A pleasurable near-death experience, or NDE, is one that’s pleasant, peaceful, and affirming. It’s the most common type of near-death experience, and it’s the opposite of a distressing near-death experience, which is categorized as being scary, hostile, and threatening.
A pleasurable near-death experience can have dramatic aftereffects. It can change a person’s beliefs, priorities, attitudes, or entire worldview. And these changes can last years, decades, or even indefinitely.
The majority of near-death experiences are pleasurable—pleasurable NDEs make up approximately 78 to 89 percent of reported near-death experiences. As such, the more generic term “near-death experience” is often used colloquially to refer to a pleasurable near-death experience, rather than a distressing one.
The five common elements of a pleasurable near-death experience
No two near-death experiences are exactly alike, but they do often share common elements that can occur in no particular order. Some pleasurable NDEs might exclude certain elements, too. Each near-death experience is unique to the person having it, so you shouldn’t assume this is a definitive sequential list.
Peace, love, and clarity are vital to a pleasurable near-death experience
Pleasurable near-death experiences are distinct from distressing NDEs in large part due to the overwhelming sense of peace and unconditional love felt by the experiencer. And it’s an important element of any pleasurable near-death experience as a result.
It’s also important to mention the clarity experiencers have during their NDEs. Unlike hallucinations, a distressing or pleasurable near-death experience is perceived as extremely real. In fact, some experiencers have gone so far as to describe their NDE as being “more real than real.”
The out-of-body experience
Out-of-body experiences are ones where a person feels they’re able to observe the world around them from outside of their own physical body. They might feel a sense that they’re sitting or standing beside themselves, or floating above themselves. They have a sense that their consciousness is somehow detached from their physical self.
Some out-of-body experiences also include reports of veridical perceptions, where someone can see or hear things they shouldn’t be able to perceive. For instance, someone might overhear doctors and nurses talking during a surgery while unconscious, or witness a conversation happening in another room.
We don’t know exactly how often out-of-body experiences occur during NDEs—one study suggests they’re present in about 45 percent of NDEs, while others suggest they’re much more prevalent. In any case, it’s safe to classify out-of-body experiences as a common element.
The light and the tunnel
Pleasurable near-death experiences often include a sense that the experiencer is rapidly moving toward a light. They may or may not feel like they’re in a tunnel, and that tunnel itself might be made of light, or it might be dark. There are a lot of variables here!
We’ve all heard this referenced in pop culture. Movies or TV shows where one character tells another to “go toward the light,” or depictions of the afterlife where a character is traveling through such a tunnel. Of course, to a person having a near-death experience, these tunnels and lights aren’t a plot device. To them, they’re real.
The encounter(s)
Another common (but not always guaranteed) element of a pleasurable near-death experience involves the experiencer encountering one or more people or beings. Many experiencers have an opportunity to engage with those people or beings, too.
Who these beings are can vary wildly. Some experiencers report being reunited with deceased relatives or friends. Others report being reunited with pets.
There are also events known as Peak in Darien experiences, where someone meets with a person whose death was unknown to them at the time of their NDE, or even who the experiencer didn’t know existed to begin with. For instance, a family member they’d never heard of, or even a perfect stranger. After their NDE, the experiencer may learn that this person was real.
Some NDEs involve encounters with figures the experiencer interprets as religious, spiritual, or otherwise nonhuman.
The life review
Anywhere from 14 to 30 percent of NDEs also include what is commonly referred to as a life review. The experiencer sees a replay of their life in an instant, often accompanied by the feelings other people had during those moments.
Like the light at the end of the tunnel, life reviews are commonly referred to in pop culture and everyday conversation as well. You’ve probably heard someone say “I saw my life flash before my eyes,” or perhaps you’ve seen a movie or TV show where someone sees a montage of all their life’s memories.
The aftereffects of a pleasurable near-death experience
Pleasurable near-death experiences typically involve profound sensations of peace and unconditional love, which then carry over after the event. The experiencer’s worldviews can change instantly. So too does their understanding of death itself—they often no longer fear death, believing they’ve now seen what comes after.
Of course, not all aftereffects are positive. Many experiencers find it difficult to communicate with others about their NDEs. They have a difficult time integrating their experience into their daily lives. And their sudden shifts in views and the urgency of those changes can cause strains in their personal relationships with family, friends, and significant others.
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If you’re looking for information about near-death experiences, you’ve definitely come to the right place!
We suggest browsing our IANDS Glossary and IANDS Q&A entries, where you’ll find definitions for the terminology of near-death studies and frequently asked questions regarding near-death experiences. You might find the following entries particularly informative:
- IANDS Glossary:
- IANDS Q&A:
