–110 · DOI : 10.1080/00332747.1992.11024583
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Retrospective interview investigation · 1997
How do blind people describe their perceptions? Kenneth Ring, Sharon Cooper
Near-Death and Out-of-Body Experiences in the Blind: A Study of Apparent Eyeless Vision
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance Ring and Cooper examine accounts of NDEs and out-of-body experiences in blind people, including those blind from birth.
Methodology The investigation includes 31 respondents and, in some cases, seeks corroborating evidence for the perceptions recounted.
Results Participants describe NDEs and say they had visual impressions. The authors report cases they interpret as corroborated by other information. What we can conclude These accounts are important to the debate on perception. A retrospective investigation without hidden targets or experimental controls does not demonstrate vision independent of the eyes or brain.
Summary sources Summary based on the cited original sources; verified on 20 October 2026.
Bibliographic notes Publication added after verification of the bibliography. These accounts are important to the debate on perception. A retrospective investigation without hidden targets or experimental controls does not demonstrate vision independent of the eyes or brain.
Kenneth Ring, Sharon Cooper · 1997 · Journal of Near-Death Studies, 16(2), 101–147 · DOI : 10.1023/A:1025010015662
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Retrospective comparative study · 2000
Are NDEs associated with dissociation? Bruce Greyson
Dissociation in people who have near-death experiences: out of their bodies or out of their minds?
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance The study examines links between the depth of an NDE and dissociative symptoms.
Methodology 96 people who reported an NDE and 38 people who came close to death without an NDE complete questionnaires.
Results The NDE group reports more dissociative symptoms, correlated with the depth of the experience. Their level remains well below that observed in pathological dissociative disorders. What we can conclude The results distinguish dissociative traits from a clinical disorder. They justify neither a pathological diagnosis based solely on an NDE account nor a causal explanation.
Summary sources Abstract and record of the original publication.
Bibliographic notes Retrospective questionnaire study; an association does not establish that dissociation causes NDEs.
Bruce Greyson · 2000 · The Lancet, 355(9202), 460–463 · DOI : 10.1016/S0140-6736(00)82013-9
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Prospective human study · 2002
Interviewing survivors within a hospital cohort Janet Schwaninger, Paul R. Eisenberg, Kenneth B. Schechtman et al.
A Prospective Analysis of Near-Death Experiences in Cardiac Arrest Patients
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance This US study prospectively documents the frequency and impact of NDEs after cardiac arrest.
Methodology Cardiac arrests are monitored at one hospital from 1991 to 1994. Of 174 patients, 55 survive and 30 can be interviewed; a follow-up questionnaire explores life changes.
Results Seven of the 30 people interviewed, or 23%, report an NDE associated with the cardiac arrest studied. Four others describe an earlier NDE. The accounts include peace, absence of pain and detachment from the body; follow-up describes psychosocial changes. What we can conclude This cohort helps establish NDEs as a subject of clinical investigation. The 30 interviews and selection associated with survival do not allow a general estimate or causal explanation.
Summary sources Authors’ abstract and cited original sources; verified on 20 October 2026.
Bibliographic notes Prospective article from 2002. The journal archive also assigns it DOI 10.17514/JNDS-2002-20-4-p215-232. Seven NDEs after the cardiac arrest studied must be distinguished from four NDEs during an earlier event.
Janet Schwaninger, Paul R. Eisenberg, Kenneth B. Schechtman et al. · 2002 · Journal of Near-Death Studies, 20(4), 215–232 · DOI : 10.1023/A:1015258818660
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Clinical observation with brain stimulation · 2002
Inducing an out-of-body sensation Olaf Blanke, Stéphanie Ortigue, Theodor Landis et al.
Stimulating illusory own-body perceptions
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance This observation examines how the brain constructs the perception of the body’s position.
Methodology In a patient being assessed for epilepsy, the researchers electrically stimulate the right angular gyrus.
Results The stimulation repeatedly produces an out-of-body sensation. Other stimulations at the same site alter the perception of the limbs and bodily movement. What we can conclude Disrupted sensory integration can produce some aspects of an out-of-body experience. One case cannot explain all NDEs.
Summary sources Abstract and methodological information from the original publication.
Bibliographic notes Neurological observation in one patient; an out-of-body sensation should not be equated with a full NDE.
