Near-Death Experiences as Spiritual Transformations
Paul H. Carr
Zygon June 24, 2026 DOI: 10.16995/zygon.25037 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 834 |
| Population | Individuals who have had near-death experiences |
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Keywords | Consciousness Spirituality Afterlife |
| Key findings | Near-death experiences result in enhanced belief in divinity and the afterlife, decreased fear of death, and increased levels of compassion. |
Abstract
Near-death experiences (NDEs) occur in all cultures for many who are revived from clinical death. Anyone, from believers to atheists, can have one. The life-changing, spiritually transforming NDEs of medical doctors Eben Alexander and Tony Cicoria discussed in this article are amplified by the thousands of cases that doctors Pim Van Lommel and Jeffrey Long have researched. Van Lommel believes the current views on the relationship between the brain and consciousness held by most physicians, philosophers, and psychologists are too narrow for a proper understanding. Humans cannot be reduced to their constituent parts. Long studied 834 NDEs and colluded that they result in enhanced belief in divinity and the afterlife, decreased fear of death, and increased levels of compassion.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on near-death experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distressing Near-Death Experiences | 1992 | Review | |
| Attitude Change Following Near-Death Experiences Individuals who have had near-death experiences | 1980 | Review | n = 21 |
| Near-death experiences. | 2004 | Review | |
| The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences | 2009 | Review | |
| Near-death experiences in cardiac arrest survivors | 2005 | Review |