At Psychology Today this month, Marilyn A. Mendoza discusses a recent research paper on the differences between the outcome of having a near-death experience and being in a life-threatening situation but not having one:

This current research is the largest study to date into the impact of NDEs.[1] Their study compared the pre-event and post-event responses of 42 people who had life-threatening experiences (LTEs) without having an NDE. Members of the LTE group were either unconscious or clinically dead, as indicated by the absence of a heartbeat during their life-threatening event. There were also 834 people included who had experienced an NDE. Long found that life-threatening events occurred in both groups. He notes that many of those in the LTE group believed they had an NDE because the event was life-threatening.

“Can Being Close to Death Transform Your Life?,” November 6, 2024

The study authors administered Bruce Greyson’s Life Changes Inventory (LCI). They wanted to see whether the mere experience of being close to death without an NDE was really causing the significant life changes often attributed to the NDE.

They found that having an LTE and being close to death did not result in the life changes seen in someone who had experienced an NDE. The changes from an NDE were significantly different than an LTE without an NDE. “Transform Your Life?”

According to Mendoza, NDE changes include greater belief in in the existence of God or a higher power and/or an afterlife, reduced fear of death, and more compassion.

What the researchers don’t know is why some people have near-death experiences and others do not. In our upcoming book The Immortal Mind (Worthy June 3, 2025), neurosurgeon Michael Egnor and I examine possible physical causes of near-death experiences. We conclude that the experiences cannot simply be explained away as the outcome of an accidental physical process (hypoxia, hypercarbia, etc.).

One really big change

There is significantly more openness to discussing these questions in publications like Psychology Today, probably because — due to advances in medicine — so many people have been brought back from near-death in recent years and started talking about what happened.

From the Abstract of the paper by Long and Wollacott:

Our central finding reveals a significant transformation in values and spiritual attitudes among participants following their NDEs, as compared to individuals who were faced with life-threatening situations without an NDE. Key transformations include an enhanced belief in divinity and in the afterlife, a decreased fear of death, and increased levels of compassion. Participants also reported a stronger belief in the meaningfulness of life, and a profound shift in life priorities and values, emphasizing the increased importance of their spiritual or religious lives. Conclusions: The results support the notion that NDEs lead to a profound spiritual awakening and a reorientation towards life distinct from changes following LTEs without NDEs.

Long, J., & Woollacott, M. (2024). Long-term transformational effects of near-death experiences. Explore (New York, N.Y.), 20(5), 103030.