What happens during a near-death experience (NDE)? That’s actually two questions rolled into one. And the answers to each are equally fascinating, too. So in our very first IANDS Q&A story, we’re going to briefly look at both of these questions:
- What happens during a near-death experience in terms of the experience itself? What is the experience like? And what does someone witness during an NDE?
- What happens during a near-death experience with regards to a person’s physical being? Do we know what’s happening in the brain or body during an NDE? Are they caused by something happening to a person physically, or is an NDE something else?
These are big questions, so let’s dive straight in and answer each of them separately.
What happens during a near-death experience? What’s it like?
No two NDEs are identical, but they do typically share a number of defining features. And those features are extremely vivid and detailed, too. It’s often said that an NDE is “More real than real”—many say their NDE felt more real to them than everyday life.
People often experience intense emotions during their NDE, and the tone of those emotions defines whether it’s classified as a pleasurable or distressing NDE. In a pleasurable NDE, a person experiences profound peace and wellbeing. But during a distressing NDE, they might face extreme horror, fear, or loss.
Some of the other common features that happen during a near-death experience include:
- An “out of body” experience. Some have described standing outside of their own bodies, watching efforts to resuscitate them, watching their own surgeries, etc. Some have even accurately reported events and conversations that took place near them when they shouldn’t have been physically capable of witnessing or hearing these things.
- Moving through darkness toward a “light”. People describe moving quickly through dark space toward a light source they often can’t quite describe.
- Encountering people or beings. It’s common for people to say they had conversations with deceased family or friends, or spent time with deceased pets. Some even say they’ve met other, unknown beings or religious figures. This can be heartwarming or terrifying, depending on what sort of NDE the person is having.
- A “life review”, during which a person relives past actions and feels the emotional impact of those events on others.
What happens during a near-death experience physically?
Near-death experiences are brought on by serious and oftentimes life-threatening situations where a person is either very close to death, or is clinically dead for some amount of time. These might involve accidents, surgeries, combat scenarios, or other dangerous situations. And some research suggests people suffering cardiac arrest may be more likely to have an NDE.
Some people also have what researchers refer to as “near-death-like experiences” where a person may not be danger of dying, but experience something similar or even identical to an NDE. For instance, people have had these “NDLEs” during extreme physical exertion, deep meditation, and in moments of grief.
But what happens during a near-death experience physically? What’s happening in the brain or elsewhere in a person’s physical body? The answer may be a little underwhelming here—we genuinely do not know. Not yet, anyway.
Science simply doesn’t yet understand what causes NDEs or what’s happening in the brain during one. There have been numerous theories posited through the years, of course. For instance, some believe it stems from hypoxia (a lack of oxygen), or drugs from anesthetics, or neurochemical releases. But there is substantial evidence discrediting each of these ideas out of hand.
Read more: What Causes Near-Death Experiences and Who Has Them?
Help IANDS find the answers
While we don’t yet fully understand what happens during a near-death experience, we can say the field of near-death studies has been advancing steadily for more than 40 years. And at IANDS, we’re confident we’ll one day know what causes NDEs and what they truly mean.
Interested in learning more? Exploring the IANDS site will lead you to invaluable information regarding near-death experiences and the rapidly growing field of near-death studies. You can learn about near-death experiences, read useful information on NDE support, and dive into fascinating research.
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