Olaf Blanke, Stéphanie Ortigue, Theodor Landis et al. · 2002 · Nature, 419(6904), 269–270 · DOI : 10.1038/419269a
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Prospective human study · 2003
Are NDEs more common after cardiac arrest? Bruce Greyson
Incidence and correlates of near-death experiences in a cardiac care unit
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance Greyson compares NDEs in patients hospitalized for different heart conditions.
Methodology Over 30 months, 1,595 consecutive patients are assessed. Those reporting an NDE are compared with patients matched for diagnosis, age and sex.
Results An NDE is reported by 10% of patients admitted after cardiac arrest, compared with 1% of other cardiac patients. The groups do not differ on several measures of cognitive functioning, quality of life or cardiac severity; some attitudes toward death differ. What we can conclude The comparison confirms that medical settings influence the frequencies observed. It can neither date memory formation nor establish their origin.
Summary sources Authors’ abstract and cited original sources; verified on 20 October 2026.
Bibliographic notes Prospective investigation of 1,595 cardiology patients, 7% of whom were admitted after cardiac arrest. The rates of 10% and 1% correspond to two distinct clinical subgroups.
Bruce Greyson · 2003 · General Hospital Psychiatry, 25(4), 269–276 · DOI : 10.1016/S0163-8343(03)00042-2
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Comparative study using EEG and questionnaires · 2004
Looking for differences in sleep and temporal lobe activity Willoughby B. Britton, Richard R. Bootzin
Near-Death Experiences and the Temporal Lobe
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance The authors examine temporal lobe functioning and sleep in people who reported an NDE.
Methodology Participants are compared with controls using EEG, sleep measurements and psychological questionnaires.
Results The NDE group shows more temporal epileptiform EEG activity, especially on the left. Sleep differences are also observed; NDEs are not associated with more pathological stress responses. What we can conclude These differences suggest neurophysiological leads. They do not show that epilepsy explains NDEs or whether the observed characteristics predate the event.
Summary sources Abstract and record of the original publication.
Bibliographic notes Physiological comparison after the events; the signals are not recorded during an NDE.
Willoughby B. Britton, Richard R. Bootzin · 2004 · Psychological Science, 15(4), 254–258 · DOI : 10.1111/j.0956-7976.2004.00661.x
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Retrospective comparative study · 2006
Exploring links with REM sleep Kevin R. Nelson, Michelle Mattingly, Sherman A. Lee et al.
Does the arousal system contribute to near death experience?
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance The authors investigate whether phenomena usually associated with sleep are more common in people who reported an NDE.
Methodology 55 people who had an NDE are compared with controls matched for age and sex.
Results Sleep paralysis and sleep-related hallucinations are more frequently reported in the NDE group. The authors propose a shared predisposition involving the systems of wakefulness and REM sleep. What we can conclude The association supports a line of research. It does not show that REM sleep intrusion causes NDEs.
Summary sources Abstract and methodological information from the original publication.
Bibliographic notes Retrospective questionnaire comparison; an association and physiological hypothesis, without a causal demonstration.
Kevin R. Nelson, Michelle Mattingly, Sherman A. Lee et al. · 2006 · Neurology, 66(7), 1003–1009 · DOI : 10.1212/01.wnl.0000204296.15607.37
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
At a glance Greyson tests the idea that NDE memories become progressively embellished.
Methodology Seventy-two people who completed the Greyson scale in the 1980s complete it again nearly twenty years later, without consulting their original answers.
Results Mean scores do not change significantly, and responses at the two time points are correlated. No significant relationship is found between elapsed time and score change. What we can conclude Scores are stable among the participants reassessed. This stability does not verify the accuracy of every detail or when the memory formed; follow-up does not cover the entire original cohort.
Summary sources Summary based on the cited original sources; verified on 20 October 2026.
Bibliographic notes Publication added after verification of the bibliography. Scores are stable among the participants reassessed. This stability does not verify the accuracy of every detail or when the memory formed; follow-up does not cover the entire original cohort.
