By Chase Skylar DeMayo | Editorial update: September 21, 2026

A near-death experience, or NDE, is a vivid experience often reported around a life-threatening event. Reports can include a sense of leaving the body, unusual clarity, profound peace, or encounters with deceased loved ones. Experiences vary, and some are frightening. Researchers study these reports; their causes and implications remain open questions. University of Virginia overview.

This guide offers a place to begin, whether you are curious, trying to understand your own experience, or supporting someone you love. You can explore the evidence while making room for questions that do not yet have a settled answer.

People describe experiences such as viewing their body from another perspective, moving through darkness or toward light, feeling unusual love or peace, and revisiting significant moments in their lives. Some describe encounters with people who have died or figures they understand as spiritual. The University of Virginia lists these as reported features, while emphasizing that individual accounts differ. Read the reported features.

No single story is a template everyone must match. If you are describing an experience, it is enough to begin with what you remember, including uncertainty. You do not have to fill in missing details or borrow someone else's language.

Researchers have interviewed people after resuscitation and followed some over time. In a 2001 study across ten Dutch hospitals, 62 of 344 cardiac arrest survivors reported an NDE. That 18% describes this study's participants; it is not a universal rate for everyone who comes close to death. Definitions, medical circumstances, and the people able to participate affect findings. Van Lommel and colleagues, 2001.

The 2023 AWARE II study combined brain monitoring during CPR with later survivor interviews. Of 567 in-hospital cardiac arrests, 53 people survived and 28 completed interviews; some reported memories or perceptions. Nobody identified the study's visual image, and one participant identified an auditory stimulus. Low survival and the small interview group limit interpretation. Parnia and colleagues, AWARE II.

These findings support continued investigation. They do not establish that consciousness survives irreversible death or prove a particular religious explanation. A sincere, vivid account and a scientific explanation are different kinds of evidence. Our research and resources page offers further reading.

Yes. Published accounts include fear, isolation, a sense of emptiness, and threatening imagery. Greyson and Bush described distressing experiences that differ from the familiar peaceful accounts, with potentially lasting emotional effects. Their paper documents these experiences; it does not establish how often they occur in the general population. Greyson and Bush, 1992.

If your experience was frightening, you deserve to be heard with care. You do not have to present it as a gift, agree with someone else's interpretation, or discuss it before you feel ready. This site welcomes difficult experiences as part of the conversation.

Some people report a changed relationship with death, renewed appreciation for life, or different values and spiritual interests. Adjusting can also involve confusion or strain in relationships. A 2025 study of support needs describes both meaningful changes and challenges when an experience conflicts with a person's earlier worldview. These are reported patterns, not promises about anyone's recovery. Pehlivanova and colleagues, 2025.

Integration means finding a way to live with the experience in everyday life. There is room to reflect, take your time with decisions, and ask for help. Our healing and integration page explores that ongoing process.

A trusted listener can be a starting point. The 2025 support study found that validation was associated with participants finding support helpful. Because it was an exploratory, retrospective study, it cannot establish which therapy works best. Read the study and its limitations.

The International Association for Near-Death Studies offers education and connections to support groups. Peer conversation can accompany care from a qualified professional. If distress, sleep difficulties, or changes in daily functioning persist, speak with a licensed healthcare or mental health professional.

For immediate emotional support in the United States, call or text 988. For a medical emergency or immediate danger, call emergency services. This website's contact form is not a crisis service.

People can explore spiritual meaning while staying curious about research. My own experience followed cardiac arrest on April 1, 2008, when I was 20 and serving in the U.S. Air Force. In my near-death experience account, I describe an encounter with Jesus and what it means to me.

That is my personal testimony, offered with respect for people whose experiences or beliefs differ. It does not establish what everyone experiences near death. You are welcome here with faith, doubt, or an unfinished understanding.

My Air Force background shapes the perspective I bring to these conversations. The military near-death experience guide explores questions relevant to service members, veterans, and their families. This general guide is a starting point for readers from any background.

I share lived experience and educational resources; I am not a medical doctor or licensed mental health provider. For speaking inquiries or general questions about my story, you can contact me.