You’ve probably heard stories of people whose hearts stopped, who later described floating above their bodies, moving through a tunnel, or meeting deceased loved ones. These near-death experiences (NDEs) can feel more vivid than ordinary life, and for the people who live through them, they’re often life-changing. But what should the rest of us make of these experiences? Are they glimpses of an afterlife, or extraordinary events inside a struggling brain?


Recent reporting in outlets like The Washington Post has highlighted new scientific models that aim to explain how and why NDEs happen, and why so many people describe surprisingly similar scenes. At the same time, other experts are challenging these models, arguing that the science is still incomplete and that we should be cautious about strong conclusions. In this article, we’ll unpack what’s currently known, what remains uncertain, and how to respectfully hold space for both science and personal meaning.


Why Near-Death Experiences Captivate Us

Near-death experiences sit at the crossroads of science, spirituality, and raw human fear about mortality. They raise a deeply personal question: when patients say they “saw what comes after death,” should we believe them literally, symbolically, or skeptically?


For many people:

  • They offer comfort that death might not be the end.
  • They challenge strictly material explanations of the mind.
  • They inspire major life changes—leaving jobs, repairing relationships, or shifting priorities.

The core problem is this: NDEs feel profoundly real to those who experience them, but subjective experiences alone cannot settle scientific questions about what happens after we die. Modern neuroscience is starting to propose mechanisms, but we do not yet have definitive proof that NDEs are either purely brain-based hallucinations or literal windows into an afterlife.


A Real Patient Story: “I Can’t Die This Way”

In the case highlighted by The Washington Post, a woman in Midlothian, Virginia collapsed outside her home, struggling to breathe. As paramedics rushed her into an ambulance, she remembers telling herself, “I can’t die this way.” From the outside, this was a medical emergency. From the inside, it became a boundary moment between life and death.


Stories like hers often include:

  1. A sudden sense of leaving the body.
  2. Heightened clarity or a feeling of “more real than real.”
  3. Encounters with light, beings, or loved ones.
  4. A decision point—choosing or being told to return.

While we have to protect each person’s privacy, these themes appear again and again in medical interviews and research surveys. The consistency is one of the big reasons scientists think there may be shared brain mechanisms at work, not random dream-like chaos.

Hospital emergency room corridor with medical staff in motion
Moments of medical crisis can trigger intense, structured experiences that patients later describe as more vivid than ordinary life.

What Near-Death Experiences Typically Look and Feel Like

Despite individual differences, research has identified common elements of near-death experiences. Not everyone has all of these, and some people have none even after cardiac arrest, but patterns are clear across large samples.


  • Out-of-body sensations: Feeling detached from the body, sometimes watching the scene from above.
  • Tunnel and light: Moving through a tunnel or darkness toward a bright, often comforting light.
  • Life review: Rapid, panoramic recall of significant life events, sometimes with strong emotional tone.
  • Encountering others: Meeting deceased relatives, spiritual figures, or “beings of light.”
  • Profound peace or love: A sense of overwhelming acceptance and connection.
  • Reluctant return: Feeling “sent back” or choosing to return, often reluctantly.

“The phenomenology of near-death experiences is strikingly consistent across cultures, pointing toward stable neurocognitive processes that may be activated during extreme physiological stress.”
— Adapted from contemporary NDE research reviews

The New Scientific Models: What Might the Brain Be Doing?

Recent reporting describes researchers who are building models to explain NDEs using modern neuroscience. While details vary, many of these models revolve around what happens as blood flow and oxygen to the brain drop, and as the brain attempts to restore or reorganize itself.


Several mechanisms have been proposed:

  1. Surge of brain activity near clinical death
    Some studies in humans and animals suggest that in the seconds to minutes after the heart stops, there can be a brief burst of organized brain activity, particularly in regions related to consciousness, vision, and memory. This surge could produce vivid, structured experiences.
  2. Cortical disinhibition and “release” phenomena
    As normal inhibitory systems fail under stress, sensory and emotional circuits may fire in unusual ways, generating intense imagery, feelings of presence, and life-review-like sequences.
  3. Predictive brain models under extreme stress
    The brain constantly predicts and fills in reality. In severe oxygen deprivation, its internal models may dominate, creating coherent but internally generated “worlds” that feel real.
  4. Neurochemical shifts
    Severe stress can alter levels of neurotransmitters and neuromodulators, including those involved in pain, fear, and memory, possibly contributing to euphoria, dissociation, or timelessness.

“Near-death experiences may represent a unique hybrid state in which residual brain networks generate conscious content despite catastrophic physiological failure.”
— Paraphrasing contemporary neuroscientific interpretations
Illustration of a human brain with network-like light patterns
Models of near-death experiences focus on how networks in the brain behave when oxygen and blood flow collapse and then partially recover.

Why Some Experts Challenge These Explanations

Not all scientists are convinced that the latest models fully capture what’s going on. The Washington Post coverage highlights these debates, which are healthy and expected in an evolving field.


Common concerns include:

  • Timing uncertainty: It’s difficult to know precisely when subjective experiences occur relative to measurable brain activity, especially during cardiac arrest.
  • Measurement limits: Brain monitors in emergency situations are often sparse or absent. We infer a lot from limited signals.
  • Survivor bias: We only hear from people who survived. Their experiences may not reflect what happens in all dying brains.
  • Cultural and expectation effects: Exposure to media portrayals or religious stories could shape how people recall and interpret their experiences.

Some researchers argue that because NDEs often involve accurate perceptions of events in the room, or highly structured narratives even when the brain “should” be offline, purely reductionist explanations may be missing something. Others counter that memory reconstruction, residual activity, and chance can account for much of this.


