Also called NDEs, this is potentially the largest area of study in parapsychology. These are the accounts and experiences from people who have recovered from coming close to death or have been clinically dead. As many who have a near death experience are unwilling to describe or relate them due to their odd and supernatural nature, those who do tell them, tell them honestly. Initially thought to be quite infrequent, it is now thought that one in three people who come close to death’s door experience them.
NDEs were first brought to awareness by Raymond Moody in 1975 when his first book was published, Life after Life. In this, he collaborated 150 NDE cases and separated out from these 15 key features that seemed to be recurrent. No feature is always present however, the maximum amount in an experience never went above 12 and there did not appear to be any fixed order. Because of this, no central or defining feature can be put forward. These features are as follows, taken from Moody’s (1975, cited in Roberts and Groome, 2001) Life after Life.
- The inherent ineffability of the experience: People find it difficult to put into words what has happened to them.
- Overhearing the new of their own death: Often some clear statement that others believe them to have died, which may come as a surprise to them.
- Feelings of peace and quiet: In some cases euhoria, these feelings can be in stark contrast to the intense pain that is experienced immediately prior to the NDE.
- The noise: Often a rather unpleasant buzzing or rushing sound.
- The dark tunnel: More a sensation of being pulled rapidly through a dark space than a vision of an actual tunnel.
- Out of the body: A sense of being outside one's body and looking down at it.
- Meeting others: Awareness of others, perhaps (but not always) deceased relatives.
- The being of light: A light that is typically dim initially but which becomes intensely bright and enveloping.
- The review: A panoramic view of one's major life events.
- The border of limit: A 'point of no return' at which one must 'decide' whether to return to their body.
- Coming back: A sense of making the desicion to return
- Telling others: Reticence about describing the experience to others due to fear of appearing insane.
- Effects on lives: Sublte but profound changes in views on life and other people.
- New views on death: Reduced fear of death, but also greater valuing of life
- Corroboration: Independent confirmation of elements of the NDE by others
These elements may seem today as quite stereotypical, as they can appear quite often the in the media. However, when Moody first released his book, the concepts were new and unexpected. As such, the content of his book weren’t even to be thought of as a scientific study, just amassed accounts of NDEs.
Because of this, a more systematic and scientific approach was taken by Kennet Ring (1980), who devised five stages of near death experiences. More often than not, these occurred in an apparent order and the stages that are listed earlier are documented as being more frequent than the later ones. This is not paramount however, as there will always be exceptions.
Ring’s (1980) 5 Stages of Near Death Experiences
1. Feelings of deep peace and well-being
This is the most common stage, with a 60% report rate. It is classified by feelings of bliss and peace, together with a complete lack of pain and fear. In some cases, these sensations have hints of isolation and sadness.
2. A sense of separation from the body
This is the next most common stage, with a report rate of 37%. It’s where the individual could see their body during their NDE, sometimes including any people around them at the time (medical staff for example). There have been varied reported emotions in reaction to such a thing happening, ranging from a desire to return (sometimes frantic) to complete indifference.
3. Entering darkness/passing through a tunnel
The stereotypical NDE view of moving down a dark tunnel towards piercing light sums up this stage. However, more often than not it isn’t a tunnel, but rather just a dark expanse. It has a report rate of around 25%, and the sensation has been described to happen both before and after the body separation experience.
4. Seeing the light
With a 16% report rate, this has links to the 3rd stage. As the individual moves down or through the dark area, they will realise there is a point a light and that’s the direction they are going. This light is generally piercingly bright, but does not blind the individual (as contradictory as that may seem). This stage can be, and often is associated with religion or a religious figure. At this stage, some individuals also report a life review, like ‘The Review’ feature from Moody’s list.
5. Entering the light/beautiful garden
The final and least commonly reported stage (around 10%); it has the prerequisite of stage 4. It is where if somebody enters the light, and finds
themselves somewhere completely different, usually a place of immense and celestial beauty. The exact place does vary from case to case however. In many cases there is a line or border, which is a point of no return and if crossed, it is crossed permanently. It is at this point most individuals make the return journey, though they generally don’t remember this journey.
In conclusion, it is clear that there is a large variety of features in what happens during a near death experience. Even when brought together though, no viable scientific explanations can be produced. Because of this, there isn’t a complete definition of what a near death experience actually is. However, despite this, it can be said that NDEs do exist and are a potent area of human experience, something that is worth the attention and further study.