What About Near-Death Experiences?

A number of years ago I developed an interest in a phenomenon known as Near Death Experiences or NDEs. Here is an explanation of NDEs from a book titled “Evidence of the Afterlife” by scientist and medical doctor, Jeffrey Long along with writer, Paul Perry:

“Near-death experiences (NDEs) are events that take place as a person is dying or, indeed, is already clinically dead. People who have NDEs are called near-death experiencers (NDErs)…. I considered individuals to be ‘near death’ if they were so physically compromised that they would die if their condition did not improve. The NDErs studied were generally unconscious and often apparently clinically dead, with absence of heartbeat and breathing. The ‘experience’ had to occur at the time they were near death. Also, the experience had to be lucid, to exclude descriptions of only fragmentary and disorganized memories.”

I read a number of accounts of NDEs. You have probably heard of this type of occurrence. There have been, I suspect, at least a half dozen best-selling books telling the accounts of near death experiences in the past 10 years, or so. A couple of these stories were even made into movies. (I saw a couple of the movies and they weren’t very good, but the movie theater popcorn was still outstanding!)

Dr. Long is a radiation oncologist and scientist. His book with writer Paul Perry details the findings of his research. He has interviewed and surveyed thousands of people who have had near death experiences. I found his book to be a particularly interesting treatment of the subject because it is not based on one person’s experience, it has to do with over a thousand experiences. He writes of his book that it “presents the remarkable results of the largest scientific NDE study ever reported using this methodology.”

Some Christian theologians seem to think the accounts we get from people who have had NDEs are valid and other Christian theologians appear to be more skeptical. The fact that so many academic studies have been done on the subject (not just by Dr. Long but many other researchers, as well); thousands of reliable known cases exist; and the tremendous similarities in the experiences that are reported by NDEers leads me to think there is validity to them.

Yes it’s true that I am biased, but I’ll tell you a secret: So is everyone else on planet earth.

Dr. Long provides details of many “converging lines of evidence” regarding NDEs in his book and states that he has come, as a scientist, to the conclusion that: “There is life after death.”

I am not writing this to suggest that a Christian needs this type of scientific evidence to validate the truth of life after physical death here on earth. I believe the Bible to be truthful, accurate and authoritative regarding the reality of life after death. However, as I have read, studied and learned through the course of my life, I find it interesting and satisfying when what is discovered in science validates the Word of God.

Dan Marler

Oak Lawn, IL