Should We Believe People Who Say They Saw What Comes After Death?

Belief is not all-or-nothing. You can fully honor someone’s experience without taking every element as literal proof of an afterlife. Here’s a balanced way to think about it:


  1. Trust the sincerity
    Most NDE researchers agree that people are not “making these up.” The emotions, details, and long-term impact are real and substantial.
  2. Recognize the limits of memory
    Human memory is reconstructive. Experiences can be shaped by prior beliefs, cultural imagery, and later reflections.
  3. Hold multiple explanations at once
    It’s possible that NDEs are:
    • Authentic experiences in a brain under extreme stress, and
    • Personally meaningful, spiritual, or symbolic—regardless of whether they reveal an external “afterlife.”
  4. Avoid using NDEs as proof against others
    NDEs should not be weaponized—neither to “prove” someone’s religion right nor to dismiss another person’s beliefs.

“Taking people’s experiences seriously does not force us to abandon scientific rigor. We can respect both the data and the depth of human meaning.”

If You’ve Had a Near-Death Experience: Practical Ways to Process It

If you—or someone you love—has gone through an NDE, the aftermath can be surprisingly complicated. Alongside relief and gratitude, people often report confusion, isolation, or even anxiety about what they saw.


Here are evidence-informed, compassionate steps to cope:

  • 1. Give yourself permission to talk about it
    Suppressing the memory can increase distress. Choose a trusted friend, family member, or professional who will listen without ridicule.
  • 2. Consider speaking with clinicians who are familiar with NDEs
    Some cardiologists, neurologists, psychiatrists, and chaplains have experience supporting patients through these experiences.
  • 3. Watch for lingering psychological effects
    While many people feel more peaceful after an NDE, some experience anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress. Evidence-based therapies (such as CBT or trauma-informed approaches) can help.
  • 4. Integrate, don’t erase
    Instead of trying to decide whether your experience was “real” in an absolute sense, focus on what it means for how you want to live now—your values, relationships, and priorities.
  • 5. Seek respectful communities
    Organizations such as the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS) offer support groups and resources without insisting on a single interpretation.

Talking with someone who understands near-death experiences can turn a confusing memory into a source of growth and meaning.

What This Means for How We Think About Death and Dying

You don’t need to have an NDE yourself to be affected by this research. These stories and the science behind them can gently reshape how we think about our own mortality.


Common shifts people describe after learning about or experiencing NDEs include:

  • Less fear of death, even if their beliefs about an afterlife remain uncertain.
  • Greater focus on relationships and kindness over status or possessions.
  • A renewed sense of urgency to live in line with deeply held values.

From a medical perspective, NDE research also pushes hospitals and clinicians to:

  • Take patients’ subjective experiences seriously after resuscitation.
  • Include psychological and spiritual follow-up, not just physical recovery.
  • Design better studies to understand consciousness at the edge of life.
Person standing at the edge of a cliff looking at a bright horizon
Whether or not near-death experiences reveal an afterlife, they often inspire people to live more intentionally in the time they know they have.

How to Read Headlines About Near-Death Science Without Getting Misled

Media stories, including thoughtful ones like those in major newspapers, sometimes use dramatic language to capture attention. That can unintentionally blur the line between what’s firmly established and what’s still speculative.


When you see headlines about NDEs, try this mental checklist:

  1. Look for primary sources
    Does the article link to peer-reviewed studies or quote experts with relevant clinical or research experience?
  2. Watch for overgeneralization
    Claims like “scientists prove” or “science debunks” are usually oversimplifications in such a young field.
  3. Notice missing caveats
    Responsible reporting will mention limitations: small samples, measurement issues, or alternative explanations.
  4. Separate data from interpretation
    Raw findings (e.g., a burst of gamma activity) are one thing; what they mean for consciousness or an afterlife is another.

Common Questions About Near-Death Experiences

Here are concise, evidence-informed answers to questions many people ask.


  • Q: Do near-death experiences prove there is life after death?
    A: No. NDEs are powerful subjective experiences that may be linked to specific brain states. They cannot, by themselves, prove or disprove an afterlife.
  • Q: Are NDEs just hallucinations?
    A: They share features with some altered states (like certain types of hallucinations or psychedelic experiences), but they also have unique patterns and long-term psychological impacts. “Just” doesn’t capture their complexity or significance.
  • Q: Why do people of different religions report similar experiences?
    A: Shared brain structures and common human concerns about death may produce broadly similar experiences, while cultural background shapes the details and interpretation.
  • Q: Can scientists ever fully explain NDEs?
    A: We may get much better at describing the brain mechanisms involved. Whether that will satisfy deeper spiritual or philosophical questions is something each person will decide for themselves.
Stack of books and a pair of glasses suggesting research and learning
Understanding near-death experiences requires both rigorous research and humility about what science can and cannot answer.

Moving Forward: Holding Science and Mystery Together

The patients featured in recent coverage did something brave: they shared some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives so the rest of us might learn. Their accounts, and the scientists studying them, are slowly expanding our understanding of consciousness at the edge of death—but we are far from having all the answers.


You don’t have to choose between cold skepticism and unquestioning belief. It’s possible to:

  • Respect the profound reality of what people experience.
  • Appreciate the emerging neuroscience without overstating it.
  • Let these stories nudge you toward living more intentionally now.

If this topic stirs something in you—curiosity, hope, or fear—consider your next small step: talking with someone you trust, reading a careful scientific review, or reflecting on what truly matters to you while you are very much alive. Whatever ultimately comes after death, you have the chance, today, to shape how you live before it.