Many near-death experiences (NDEs) are described as peaceful, pleasurable ones. They’re filled with light, love, peace, and reunions with loved ones. But not all NDEs are positive experiences. Some NDEs involve fear, powerlessness, isolation, despair, threatening encounters or environments, or an overwhelming feeling of being negatively judged. So let’s learn more about pleasurable and distressing near-death experiences.
NDEs are usually (but not always) classified in one of two ways: The pleasurable NDE, and the less common distressing NDE. Though it’s important to also understand that some NDEs are emotionally neutral. And other “hybrid NDEs” might consist of both pleasurable and distressing NDE features.
Pleasurable and distressing near-death experiences
Pleasurable and distressing near-death experiences are the two most common forms of reported NDEs. And that word — reported — matters quite a bit here. Not everyone who has an NDE reports it or provides researchers with information about the experience. And it’s also worth noting that these terms, pleasurable and distressing, don’t necessarily describe the features of the NDE, so much as the experiencer’s emotional response to them.
Pleasurable NDEs
Pleasurable near-death experiences are typically characterized as including positive emotions — senses of peace, joy, acceptance, wonder, and unity.
Experiencers may report feeling somehow detached from their physical bodies, sometimes with the ability to observe their surroundings from another perspective. They often move through either darkness toward a light, or sometimes through a tunnel of light. They encounter a brilliant light or find themselves in an otherworldly environment. They meet with deceased loved ones or other beings, and witness or participate in a life review, where they review events from their lives, and where they might sense or feel the emotions of others involved in those memories.
Some experiencers report communication that seems to occur without speaking with others. And some experiencers report gaining profound knowledge or understanding from their NDE that may also be difficult to fully remember or articulate afterward.
These common NDE features can appear in any order, and some pleasurable NDEs might exclude one or more of these features. Researchers studying these sequences have found considerable variation — some sequences appear more often than others, but there’s no single progression that adequately describes all near-death experiences. The only hard rule NDEs seem to consistently follow is that no two NDEs can be truly identical.
Distressing NDEs
We should also point out that these features may not be interpreted as “pleasurable” for some experiencers. Seeing yourself separated from your own body, traveling through darkness toward a light, encountering people you know to be dead and conversing with them … that can be rather terrifying for some people. These distressing NDEs with negative interpretations of what are otherwise considered pleasurable features are referred to as inverse NDEs.
There are also void NDEs, where the experiencer is overwhelmed with sensations of emptiness, isolation, and being trapped in blackness or space. And hellish NDEs, which often involve scenes of horror, torture, pain, and violence.
There’s a common misconception that distressing NDEs only happen to “bad” people; that they’re “deserved” as retribution for past behaviors, attitudes, or deeds. But as far as researchers can tell, an NDE’s features or a person’s reception of them isn’t dictated by the experiencer’s morals, beliefs, spirituality, gender, sexual orientation, or any perceptions they or others have regarding their guilt or ethicality. You can be a “good” person and have a distressing NDE, or a “bad” person and have a pleasurable NDE. Pleasurable NDEs are not the end result of a person having “earned” them, nor should distressing NDEs be treated as a verdict on the experiencer’s life, worth, or spiritual condition.
Neutral NDEs and Hybrid NDEs
Pleasurable and distressing near-death experiences are the most common forms of NDE, but they’re not the only forms.
Occasionally, some NDEs might not be pleasurable or distressing. A neutral NDE is one where the experiencer doesn’t have a particularly strong emotional reaction. There’s no pleasurable sense of overwhelming joy or love, and no distressing sense of terror or pain. Neutral NDEs feel incredibly real, but the experiencer may or may not go through the same evolutions of thought or see tremendous changes to their personality or their worldview.
Hybrid NDEs include a blend of pleasurable and distressing characteristics — there can be highly positive and highly negative components.
In some cases, an NDE can start out pleasurable and end in a chaotic, terrifying, or nightmarish way. Alternatively, it might go the opposite way; the NDE can begin as a distressing NDE and end up pleasurable in the end. And some experiencers have reported a combination of both pleasurable and distressing features, taking place in no particular order.
The aftereffects of pleasurable and distressing near-death experiences
Both pleasurable and distressing near-death experiences are often extremely vivid and real. And they can profoundly change a person’s worldview, aspects of their personality, their motivations and ambitions, and both their fear of death and their appreciation for life.
Those who experience pleasurable NDEs often (but not necessarily always) experience greater concern for others, shifts in spiritual beliefs (not necessarily adopting to particular beliefs, and not necessarily becoming more involved in any particular religious practices), and reduced interest in wealth or social status. Those views are often seen as in need of immediate change, which can present major challenges to existing relationships, work environments, and everyday routines.
Distressing NDEs may leave experiencers struggling with shame, fear, loneliness, spiritual confusion, or a sense of being rejected or even condemned.
In either case, those experiencing pleasurable and distressing near-death experiences, as well as neutral and hybrid NDEs, can find it incredibly difficult to discuss their NDE with others. And there are stigmas associated with NDEs, too — others might claim the experience is exaggerated, or a hallucination, or otherwise easily written off. They might judge the experiencer, or think a person’s sudden changes in values and perceptions are an overreaction. NDEs can be deeply disruptive to established norms, and there’s no one correct path toward integration.
IANDS offers resources to help you navigate pleasurable and distressing near-death experiences (and the other types of NDEs, too!)
IANDS is an educational nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization focused on the scientific research of near-death experiences. We work to educate the public, direct experiencers toward much-needed support, and offer public outreach in an effort to educate the world about this fascinating and exciting phenomenon. And we do hope you’ll find these resources useful!
If you or someone you know has had a near-death experience, consider browsing our support articles for useful information that can help you navigate these major changes you’ve encountered. And if you’re a newcomer to NDEs, we recommend browsing our IANDS Q&A articles, and visiting the IANDS Glossary for Near-Death Studies when you come across a phrase you’re unfamiliar with.
Be sure to also check out our Afterlife Revealed podcast and browse the latest issues of our free NDE-centric magazine Vital Signs. Looking for more extensive reading? Take a look at our comprehensive recommended reading list, and read through the many fascinating volumes of The Journal of Near-Death Studies.