The best near-death experience movies on Next Level Soul TV are 44 Hours for one man’s story of staying aware while declared brain dead, Afterlife: What Happens When You Die for a wider look at near-death accounts, and the Divine Encounters series for first-person testimony.
Below are seven films and one long-running series, grouped by what you want: near-death testimony and the afterlife, then evidence and messages from beyond. Next Level Soul TV has more near-death stories in series form than in feature films, and we say so plainly.
Key Takeaways
- Start with Divine Encounters. It is the series built around near-death experiences, with seven seasons of first-person stories and new episodes every Friday.
- For the newest film, watch Afterlife: Beyond the Light. It pairs everyday near-death and shared-death stories with researchers such as Dr. Raymond Moody.
- For a classic case, watch 44 Hours. Gil Avni was declared brain dead, stayed fully aware and awoke 44 hours later.
- For the wider picture, see Afterlife: What Happens When You Die, Ghosts and the Afterlife or The Life After Death Project.
- For comfort after loss, try Dearly Departed or Messages of Hope.
- This is a small, honest list. Next Level Soul TV is strongest in near-death series and interviews, so there are seven films here, not fourteen. Every one of them is on Next Level Soul TV.
What Are Near-Death Experience Movies?
A near-death experience movie is a film or documentary built around the reports of people who came close to death, or were declared clinically dead, and returned with memories of awareness, light, loved ones or insight. Because first-person accounts are the heart of the subject, series and interviews often serve it better than feature films.
If you want the bigger picture first, start with our guide to near-death experiences, our collection of near-death experience stories or our explainer on consciousness.
Near-Death Experience Movies at a Glance
| Film | Best for | Type | Theme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Afterlife: Beyond the Light | The newest documentary | Documentary | Near-death and shared-death research |
| Divine Encounters | First-person stories | Series | Near-death experiences |
| 44 Hours | One firsthand story | Documentary | Brain death and awareness |
| Afterlife: What Happens When You Die | A first overview | Documentary | Science and spirit |
| Ghosts and the Afterlife | Death without fear | Documentary | The spirit realm |
| The Life After Death Project | Evidence and mediums | Documentary | Survival evidence |
| Dearly Departed | Comfort after loss | Film | Loved ones across the veil |
| Messages of Hope | Mediumship basics | Documentary | Evidential mediumship |
How Do I Choose the Right Near-Death Experience Movie?
Start with the question you are carrying. If it is “what is it like?”, begin with Divine Encounters. If it is “how can awareness continue when the body appears gone?”, pick 44 Hours. If it is “what happens next?”, pick Afterlife: Beyond the Light, Afterlife, Ghosts and the Afterlife or The Life After Death Project.
A few simple guides help:
- Short on time? Messages of Hope runs 40 minutes and Ghosts and the Afterlife runs 1 hr 11 min.
- Want comfort after a loss? Watch Dearly Departed or Messages of Hope.
- Curious about the research? See our guides to near-death experience research and whether near-death experiences are real.
Start Here: The Divine Encounters Series
Near-death experiences are best told by the people who lived them, and this series puts those voices first.
Divine Encounters: Near Death Experiences & Beyond
Series | 7 seasons | New episodes every Friday
A series of profound, transformative stories from people who ventured to the edge of life and returned with extraordinary insight. Each episode shares the spiritual awakenings, revelations and connections to the divine that followed a near-death experience.
Season 7 alone includes Dr. Eben Alexander’s Near Death Experience, among many others. Each guest reveals how these encounters reshaped their view of life, death and the eternal soul, so you can begin with any episode that calls to you right now.
Best for: Anyone who wants to hear near-death experiences in the experiencers’ own words.
Near-Death Testimony and the Afterlife
These four documentaries ask whether awareness can continue when the body appears to stop, and what may await us afterward.
1. Afterlife: Beyond the Light
Documentary | 1 hr 13 min | TV-14
Everyday people recount leaving their bodies, moving through light or mist and feeling a deep sense of peace and homecoming. Their near-death and shared-death stories sit beside researchers like Dr. Raymond Moody and William Peters of the Shared Crossing Project.
The film blends personal testimony with those decades of research to ask what these experiences reveal about consciousness and what happens when we die. It is one of the newest documentaries on Next Level Soul TV, rated TV-14, so it suits most viewers.
Best for: Viewers who want real near-death and shared-death stories set beside decades of research.
2. 44 Hours
Documentary | 1 hr 22 min
Gil Avni is declared brain dead and given only hours to live, yet his awareness never switches off. Beneath the stillness of his body he witnesses his loved ones say goodbye, held in a strange liminal space between worlds, trapped in silence.
Gil awakens 44 hours later and offers rare, living testimony that awareness can persist beyond the body. For near-death researchers and curious viewers alike, his account raises hard questions about consciousness, medical ethics and what it means to be alive.
Best for: Viewers who want one firsthand story of awareness continuing when the body appears gone.
3. Afterlife: What Happens When You Die
Documentary | 58 min
This 58-minute film gathers science, spirituality and personal testimony to ask what truly awaits us after death. Its interviews include near-death experiences alongside ancient wisdom traditions, giving the accounts a wider spiritual frame.
It points toward the continuity of consciousness and the possibility that death is a transformation into another realm. A good fit if you want near-death accounts set inside the larger question of the soul’s survival after death, and it offers hope.
Best for: Newcomers who want near-death accounts inside one concise, hopeful overview.
4. Ghosts and the Afterlife
Documentary | 1 hr 11 min
A journey into the mysteries of the spirit realm told through personal stories, scientific perspectives and compelling encounters. The film paints a rich picture of what may await us beyond this lifetime and encourages viewers to look at death with curiosity and wonder.
