What Near-Death Experiences Reveal About Life

What if death itself is not the end we have thought and assumed? What if who we are—our very consciousness and selfhood—is not annihilated with death?

Those are two of the thought-provoking questions posed by Sam Parnia, MD, in the book Lucid Dying: The New Science Revolutionizing How We Understand Life and Death. Parnia, a professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, is not just spitballing here. His observations are based on the largest research study ever conducted on near-death experiences (NDEs). And Parnia has come to a startling conclusion:

Death is not the end of our lives, just the transition to a new chapter.

Parnia points out that with the advent of modern ventilators and life-support systems, there has been a significant increase in those reporting NDEs in recent years. That’s because critically ill people can now be prevented from “deteriorating to a point where their hearts would stop and they would die.”

As a result, many people who had been rendered unconscious due to serious illnesses or injuries are being resuscitated. Previously they might have died, but now they survive. This has led to a significant rise in the number of individuals having near-death experiences.

Although most people near death do not retain any memories, about one in eight do. These one in eight have some fascinating stories to tell about their near-death experiences. And amazingly, all have similar stories to tell, regardless of their country of origin, their religion, or their station in life.

10 Things People Experience During an NDE

From the perspective of the person who is going through a near death experience, there is a sense of a continuation of consciousness. One moment, you’re alive and aware inside your body. The next moment, you still feel alive and aware—but you’re outside your body.

The out-of-body sensation is just one of the common elements reported. What follows are ten key observations that come up again and again in those who report NDEs. Much of the language below is pulled directly from Parnia with some light editing. Verbatim testimonials are in italics and quotes.

1. You perceive yourself separating from the body. The release from the body feels liberating. And even though you are outside of your body, you maintain full awareness, seeing and hearing what’s happening around you. “I looked at my body and knew it wasn’t the real me, it was the thing I had been caught inside, and now I was free!”
2. You observe your body and events from above. You find you can float about the room just by thinking and willing it. You might see doctors frantically working to revive you, but you feel no pain or worry. Instead, you feel an overwhelming sense of peace and tranquility.
3. Your thoughts are sharper than usual. You experience a vast expansion of your consciousness. You feel more aware and alert than in normal life. “Instantly my head was flooded with knowledge…I couldn’t believe how clear my thoughts were.”
4. You shed the sense of having a body. Separating from the body “is like taking off your coat.” Even though you realize you have died and left your body behind, you realize you still exist and feel more alive than ever.
5. You travel through a tunnel of sorts. You feel yourself moving, often at a fast speed, toward someplace new. Many describe entering a tunnel and having a sense they were going home. One person explains, “I was on the way home to where I belong and where I came from.”
6. You encounter a warm, loving light or being. You feel drawn to a radiant and comforting light. It is a very powerful and irresistible force. The “light” belongs to a loving entity, sometimes in human form, that exudes kindness, goodness, compassion, and understanding.
7. You undergo a life review. You revisit scenes from your life. In the life review, all your actions, intentions, and thoughts toward others, both big and small, are judged. Many report you judge yourself. “With no ego left and no lies, you can’t hide from what you have done.”

You may feel immense joy, but also sadness or remorse. You feel and experience what others had experienced during interactions with you and may switch places with those you hurt and feel their pain. You find yourself reliving each event based on whether you applied the principles of humanity, morality and ethics. Selfless actions, which are often not deemed important in modern society, appear very valuable in death.

You come to realize there had been a higher overall purpose to your life, which revolves around higher human ethical and moral qualities. “The purpose of the review is not for punishment, but for growth through understanding the ramifications of your actions.”

8. You go to a place that feels like “home.” Overwhelmingly, survivors talk about not wanting to return, about wanting to stay where they are. It feels like somewhere you belong, a place you have been to before and returned to. “I did not want to return to where I was.”
9. You see deceased friends or relatives. They often appear in a form that you had known them in during the prime of their lives. They greet and welcome you and bring you comfort. These meetings are not dreamlike, they feel even more real than experiences on earth.
10. You decide whether you want to return to the body. It is a difficult decision, as the place you’re now in has an overwhelming sense of peace, love, and kindness. But you may discover there are still things you need to complete in your life, a greater purpose or endeavor you need to accomplish. “I had to improve as a human being.”

Some people choose to return for the sake of their family—even if they felt a disconnection from their loved ones before the near-death experience. Others sense they are being asked to go back. “Somehow it was conveyed to me that it was not my time yet, and I had to return.”

After Being Near Death, You Return to Life. Only Things are Different.

For virtually everyone who returns to earth post-NDE, the experience has a transformative effect. You return determined to be a better person, with the need to do more and be more loving. If you’re like most people, you’ll find:

• You are now less materialistic and seek greater meaning and purpose in life beyond material and social measures of success. Wealth, status, and power, are no longer that important.
• You realize even the smallest moments of kindness, sacrifice, and selflessness are genuinely valuable. The values of society become irrelevant.
• You move through life with a newfound awareness of the need to be compassionate to others and to make better choices in your own life. You may have been “good” prior to your NDE. Now you pledge to be even better.

One important takeaway from reading Lucid Dying: You don’t have to go through a near-death experience to learn the lessons that are taught. You can bring the wisdom of what others have learned to your own life today. No NDE required.