Bruce Greyson · 2007 · Resuscitation, 73(3), 407–411 · DOI : 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2006.10.013
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Prospective observational study · 2010
Is CO₂ associated with NDE memories? Zalika Klemenc-Ketis, Janko Kersnik, Stefek Grmec
The effect of carbon dioxide on near-death experiences in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivors: a prospective observational study
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance The team examines the link between blood gases and NDEs after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
Methodology 52 survivors enrolled at three Slovenian hospitals complete the Greyson scale. Their responses are compared with CO₂, oxygen and electrolyte measurements.
Results Eleven patients, or 21.2%, meet the criteria for an NDE. Higher CO₂ levels are associated with the presence of an NDE; some blood parameters are also linked to the intensity of the score. What we can conclude These data support exploring physiological mechanisms. An association in a small sample does not prove a causal mechanism or precisely locate the experience in time.
Summary sources Authors’ abstract and cited original sources; verified on 20 October 2026.
Bibliographic notes 52 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survivors in three Slovenian hospitals; 11 NDEs identified. Associations with CO₂ are observational and do not demonstrate that this gas causes NDEs.
Zalika Klemenc-Ketis, Janko Kersnik, Stefek Grmec · 2010 · Critical Care, 14(2), R56 · DOI : 10.1186/cc8952
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Scientific review and discussion · 2011
An overview of brain-based hypotheses for discussion Dean Mobbs, Caroline Watt
There is nothing paranormal about near-death experiences: how neuroscience can explain seeing bright lights, meeting the dead, or being convinced you are one of them
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance The authors advocate a neuroscientific interpretation of NDE components.
Methodology They bring together research on body perception, states of consciousness and brain responses to extreme situations.
Results The text proposes physiological and psychological mechanisms for several characteristic features. It argues that these observations make a paranormal explanation unnecessary. What we can conclude This is a reasoned interpretation of existing work. It is not an experimental test of all NDEs; the 2012 commentary offers the objections for readers to consider.
Summary sources Abstract and record of the original publication.
Bibliographic notes Review and discussion article without a new sample; its conclusions are the subject of a critical commentary and a response in 2012.
Dean Mobbs, Caroline Watt · 2011 · Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 15(10), 447–449 · DOI : 10.1016/j.tics.2011.07.010
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Comparison of memories · 2013
Why do these memories feel so real? Marie Thonnard, Vanessa Charland-Verville, Serge Brédart et al.
Characteristics of Near-Death Experiences Memories as Compared to Real and Imagined Events Memories
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance This study compares the subjective richness of NDE memories with memories of experienced or imagined events.
Methodology A memory questionnaire is administered to 21 coma survivors, including 8 with an NDE, and 18 controls.
Results NDE memories contain more features than the other memories compared. They are particularly rich in emotional and self-related information. What we can conclude Vividness distinguishes these memories in this small sample. It does not verify the external accuracy of the account or when the memory formed.
Summary sources Abstract and methodological information from the original publication.
Bibliographic notes Small retrospective sample: 8 NDE memories, 13 other coma survivors and 18 controls.
Marie Thonnard, Vanessa Charland-Verville, Serge Brédart et al. · 2013 · PLOS ONE, 8(3), e57620 · DOI : 10.1371/journal.pone.0057620
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Multicenter prospective study · 2014
AWARE I: distinguishing different memories of resuscitation Sam Parnia, Ken Spearpoint, Gabriele de Vos et al.
AWARE—AWAreness during REsuscitation—A prospective study
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance AWARE I examines memories reported after cardiac arrest and their possible correspondence with medical events.
Methodology Over four years, 2,060 cardiac arrests are recorded. 140 survivors take part in the first interview and 101 in a second, more detailed interview.
Results In the detailed interviews, 46% report memories on various themes and 9% report experiences meeting NDE criteria. Two patients describe resuscitation events; one account can be compared with the timeline of care. No hidden visual target is identified. What we can conclude These observations justify further study of resuscitation memories. The low proportion of survivors interviewed and absence of simultaneous EEG prevent generalization or demonstration of consciousness independent of the brain.
Summary sources Authors’ abstract and cited original sources; verified on 20 October 2026.
Bibliographic notes Multicenter AWARE I study published in 2014. The percentages concern survivors interviewed, not the 2,060 cardiac arrests. The study does not provide validation through identification of a hidden visual target.
