Near-Death Experiences as Spiritual Transformations
Zygon June 24, 2026 Paul H. Carr
Near-death experiences (NDEs) occur across cultures among people revived from clinical death, regardless of personal beliefs. The experiences of doctors Eben Alexander and Tony Cicoria are highlighted alongside thousands of cases researched by Pim Van Lommel and Jeffrey Long. Van Lommel argues that current medical, philosophical, and psychological views on the brain-consciousness relationship are too narrow for proper understanding, asserting that humans cannot be reduced to their constituent parts. Long studied 834 NDEs and concluded they lead to enhanced belief in divinity and the afterlife, decreased fear of death, and increased compassion.