A new near-death experience poll, conducted by IANDS and Centiment, offers fascinating new data regarding near-death experiences (“NDEs”). And the results make one thing abundantly clear: NDEs are a lot more common than many people realize.
The IANDS near-death experience poll was conducted by Centiment in March 2026 and drew 2,100 responses.
“This remarkable data tells us three important things: NDEs may be more common than we realized; people who have NDEs or hear about them are positively impacted, and the majority of Americans believe evidence exists to support the phenomena.
“The survey also makes clear the importance of normalizing conversations about life, death and what comes after. Those who have had NDEs or who research them may be some of the best teachers.”
– IANDS Executive Director Janet Riley
Near-Death Experience Poll Reveals More Americans Have Had NDEs than Previously Believed
Arguably the biggest surprise from the IANDS/Centiment poll is that 23 percent of American adults say they’ve had a near-death experience, while 35 percent say they know someone who has had an NDE.
In polling, the framing of questions matters significantly. The IANDS near-death experience poll specifically describes a near-death experience as one where the subject “transitioned to another realm and then returned to human existence.” This context matters when you consider the results of earlier NDE surveys, which don’t always frame NDEs this specifically.
The most famous NDE poll—Gallup’s landmark NDE survey—was conducted between 1980 and 1981 and sampled 1,500 Americans. That poll, conducted by George Gallup Jr. himself, framed this question differently. They asked “Have you, yourself, ever been on the verge of death or had a ‘close call’ which involved any unusual experiences at that time?” To that question, 15 percent of respondents answered “yes”, while 5 percent reported experiencing “unusual” phenomena.
Near-Death Experience Poll Offers Stunning New Insights Into NDEs
Of those respondents who said they’ve had a near-death experience:
- 51 percent said the experience gave them a deeper appreciation for life
- 36 percent said they feel more connected to the spiritual realm
- 31 percent said the experience changed their life priorities
- 30 percent said they have less fear of death
- 30 percent said they are more empathetic toward others
- 26 percent said they are more generous and socially minded
Of the respondents who said they knew someone who’d experienced an NDE, 44 percent said that hearing about those experiences increased their curiosity about the afterlife, while 40 percent said it deepened their belief in an afterlife.
Many Who Haven’t Had NDEs Believe There’s Evidence Supporting Them
Of those respondents who said they did not have an NDE, 27.3 percent said there’s strong evidence for near-death experiences, while 31.3 percent said there’s some good evidence for them. Meanwhile, 15 percent said there was limited evidence, and 24 percent said there was insufficient evidence.
A staggering 77.8 percent—four out five respondents—said there is either major value (41.1 percent) or some value (36.7 percent) in studying near-death experiences.
The IANDS/Centiment near-death experience poll explored the concepts of death and the afterlife more broadly as well:
- One in four respondents (25 percent) said the idea of dying scared them “a little”, while 14.8 percent said the idea of dying scared them “a great deal.”
- When asked if they feel confident they’ll be in a better place when they die, 31 said yes, while 6.2 percent said they were worried they’d be in a worse place.
- 25 percent said they had made peace with death.
Please Join IANDS for Near-Death Experience Week (June 1-7)
This June 1 through June 7, IANDS is launching the world’s first Near-Death Experience Week, where our aim is to introduce as many new people to the concept of NDEs as possible. Please join us for:
- A free panel discussion with two inspiring experiencers, Vinney Todd Tolman and IANDS President Evan Mecham, on Tuesday, June 2nd at 8 PM EDT
- A special discussion hosted by IANDS Afterlife Revealed host Dani Foffa on Saturday, June 6th at 3 PM EDT (Click here to register for this free event)
- New IANDS Q&A and IANDS glossary entries. These resources are specifically designed to introduce newcomers to the many concepts of near-death experiences and to provide in-depth answers to many common questions regarding NDEs and related phenomena.
If you or someone you know has had a near-death experience, please visit our support section for useful information, and feel free to contact IANDS if you need help or if you have any questions.