Sam Parnia, Ken Spearpoint, Gabriele de Vos et al. · 2014 · Resuscitation, 85(12), 1799–1805 · DOI : 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2014.09.004
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Comparative retrospective study · 2014
Related experiences in different situations Vanessa Charland-Verville, Jean-Pierre Jourdan, Marie Thonnard et al.
Near-death experiences in non-life-threatening events and coma of different etiologies
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance The team compares NDE content according to context and the way accounts are collected.
Methodology Of 190 accounts meeting Greyson criteria, 140 follow a coma and 50 an event without a threat to life. The post-anoxia group is also compared with published prospective data.
Results Content and intensity do not differ significantly between the groups with and without a threat to life, or by cause of coma. Retrospective data differ from prospective cohorts on several features. What we can conclude Medical context and recruitment method matter when interpreting results. Retrospective memories do not allow brain activity at the time of the experience to be measured.
Summary sources Summary based on the cited original sources; verified on 20 October 2026.
Bibliographic notes Publication added after verification of the bibliography. Medical context and recruitment method matter when interpreting results. Retrospective memories do not allow brain activity at the time of the experience to be measured.
Vanessa Charland-Verville, Jean-Pierre Jourdan, Marie Thonnard et al. · 2014 · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8, 203 · DOI : 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00203
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Retrospective analysis of accounts · 2017
Do all accounts follow the same path? Charlotte Martial, Héléna Cassol, Georgios Antonopoulos et al.
Temporality of Features in Near-Death Experience Narratives
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance The researchers study the order in which NDE features are recounted.
Methodology Two readers analyze 154 French-language accounts meeting the Greyson scale threshold.
Results Recurring features appear in the accounts. Their order varies: the data do not reveal a universal sequence. What we can conclude This analysis describes the structure of accounts. The recounted order does not directly measure brain processes or the duration of the experience.
Summary sources Abstract and methodological information from the original publication.
Bibliographic notes Analysis of 154 written accounts, without brain imaging. The August 2017 correction rectifies the name of a cited publisher and does not change the conclusions.
Charlotte Martial, Héléna Cassol, Georgios Antonopoulos et al. · 2017 · Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 11, 311 · DOI : 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00311
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Controlled experiment in healthy volunteers · 2018
Comparing a DMT experience with NDEs Christopher Timmermann, Leor Roseman, Luke Williams et al.
DMT Models the Near-Death Experience
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance The study examines similarities between the subjective effects of DMT and descriptions of NDEs.
Methodology 13 volunteers receive a placebo followed by DMT in separate sessions and complete the Greyson scale.
Results All 13 participants exceed the usual scale threshold after DMT. Many reported features overlap with those of NDEs. What we can conclude The overlap provides a partial experimental model. It does not demonstrate that DMT causes spontaneous NDEs.
Summary sources Abstract and methodological information from the original publication.
Bibliographic notes Single-blind, fixed-order study of 13 healthy volunteers; no DMT measurements during a spontaneous NDE.
Christopher Timmermann, Leor Roseman, Luke Williams et al. · 2018 · Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1424 · DOI : 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01424
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Comparative analysis of accounts · 2019
Describing distressing experiences with the same tools Helena Cassol, Charlotte Martial, Jitka Annen, Géraldine Martens, Vanessa Charland-Verville, Steve Majerus, Steven Laureys
A systematic analysis of distressing near-death experience accounts
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance The researchers compare distressing NDE accounts with more typical accounts.
Methodology 123 volunteers write their accounts and complete Greyson and memory characteristics questionnaires. Several raters classify distressing accounts.
Results Seventeen accounts, or 14% of this sample, are classified as distressing: eight inverted, eight hellish and one associated with nothingness. Their memories are as rich in phenomenological detail as those of typical NDEs. What we can conclude Distressing experiences deserve attention in their own right. Voluntary, retrospective recruitment prevents generalization of the 14% proportion to all NDEs.
Summary sources Summary based on the cited original sources; verified on 20 October 2026.
Bibliographic notes Publication added after verification of the bibliography. Distressing experiences deserve attention in their own right. Voluntary, retrospective recruitment prevents generalization of the 14% proportion to all NDEs.