It is a beautifully crafted invitation to explore the eternal nature of the soul. If near-death accounts leave you wondering what the spirit realm is like, this is a gentle companion that treats death with curiosity and wonder rather than fear.
Best for: Anyone who wants the afterlife explained with wonder instead of fear.
Evidence and Messages from Beyond
These three titles widen the lens from one experience to the larger evidence for life after death and to comfort for those who grieve.
5. The Life After Death Project
Documentary | 1 hr 46 min
Authors, science professors and skilled mediums join forces to look for evidence of life beyond death, built around the case of a celebrated futurist and scholar. The film follows surprising encounters and signs that challenge our understanding of existence.
It is less a near-death testimony than a wider investigation of survival after death, with experts moving between science and spirit. Watch it after the near-death films to see how researchers and mediums weigh the larger body of evidence together.
Best for: Evidence-minded viewers ready to move from personal stories to a wider investigation.
6. Dearly Departed: A Film by Darryl Anka
Film | 1 hr 10 min
Darryl Anka’s film offers a warm, compassionate look at life after death and what our loved ones experience on the other side. With sincerity and clarity it shares the lessons they carry forward, blending real stories with spiritual insight.
Grief often leads people to near-death stories, and this film speaks to that need. It brings comfort to anyone who has wondered what happens when we cross over and presents the continuity of the soul with great tenderness, for the grieving and the curious alike.
Best for: Anyone grieving who wants comfort about love and the continuity of the soul.
7. Messages of Hope
Documentary | 40 min
An award-winning documentary that follows Navy Commander Suzanne Giesemann from a distinguished military career to her work as an evidential medium. Praised as life-changing and transformational, it speaks to both believers and skeptics alike.
Where near-death accounts describe a visit to the other side, mediumship describes messages that come across. At 40 minutes this credible, heartfelt film helps viewers understand and appreciate what a medium actually does before they try longer films.
Best for: Curious skeptics who want a short, credible look at mediumship beside near-death stories.
An Honest View of Near-Death Experience Movies
A film is a story, and a story is not proof. Near-death experiences are personal reports that researchers continue to study, documentaries share a point of view, and skeptics and scientists offer other explanations you can weigh for yourself.
Use these films as doorways, not authorities. Nothing here replaces medical or mental health care. If a near-death story stirs something heavy, please reach out to a doctor or counselor, or call or text 988 in the US.
Watch More on Next Level Soul TV
Next Level Soul TV is our own home for films, series and teachings on these questions. Divine Encounters is above, and here are six more series to explore.
More Best-Of Guides From Next Level Soul
If these films stirred questions, keep going with our guides to near-death experience stories, the best near-death experience books, the best near-death experience stories in book form and near-death experiences and religion.
For the research and the stories behind the screen, read near-death experience documentaries, life review in a near-death experience, Dean Braxton’s near-death experience and the best spiritual movies.
Go Deeper with NLS Mastery: Beyond the Veil
A grounded exploration of what lies beyond death and how that understanding changes how we live. Julie Ryan teaches it in Beyond the Veil, part of NLS Mastery. Watch the course preview below.
Sources and Further Reading
Spirituality for the Rest of Us™
Movies, teachings and community on Next Level Soul TV.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best near-death experience movies?
On Next Level Soul TV, start with the Divine Encounters series, then 44 Hours and Afterlife: What Happens When You Die. This list has seven films and one series, and every one of them is on Next Level Soul TV.
Where can I watch these near-death experience movies?
Every title on this list is on Next Level Soul TV at watch.nextlevelsoul.com. Each card has a Watch on Next Level Soul TV button, and the service also has apps for Apple iOS, Apple TV, Android, Android TV, LG and Roku.
What is the best near-death experience documentary for beginners?
Afterlife: What Happens When You Die runs 58 minutes and includes near-death experiences alongside ancient wisdom traditions. For first-person accounts, Divine Encounters is the best place to begin.
Is there a near-death experience series?
Yes. Divine Encounters: Near Death Experiences & Beyond has seven seasons and new episodes every Friday on Next Level Soul TV. Season 7 includes Dr. Eben Alexander’s Near Death Experience.
What is 44 Hours about?
44 Hours tells the story of Gil Avni, who was declared brain dead and given only hours to live, yet stayed fully aware. He awoke 44 hours later and shares his testimony about awareness beyond the body.
Are near-death experience documentaries proof of life after death?
No. They share personal reports and a point of view, researchers continue to study the subject, and skeptics offer other explanations. Treat them as doorways to explore, not final answers.
Which films are best for grief and comfort?
Dearly Departed is a compassionate film about what loved ones experience on the other side, and Messages of Hope looks at the work of an evidential medium. Both are on Next Level Soul TV.
How long are these movies?
Runtimes are listed on each watch page. For example, Ghosts and the Afterlife runs 1 hr 11 min, Messages of Hope runs 40 minutes and The Life After Death Project runs 1 hr 46 min.
Why does this list have only seven films?
Next Level Soul TV’s near-death library is strongest in series and interviews, especially Divine Encounters, so we list only films we can honestly connect to the subject.
Which Next Level Soul course goes deeper on life after death?
Julie Ryan teaches Beyond the Veil in NLS Mastery, a course on what lies beyond death and how that understanding changes how we live.
How do I get more from a near-death experience movie?
Watch once for the story, then again with a notebook. Pause on a moment that stays with you, talk it over with a friend and sit quietly for a few minutes afterward before you do anything else.
