Join IANDS June 1st through June 7th 2026 for our first-ever Near-Death Experience Week, where we’ll focus on introducing the concept of near-death experiences —NDEs — to as much of the general public as we can!
When you hear the phrase near-death experience, what do you think it means?
Most of us probably think of a close brush with death. An emergency scenario where quick thinking or direct action prevents someone from losing their life. You’re near death, and it’s quite the experience, so that’s a near-death experience, right? Well, being close to death is certainly a part of it. But there’s more to a near-death experience, or “NDE”, than that.
Some of us already have a stronger inkling as to what a near-death experience is. Stop me when this sounds familiar: someone is perilously close to death, and they suddenly see a bright tunnel of light, and they encountered a deceased family member or some other figure who tells them something important before returning to the mortal realm.
You may have heard stories like this in the past, as they’ve been heavily referenced in pop culture. Popular medical TV shows like E.R., Chicago Hope, Scrubs, Saving Hope, House, New Amsterdam, and Grey’s Anatomy have touched on the subject. So have non-medical TV shows like The Sopranos, The OA, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural, and countless others. Even comedy shows like The Simpsons, Family Guy, and South Park have paid a visit to, or parodied, near-death experiences.
Now for the part most of you probably haven’t heard: Near-death experiences really do happen to people, and they’re more common than you probably realize. The out-of-body experiences, the tunnels of light, all of it — it’s all a very real phenomenon. Millions of people throughout history have witnessed near-death experiences first-hand. But unless you experience one yourself or you know someone who does, you may never find out just how real an NDE really is.
Introducing Near-Death Experience Week
The International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS) is an educational non-profit working to educate the general public about NDEs, to help experiencers find the support they need, and to engage in scientific research to help us better understand NDEs. And Near-Death Experience Week is focused predominantly on advancing our goals in those first two categories.
Near-Death Experience Week is all about helping more people learn about NDEs. We hope to help experiencers learn more about what they’ve encountered. To help loved ones provide experiencers with better support. To direct healthcare workers toward useful information that might help them better understand, appreciate, and serve their patients. It’s a week of learning, exposing people to new ideas, and helping people not only find support, but grow their potential for support moving forward.
Near-Death Experiences 101
So what exactly is a near-death experience? We have a lot of resources to peruse on this subject, which we’ll share with you soon. But for now, let’s walk you through the basics.
A near-death experience (or “NDE”) is an experience during which a person comes perilously close to death, or may have been dead for a brief time. During this time, the person having the experience will often see a tunnel of light. They’ll meet with deceased loved ones, religious figures, or others. They might be given messages, or be given a choice as to whether they wish to return to the mortal world or not. Some people also have out-of-body experiences or experience other related phenomena during their NDE.
But an NDE isn’t simply defined by the medical event itself. After having a near-death experience, most people find themselves fundamentally and permanently changed by it. They tend to drastically change their views, more readily engage in acts of service to others, and many find themselves more involved in religious or spiritual activities as well.
NDEs are sensational, and so too are the changes experiencers undergo in their wake. And that means experiencers can have a very difficult time acclimating to regular life and communicating with others about their experiences. They’re often misunderstood, written off, or worse — accused of having breakdowns or mental health issues. But science has confirmed that yes, NDEs really are happening. We just don’t understand what they are or what causes them. And we haven’t yet encountered a scientific explanation for this phenomenon that can’t be dismissed by other scientific and medical evidence.
Free Events and New Information for Near-Death Experience Week 2026
Near-Death Experience Week 2026 is the first event of its kind. From June 1st through June 7th, IANDS will be sharing new IANDS Q&A and IANDS glossary entries, and we have two free special events that week that you won’t want to miss!
On Tuesday, June 2nd at 7 PM EDT, IANDS will host a panel discussion with two inspiring experiencers: Vinney Todd Tolman and IANDS President Evan Mecham. The event will be moderated by IANDS Executive Director Janet Riley. Please click here to register for this free event.
Then, on Saturday, June 6th at 3 PM EDT, IANDS Afterlife Revealed podcast host Dani Foffa will moderate a discussion “What Academic Research and Personal Stories Tell Us About Near Death Experiences”. Featured guests will include Dying to be Me author Anita Moorjani and University of Virginia School of Medicine Division of Perceptual Studies Research Assistant Professor for Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences Marieta Pehlivanova, Ph.D. Click here to register for this free event.
Be sure to visit IANDS on May 28th as well, when we’ll be putting out a national press release on a new study from IANDS and Centiment in which we’ve surveyed 2,100 Americans about near-death experiences and their views on death and the afterlife. We’ll be integrating this study’s findings into our content and sharing the results here on IANDS.org, and you won’t want to miss it!
Your Near-Death Experience Week Educational Crash Course
To celebrate Near-Death Experience Week with us, we’d like to invite you to read through some of the many articles published by IANDS on NDEs and related experiences. Below we’re sharing a plethora of valuable free resources, and we encourage you to also explore all of our Learn, Support, Explore, and Research content as well. If you can’t find something in particular, please contact us and let us know what you’re looking for. We’re here to help!
For NDE Newcomers
If you’re new to the concept of near-death experiences, we recommend starting with these informative articles:
- What is a near-death experience or ‘NDE’?
- What causes near-death experiences, and who has them?
- How common are near-death experiences?
- The characteristics of a near-death experience
We also recommend taking a moment to read through our IANDS Q&A articles, which aim to answer commonly-asked questions sent to IANDS or searched for on the Internet. And if and when you encounter scientific terminology you don’t understand, we encourage you to see if it’s defined in our IANDS Glossary for Near-Death Studies, which also shares valuable links to more information. You won’t want to miss out on Vital Signs Magazine, either. It’s a free digital magazine published by IANDS featuring fascinating stories about NDEs, experiencers, and the tireless efforts of researchers studying this important and still-emerging field of scientific study.
Here are a few IANDS Q&A entries to help get you started:
- What is a near-death experience like?
- Can anyone have a near-death experience? Are certain people more or less prone?
- Can a near-death experience change your life?
- Are near-death experiences just hallucinations?
- Are pets seen in near-death experiences?
Ready for a Deeper Dive?
Looking for even more information? You should take a gander at our extensive recommended reading list showcasing our favorites amongst the countless books published on the subjects of near-death experiences and related phenomena. If you’re a documentary buff, you should also take a look at our list of recommended films and series, too.
If you’re hoping to dig even deeper, we suggest checking out our IANDS fact sheets. And you’ll also find whole tomes of valuable scientific knowledge contained within the past issues of the Journal of Near-Death Studies.
Thank you for taking part in Near-Death Experience Week with IANDS! And if you find all of this information useful, we hope we’ll get to see you at IANDS Conference 2026. You can also support our educational non-profit organization and our mission by making a tax-deductible donation, by joining IANDS, or even by simply sharing any of our articles with others. We appreciate every contribution, big and small, and so do the experiencers, families, researchers, and healthcare professionals we serve!