Helena Cassol, Charlotte Martial, Jitka Annen, Géraldine Martens, Vanessa Charland-Verville, Steve Majerus, Steven Laureys · 2019 · Memory, 27(8), 1122–1129 · DOI : 10.1080/09658211.2019.1626438
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Semantic analysis of accounts · 2019
Which substance-related accounts resemble NDEs? Charlotte Martial, Héléna Cassol, Vanessa Charland-Verville et al.
Neurochemical models of near-death experiences: A large-scale study based on the semantic similarity of written reports
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance The researchers compare the vocabulary of NDE accounts with that of experiences involving psychoactive substances.
Methodology 625 NDE accounts are compared with about 15,000 accounts involving 165 substances.
Results Ketamine-related accounts show the greatest semantic similarity to NDEs. Similarities also involve salvia and several psychedelics. What we can conclude A resemblance between texts suggests models to test. It does not establish a shared chemical mechanism.
Summary sources Abstract and methodological information from the original publication.
Bibliographic notes Computational comparison of published texts; no administration of 165 substances to patients.
Charlotte Martial, Héléna Cassol, Vanessa Charland-Verville et al. · 2019 · Consciousness and Cognition, 69, 52–69 · DOI : 10.1016/j.concog.2019.01.011
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Online cross-sectional survey · 2019
Extending sleep research to an international sample Daniel Kondziella, Jens P. Dreier, Markus Harboe Olsen
Prevalence of near-death experiences in people with and without REM sleep intrusion
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance The authors study the link between reported NDEs and REM sleep intrusion phenomena.
Methodology 1,034 adults from 35 countries complete an online survey and the Greyson scale.
Results 106 participants, or about 10%, reach the scale threshold. NDEs are associated with REM sleep intrusion phenomena. What we can conclude The study finds an association in a larger sample. Retrospective self-reports and online recruitment limit generalization and causal interpretation.
Summary sources Abstract and methodological information from the original publication.
Bibliographic notes Online survey across 35 countries; the rate in this sample is not a representative worldwide estimate.
Daniel Kondziella, Jens P. Dreier, Markus Harboe Olsen · 2019 · PeerJ, 7, e7585 · DOI : 10.7717/peerj.7585
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Development and psychometric validation · 2020
A scale for describing NDEs in greater detail Charlotte Martial, Jessica Simon, Ninon Puttaert et al.
The Near-Death Experience Content (NDE-C) scale: Development and psychometric validation
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance The researchers reassess existing tools and propose a broader measure of NDE content.
Methodology Three studies examine the properties of the Greyson scale, then the reliability and validity of the new tool.
Results The NDE-C scale has 20 questions grouped into five dimensions. It shows good psychometric properties in the samples studied. What we can conclude The tool facilitates comparison of reported experiences. It determines neither their cause nor the external reality of their content.
Summary sources Abstract and methodological information from the original publication.
Bibliographic notes A 20-item psychometric tool that complements the Greyson scale; the score is not an objective verification of perceptions.
Charlotte Martial, Jessica Simon, Ninon Puttaert et al. · 2020 · Consciousness and Cognition, 86, 103049 · DOI : 10.1016/j.concog.2020.103049
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
EEG observation of one clinical case · 2022
Observing brain activity around death Raul Vicente, Michael Rizzuto, Can Sarica et al.
Enhanced Interplay of Neuronal Coherence and Coupling in the Dying Human Brain
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance A continuous recording allows changes in brain activity around cardiac arrest to be studied.
Methodology The researchers analyze the EEG of an 87-year-old patient with a traumatic subdural hematoma and epileptic seizures.
Results The distribution of frequencies and their coupling change around cardiac arrest. Some forms of coordination persist despite the overall decline in activity. What we can conclude This case suggests organized activity during the end-of-life period. No memory is available to link it to an NDE or a life review.
Summary sources Abstract and methodological information from the original publication.
Bibliographic notes A single case with brain injury and epileptic seizures; the patient died, with no NDE account.
Raul Vicente, Michael Rizzuto, Can Sarica et al. · 2022 · Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 14, 813531 · DOI : 10.3389/fnagi.2022.813531
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Consensus statement and recommendations · 2022
Shared definitions to improve comparisons between studies Sam Parnia, Stephen G. Post, Matthew T. Lee et al.
Guidelines and standards for the study of death and recalled experiences of death––a multidisciplinary consensus statement and proposed future directions
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance This group proposes a research framework for memories associated with cardiac arrest and resuscitation.
