Near-death experience research stretches from a single 1975 book to hospital studies that monitor the brain during cardiac arrest. Along the way, two organizations shaped the field: the Near-Death Experience Research Foundation (NDERF), which gathers thousands of firsthand accounts, and the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS), which supports researchers and experiencers. This guide maps who they are, what the major studies found and how to read them.
If you have ever searched for the Near-Death Experience Research Foundation, you were probably looking for one of two things: the archive of accounts, or the evidence behind them. We cover both here, and we keep the line clear between what a study found and what people believe it means. For the broader introduction to the subject, start with our complete guide to near-death experiences. If you want to know whether the experiences are real, read our companion guide, Are Near-Death Experiences Real?
Key Takeaways
- NDERF is an archive: founded by Dr. Jeffrey Long, it collects self-submitted accounts through an online questionnaire, which makes it rich for describing patterns.
- IANDS is a community and a journal: it supports experiencers and researchers and publishes the Journal of Near-Death Studies.
- The field began in 1975: Dr. Raymond Moody gave the phenomenon its name, and Dr. Bruce Greyson later built a scale to measure it.
- Hospital studies test explanations: the 2001 Dutch study and the AWARE studies followed patients prospectively.
- Study type matters: prospective studies reduce memory problems, while archives of accounts show patterns but cannot test causes.
- Research is ongoing: AWARE-II added brain monitoring in 2023, and many questions remain open.
What Is the Near-Death Experience Research Foundation (NDERF)?
The Near-Death Experience Research Foundation was founded by physician Dr. Jeffrey Long and his wife Jody Long. Its website, nderf.org, invites people who have had an NDE to complete a detailed questionnaire and share their story. Over the years that has produced a very large archive of accounts that anyone can read.
The strength of NDERF is scale and detail. Researchers can compare thousands of descriptions of tunnels, light, life reviews and returns. The limit is that the accounts are self-submitted. People choose to write them, so the archive cannot tell us how common NDEs are or rule out other explanations. It is best understood as a map of what experiencers say, not a controlled test.
Dr. Jeffrey Long on a Massive NDE Study with Dr. Jeffrey Long. Dr. Jeffrey Long shares findings from a study of over 800 people, why he says physicalism falls short, and why he believes love is the glue of the universe. It is the best first-hand introduction to the research behind NDERF.
Spirit World and Afterlife Audiobooks on Next Level Soul TV
What Is IANDS?
The International Association for Near-Death Studies is a nonprofit built around two groups of people: experiencers who want to be heard, and researchers who want to understand. It publishes the Journal of Near-Death Studies, hosts conferences and lists local support groups. For anyone who has had an NDE and struggles to talk about it, a group like this can be the first place that feels safe.
IANDS also offers a useful reminder that the field is not only about proof. It is about people who come back changed and need someone to listen. If you are an experiencer looking for community, start there.
Dr. Janice Holden on What NDE Research Says with Dr. Janice Holden. Dr. Janice Holden explains what research says about near-death experiences, cultural differences, life changes afterward and her own experience.
A Timeline of the Major Studies
This table shows how the research has grown, from interviews to hospital-based studies with brain monitoring. The findings are summarized as the researchers themselves reported them.
| Year | Researcher | What It Was | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Dr. Raymond Moody | Life After Life, a book describing common features of NDEs | Gave the phenomenon its name and opened the field |
| 1980 | Dr. Kenneth Ring | Life at Death, one of the first systematic studies of NDEs | Moved the subject from stories toward structured research |
| 1982 | Dr. Michael Sabom | Recollections of Death, a cardiologist’s study of patient accounts | Compared patient reports with medical records |
| 1983 | Dr. Bruce Greyson | The NDE Scale, a 16-item questionnaire | Gave researchers a shared way to measure depth of experience |
| 2001 | Dr. Pim van Lommel and colleagues | Prospective Dutch study of 344 cardiac arrest survivors; 62 (18 percent) reported an NDE | Followed patients forward in ten hospitals |
| 2008 to 2020 | Dr. Sam Parnia and colleagues | AWARE and AWARE-II hospital studies, the second following 567 in-hospital cardiac arrests | Added brain monitoring and hidden-image tests |
| 2013 and 2023 | Dr. Jimo Borjigin and colleagues | Gamma-wave surges in dying rats and in two of four comatose patients | Showed organized brain activity as the heart stops |
How to Read NDE Research
Not every study answers the same question. Knowing the type tells you what it can and cannot show.
| Study Type | Example | What It Can Show | What It Cannot Show |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archive of accounts | NDERF | Patterns across thousands of descriptions | How common NDEs are, or what causes them |
| Retrospective interviews | Early books by Moody and Ring | Rich detail and common features | Whether memory changed over time |
| Prospective hospital study | Dutch study, AWARE | How many survivors report an NDE soon after the event | Whether the experience reflects anything beyond the brain |
| Brain monitoring | AWARE-II, Borjigin lab | Activity in the brain around cardiac arrest | Whether activity is linked to a conscious experience |
A good rule of thumb: the closer a study sits to the event, the less it relies on memory, and the more controlled the setting, the better it can test explanations. Even then, the authors themselves are careful. In the Borjigin work, for example, the researchers wrote that they cannot rule out that the gamma surge is a dying process unrelated to conscious experience.
