Does Science Reveal the Truth Behind Near-Death Experiences?: A Methodological Enquiry
Journal of Consciousness Studies June 1, 2026 Ahmadreza Nourmohammadi, S.M.Hasan A.Shirazi
Near-death experiences (NDEs) share consistent features across cultures, yet many scientists dismiss them as offering no genuine insight into reality. The authors argue this skepticism is unwarranted: NDEs meet standard scientific criteria for being a phenomenon that requires explanation. Using the scientific realism framework of Lipton and Bird, which holds that understanding requires the best explanation, the authors evaluate existing scientific theories of NDEs and find none satisfy the criteria for best explanation. Consequently, science cannot claim to explain or understand NDEs, and describing them within scientific metaphysics is unjustified. The debate over NDEs thus remains within ordinary philosophy.