Methodology The authors review the literature, definitions of death and experiences reported after coma to propose criteria and methodological directions.
Results The text distinguishes several phenomena: transcendent memories, resuscitation-induced consciousness and other resuscitation experiences. It proposes the term “recalled experience of death” and methods for documenting these accounts more systematically. What we can conclude The document helps explain the field’s terms and protocols. Its proposals express this group’s consensus; they do not demonstrate a general explanation of NDEs.
Summary sources Authors’ abstract and cited original sources; verified on 20 October 2026.
Bibliographic notes Consensus statement by a multidisciplinary group and methodological proposals. It is neither a new cohort nor a consensus demonstrating the survival of consciousness after death.
Sam Parnia, Stephen G. Post, Matthew T. Lee et al. · 2022 · Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1511(1), 5–21 · DOI : 10.1111/nyas.14740
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Multicenter prospective study · 2023
AWARE II: connecting accounts with measurements during resuscitation Sam Parnia, Tara Keshavarz Shirazi, Jignesh Patel et al.
AWAreness during REsuscitation - II: A multi-center study of consciousness and awareness in cardiac arrest
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance AWARE II combines survivor interviews, audiovisual tests and brain measurements during resuscitation.
Methodology Across 25 centers, teams study 567 in-hospital cardiac arrests, with EEG and cerebral oxygenation measurements where possible. Of 53 survivors, 28 are interviewed.
Results Eleven of the 28 people report memories or perceptions suggestive of conscious activity; six describe a transcendent experience termed RED. No target image is identified; one person recognizes the auditory stimulus. Organized EEG rhythms reappear in some patients as late as 35–60 minutes into resuscitation. What we can conclude The findings suggest possible cognitive activity during resuscitation. Small numbers and the lack of an established individual correspondence between each account and its EEG limit conclusions about the timing and mechanism of NDEs.
Summary sources Authors’ abstract and cited original sources; verified on 20 October 2026.
Bibliographic notes AWARE II study: 567 in-hospital cardiac arrests, 53 survivors and 28 interviews. The 11 memories/perceptions are not all NDEs: six participants report a transcendent experience termed RED. EEG signals are not a direct recording of the content of the accounts.
Sam Parnia, Tara Keshavarz Shirazi, Jignesh Patel et al. · 2023 · Resuscitation, 191, 109903 · DOI : 10.1016/j.resuscitation.2023.109903
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Prospective human study · 2023
Beyond cardiac arrest: memories of intensive care Anne-Françoise Rousseau, Laurence Dams, Quentin Massart et al.
Incidence of near-death experiences in patients surviving a prolonged critical illness and their long-term impact: a prospective observational study
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance This Belgian cohort studies NDEs in survivors of a stay of more than seven days in intensive care.
Methodology 126 adults are interviewed after discharge from intensive care using the Greyson, dissociation and spirituality scales. Quality of life is reassessed at one year.
Results Nineteen people, or 15%, meet the criteria for an NDE. In the statistical model, dissociation and spirituality are the main associated factors. Among the 61 people followed up at one year, no significant association with quality of life is found. What we can conclude NDEs occur in different contexts of critical illness. The study does not establish their exact timing; its sample size and loss to follow-up limit conclusions about their factors and consequences.
Summary sources Authors’ abstract and cited original sources; verified on 20 October 2026.
Bibliographic notes Single-center prospective study encompassing all causes of prolonged intensive care stays: 126 enrolled, 19 NDEs. One-year follow-up covers 61 patients; this is not a cohort limited to cardiac arrests.
Anne-Françoise Rousseau, Laurence Dams, Quentin Massart et al. · 2023 · Critical Care, 27, 76 · DOI : 10.1186/s13054-023-04348-2
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
EEG observation of four patients · 2023
Surges of activity in some patients at the end of life Gang Xu, Temenuzhka Mihaylova, Duan Li et al.
Surge of neurophysiological coupling and connectivity of gamma oscillations in the dying human brain
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance The study looks in humans for brain phenomena previously observed in animal models.
Methodology EEGs from four comatose patients are analyzed before and after withdrawal of ventilatory support.
Results Two patients show increases in gamma activity, cross-frequency coupling and some functional connections. These changes are not observed in the same way in every patient. What we can conclude These signals are insufficient to infer a conscious experience. As the patients died, no account is available to establish a link with an NDE.