What AWARE-II Found
AWARE-II, published in the journal Resuscitation in 2023, followed 567 in-hospital cardiac arrests between 2017 and 2020 in the United States and United Kingdom. About 4 in 10 survivors recalled some awareness during CPR, and six of 28 survivors interviewed (21 percent) described a recalled experience of death that fits what is commonly called an NDE. Brain monitoring detected signs of brain activity associated with higher mental function in some cases, as long as 60 minutes into CPR. The study also tested whether people could perceive hidden images and sounds in the room, and the results did not show that patients perceived the external environment. Parnia’s summary was that these lucid experiences cannot be considered a trick of a disordered or dying brain, but rather a unique human experience that emerges on the brink of death. Read the original paper to see exactly what was reported.
Dr. Jeffrey Mishlove on Patterns in 1,700 NDE Cases with Dr. Jeffrey Mishlove. Dr. Jeffrey Mishlove shares what he says research on past life cases, near-death experiences and consciousness suggests about survival after death.
What Researchers Say the Pattern Means
Researchers disagree on interpretation, and the best of them say so openly. Some read the consistency of NDE reports as a sign that consciousness may extend beyond the brain. Others hold that a complete brain-based model is still on its way. Dr. Bruce Greyson has said NDEs are not evidence for or against the existence of God. Our guide on whether near-death experiences are real walks through the arguments on both sides, so we do not repeat them here.
Dr. PMH Atwater on What 4,000 NDEs Revealed with Dr. PMH Atwater. Dr. PMH Atwater shares what she says her near-death experiences taught her about life reviews, thoughts and what it means to be human.
David Suich on 14 Years of NDE Research with David Suich. David Suich shares what 14 years of near-death experience research suggests about the light, the life review and living with love.
After the Experience: Research on Integration
Many people say the hardest part of an NDE comes afterward, when they try to fit the experience into daily life. A study by Khanna and Greyson on near-death experiences and spiritual well-being is available from the University of Virginia. Researchers have also written about experiences that are frightening, including Nancy Evans Bush and Bruce Greyson in Distressing near-death experiences: The basics. If you or someone you love is working through an experience, a counselor familiar with NDEs and a group through IANDS are good places to begin.
Where to Go Next
For first-person accounts, read our near-death experience stories. For books by the researchers named here, see our list of near-death experience books. For calm practice, try our guided meditations or an audio course. And if the topic leads you toward questions about consciousness and the astral realm, the astral journey is a natural next read.
Episodes to Watch Next
More Next Level Soul conversations with the researchers and experiencers behind near-death experience research.
Sources and Further Reading
- Near-Death Experience Research Foundation (NDERF)
- International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS)
- Near-death experience (Wikipedia)
- Raymond Moody (Wikipedia)
- Bruce Greyson (Wikipedia)
- Kenneth Ring (Wikipedia)
- Michael Sabom (Wikipedia)
- Pim van Lommel (Wikipedia)
- Sam Parnia (Wikipedia)
- AWARE-II study, Resuscitation (2023)
- Near-death experiences after cardiac arrest: a scoping review (PMC)
- NDE Scale description (University of Virginia)
Spirituality for the Rest of Us™
Movies, teachings and community on Next Level Soul TV.
Near-Death Experience Documentaries on Next Level Soul TV
Frequently Asked Questions About NDE Research
What is the Near-Death Experience Research Foundation?
The Near-Death Experience Research Foundation, or NDERF, is an organization founded by physician Dr. Jeffrey Long and his wife Jody Long. It collects firsthand accounts from experiencers through an online questionnaire and maintains a large public archive of them.
What is NDERF?
NDERF stands for the Near-Death Experience Research Foundation. Its website, nderf.org, hosts thousands of submitted accounts and is the source for much of Dr. Jeffrey Long’s research.
What is IANDS?
IANDS is the International Association for Near-Death Studies, a nonprofit that supports experiencers, researchers and the public. It publishes the Journal of Near-Death Studies and connects people to local support groups.
Who coined the term near-death experience?
Psychiatrist Dr. Raymond Moody introduced the term in his 1975 book Life After Life, which brought the subject into public view.
What is the Greyson NDE Scale?
It is a 16-item questionnaire developed by Dr. Bruce Greyson to measure the depth of a near-death experience. A score of 7 or higher is the usual threshold for calling an experience an NDE.
What was the most important near-death experience study?
Many researchers point to the 2001 Dutch prospective study led by cardiologist Pim van Lommel, which followed 344 resuscitated cardiac arrest patients and found that 62, or 18 percent, reported an NDE. The AWARE-II study added brain monitoring in 2023.
What is the difference between a prospective and a retrospective study?
A prospective study follows people forward from an event and interviews them soon after. A retrospective study asks people to recall an event from the past. Prospective designs reduce memory problems, which is why they carry extra weight in this field.
Are accounts on NDERF scientific evidence?
They are valuable data, but they are self-submitted, so they cannot show how common NDEs are or exclude every other explanation. Researchers use them to describe patterns, and controlled hospital studies are used to test explanations.
Where can I find a near-death experience support group?
IANDS lists local groups and resources for experiencers and their families. A licensed counselor familiar with NDEs can also help if the experience is hard to integrate.
Who studies near-death experiences at a university?
The University of Virginia Division of Perceptual Studies, where Dr. Bruce Greyson has worked, hosts research and publishes materials on NDEs, including the NDE Scale description. Dr. Sam Parnia leads the AWARE studies on resuscitation.
Where can I hear researchers talk about their work?
The Next Level Soul Podcast features Dr. Jeffrey Long, Dr. Janice Holden, Dr. PMH Atwater, Dr. Jeffrey Mishlove and David Suich. Their episodes are embedded and linked in this guide.
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.