Summary sources Abstract and methodological information from the original publication.
Bibliographic notes Four comatose patients who died after ventilatory support was withdrawn; no NDE accounts available.
Gang Xu, Temenuzhka Mihaylova, Duan Li et al. · 2023 · PNAS, 120(19), e2216268120 · DOI : 10.1073/pnas.2216268120
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Syncope experiment with high-density EEG · 2024
Connecting an NDE-like experience with brain activity Charlotte Martial, Andrea Piarulli, Olivia Gosseries et al.
EEG signature of near-death-like experiences during syncope-induced periods of unresponsiveness
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance This study compares an account collected on awakening with brain signals recorded during syncope.
Methodology 27 volunteers take part; 22 provide usable EEG recordings during periods of unresponsiveness.
Results Eight volunteers report content reaching the Greyson scale threshold. This group shows differences in brain activity, complexity and connectivity. What we can conclude The protocol provides a measurable model of an NDE-like experience. It does not reproduce all the conditions of cardiac arrest.
Summary sources Abstract and methodological information from the original publication.
Bibliographic notes Published in 2024, not 2025. Experimental syncope model in healthy volunteers, distinct from an NDE after cardiac arrest.
Charlotte Martial, Andrea Piarulli, Olivia Gosseries et al. · 2024 · NeuroImage, 298, 120759 · DOI : 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120759
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Scoping review · 2024
Comparing what prospective cohorts can tell us Joshua G. Kovoor, Sanjana Santhosh, Brandon Stretton et al.
Near-death experiences after cardiac arrest: a scoping review
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance This review brings together prospective studies of NDE memories after cardiac arrest.
Methodology The authors search PubMed/MEDLINE for studies up to 23 July 2023 and include eleven studies involving interviews, following PRISMA-ScR recommendations.
Results Methods, definitions and reported frequencies vary widely between studies. Heterogeneity prevents a meta-analysis; only three studies follow up long-term consequences. What we can conclude The review confirms the existence of a clinical body of research and shows its limitations. It does not provide a single reliable frequency for all survivors or settle the origin of NDEs.
Summary sources Authors’ abstract and cited original sources; verified on 20 October 2026.
Bibliographic notes Scoping review following PRISMA-ScR, with the PubMed/MEDLINE search ending on 23 July 2023. Eleven prospective interview studies included; heterogeneity prevents meta-analysis. The published range combines varying definitions and does not give a universal NDE rate.
Joshua G. Kovoor, Sanjana Santhosh, Brandon Stretton et al. · 2024 · Discover Mental Health, 4, 19 · DOI : 10.1007/s44192-024-00072-7
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Retrospective survey with within-person comparison · 2024
Comparing two experiences lived by the same person Charlotte Martial, Robin Carhart-Harris, Christopher Timmermann
Within-subject comparison of near-death and psychedelic experiences: acute and enduring effects
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance The study compares NDEs and psychedelic experiences within the same group of participants.
Methodology 31 adults who reported both types of experience complete several online questionnaires.
Results Many mystical dimensions and lasting effects overlap. NDEs involve more disembodiment; psychedelic experiences involve more visual imagery. What we can conclude The similarities are partial. The small volunteer sample and retrospective memories prevent a shared cause from being inferred.
Summary sources Abstract and methodological information from the original publication.
Bibliographic notes 31 people interviewed retrospectively about two experiences; not a trial directly comparing cardiac arrest with a substance.
Charlotte Martial, Robin Carhart-Harris, Christopher Timmermann · 2024 · Neuroscience of Consciousness, 2024(1), niae033 · DOI : 10.1093/nc/niae033
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Scientific review and proposed model · 2025
An integrated model to test against the data Charlotte Martial, Pauline Fritz, Olivia Gosseries et al.
A neuroscientific model of near-death experiences
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance The authors bring together several neuroscientific and psychological approaches to explaining NDEs.
Methodology The review brings together research on hypoxia, neurotransmitters, the brain at the end of life and altered states of consciousness.
Results The NEPTUNE model proposes a cascade of physiological and psychological processes. It formulates mechanisms and predictions to test; researchers discuss its limitations in correspondence in 2026. What we can conclude This review provides a research framework without demonstrating that all the proposed mechanisms explain every NDE. The correspondence and replies allow readers to follow the debate.
Summary sources Abstract, key points and corrected review record; critical correspondence and reply published in 2026.
Bibliographic notes Review and theoretical NEPTUNE model; correction in June 2025 and critical exchange in February 2026, without a new clinical cohort.
Charlotte Martial, Pauline Fritz, Olivia Gosseries et al. · 2025 · Nature Reviews Neurology, 21, 297–311 · DOI : 10.1038/s41582-025-01072-z
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Exploratory questionnaire survey · 2025
What support do people say they need? Marieta Pehlivanova, Katherine C. McNally, Sabina Funk, Bruce Greyson
Support Needs After a Near-Death Experience: A Quantitative Study With Experiencers
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance This study examines support sought after an NDE and its perceived usefulness.
Methodology 167 people respond to an exploratory survey about their difficulties, help-seeking and the obstacles encountered.
Results 64% say they sought help; 78% consider the support they received useful. A positive response when sharing and some support networks are associated with help being considered more useful. What we can conclude The responses shed light on integration needs. They are not a comparative trial of therapeutic effectiveness; usefulness is self-reported by participants.
Summary sources Summary based on the cited original sources; verified on 20 October 2026.
Bibliographic notes Publication added after verification of the bibliography. The responses shed light on integration needs. They are not a comparative trial of therapeutic effectiveness; usefulness is self-reported by participants.
Marieta Pehlivanova, Katherine C. McNally, Sabina Funk, Bruce Greyson · 2025 · Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice, online publication · DOI : 10.1037/cns0000439
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Cross-sectional human study · 2026
NDEs and personal changes after intensive care for COVID-19 Amaury C. Mengin, Julie Rolling, Walid Oulehri et al.
Factors associated with post-traumatic growth in severe COVID-19 patients discharged from intensive care: the influence of near-death experiences
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance This study explores links between NDEs, memories and personal changes after severe COVID-19.
Methodology 59 survivors are assessed three months after their intensive care stay through a psychiatric interview and questionnaires on NDEs, traumatic symptoms and post-traumatic growth.
Results Twelve participants, or 20.3%, meet the criteria for an NDE. An NDE is associated with greater post-traumatic growth; intense memories and more traumatic symptoms are also associated with this growth. What we can conclude The study suggests considering the meaning given to memories during follow-up. Its small selected sample and observation at a single time point do not establish that NDEs cause these changes.
Summary sources Authors’ abstract and cited original sources; verified on 20 October 2026.
Bibliographic notes Single-center cross-sectional study published on 5 June 2026, involving 59 survivors of intensive care for COVID-19 assessed three months after their 2020 hospitalization. The association between NDEs and post-traumatic growth does not establish causation.
Amaury C. Mengin, Julie Rolling, Walid Oulehri et al. · 2026 · Scientific Reports, 16, 25655 · DOI : 10.1038/s41598-026-55687-3
UNDERSTANDING THE RESEARCH ×
Scoping review · 2026
What intensive care research still struggles to measure Kailai Gu, Jingying Huang, Jin Yang et al.
Near-Death Experiences in Adult ICU Patients: A Scoping Review
Explore the study ↗ (new tab) At a glance This review examines NDE experiences, associated factors, measurement tools and consequences in adults in intensive care.
Methodology The literature search covers English- and Chinese-language publications up to 17 April 2026. Seven studies are included: five prospective cohorts, one qualitative study and one mixed-methods study.
Results The studies describe multidimensional experiences and often lasting memories. Psychological effects and attitudes toward death remain variable; the authors emphasize limitations of the tools and a lack of robust studies. What we can conclude This recent mapping helps guide support and research. The small number of studies and their differences prevent a general cause or uniform psychological effect from being inferred.
Summary sources Authors’ abstract and cited original sources; verified on 20 October 2026.
Bibliographic notes Scoping review published on 16 June 2026, with a literature search up to 17 April 2026. Seven studies included; the approximation of 15% cited in the introduction is not a new pooled estimate.
Kailai Gu, Jingying Huang, Jin Yang et al. · 2026 · Nursing in Critical Care, 31(4), e70532 · DOI : 10.1111/nicc.70532
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