NoeticMap
How can I help?
Ask about NDEs, research, or this page
TL;DR
Across thousands of documented near-death experiences, a remarkably consistent sequence emerges: an initial feeling of profound peace, separation from the physical body, movement through darkness toward an extraordinary light, encounters with deceased loved ones or luminous beings, a panoramic life review, and reaching a boundary or point of decision before returning. While not every NDE includes all elements, this pattern appears across cultures, ages, and medical circumstances.
This is perhaps the most universally asked question in human history, and near-death experiences offer the closest thing we have to empirical data. While no one can definitively state what happens after permanent death, people who have been clinically dead and returned describe a remarkably consistent set of experiences.
Our database allows us to trace the frequency of each element across thousands of independent accounts. The most commonly reported sequence follows a general pattern, though individual experiences vary in which elements appear and their order. What makes this data compelling is that these accounts come from people with no prior knowledge of NDEs, including children, skeptics, and people from cultures with very different beliefs about death.
The accounts below represent a cross-section of what people report experiencing during clinical death. These are not fringe cases — they reflect the most common patterns across our entire database. Each quote is drawn from a real, documented account and links to the full experience.
What stands out across these accounts is the consistency of the narrative arc: the transition from physical distress to peace, the perception of leaving the body, the encounter with something beyond ordinary reality, and the profound reluctance many feel about returning to physical life.
“I remember thinking that everything was beautiful because it was as if someone had turned up the 'saturation filter' on life.”
Galadriel K NDENDEGreyson: 30/32Age 10
“I was just floating outside the condo watching the action.”
Steve D NDENDEGreyson: 30/32
“I was gone and was not dreaming or hallucinating. I was just gone.”
Tyler G NDENDEGreyson: 30/32
“I found myself hovering above my body.”
Tasha L NDENDEGreyson: 30/32
“Next thing I know, I’m up by the ceiling of the operating room, gazing down at a chaotic, profanity-filled scene.”
Will S NDENDEGreyson: 30/32
“I was floating above the scene the whole time.”
Jen W NDEsNDEGreyson: 30/32
“I was above myself in the operating room looking down at myself.”
John B NDENDEGreyson: 28/32
“I was literally ejected out of my body.”
Alfred A NDENDEGreyson: 27/32
Researchers have spent decades cataloging and analyzing the elements that appear in NDEs. Dr. Raymond Moody first identified the common pattern in his 1975 book, and subsequent large-scale studies have confirmed and refined his initial observations. The Greyson NDE Scale, developed by Dr. Bruce Greyson at the University of Virginia, provides a standardized way to measure the depth and completeness of NDEs.
Prospective studies — which follow patients before they have NDEs rather than collecting accounts after the fact — have been particularly valuable. These studies show that the same pattern emerges regardless of medical circumstance, medication, or patient expectations.
Near-death experience (NDE) is a phase or event that causes changes in attitude, activity, and thinking in life.
After the NDE, individuals experience after-effects such as feeling more at peace and better able to accept life.
The most frequent sequence of four consecutive NDE features is Out-of-Body-Experience, followed by Experiencing a tunnel, followed by Seeing a bright light, ending by Feeling of peace.
22% · n = 6
NDE is characterized by cognitive, emotional, and transcendental elements.
Belief in life after death increased to 100% after the NDE.
100% · n = 34
A substantial minority of respondents believed they would experience elements of the near-death experience (NDE) in the first five minutes after death.
Not specified
From a neuroscience perspective, the "dying process" involves a cascade of events as the brain loses oxygen and blood flow. Some researchers propose that each NDE element corresponds to a specific neurological event: the tunnel to retinal ischemia or visual cortex shutdown, the peace to endorphin release, the out-of-body perception to disrupted proprioception, and the life review to temporal lobe activation.
However, this piecemeal approach faces several challenges. First, it struggles to explain why these elements occur in a coherent narrative sequence rather than as disjointed fragments. Second, some NDEs occur in situations where the proposed neurological mechanisms should not be active — such as during deep general anesthesia or after prolonged cardiac arrest when measurable brain activity has ceased. Third, the reported veridical perceptions (accurate observations of events the experiencer could not have physically witnessed) remain difficult to explain through known neurological processes.
The honest scientific answer is that we do not yet have a complete explanation for what happens during these experiences. The elements are well-documented; the mechanism remains debated.
Thousands of people who have been clinically dead describe a consistent sequence of experiences upon dying
The most common elements, in approximate order: peace, out-of-body perception, tunnel/darkness, extraordinary light, encounters with deceased or beings, life review, boundary/return
Not every NDE includes all elements, but the pattern is remarkably consistent across cultures, ages, and medical circumstances
Scientific explanations exist for individual elements but struggle to explain the coherent, sequential nature of the full experience
Prospective studies confirm these accounts are not shaped by prior expectations or cultural conditioning
What these experiences ultimately mean — whether they represent consciousness surviving death or a complex neurological process — remains an open question
The information on this page is drawn from Noeticmap's database of 8,940 documented near-death experiences, out-of-body experiences, and related accounts, as well as 5 peer-reviewed academic research papers. Experiences are sourced primarily from NDERF.org, OBERF.org, and ADCRF.org.
Each experience has been analyzed using established research frameworks including the Greyson NDE Scale (a standardized 32-point measure of NDE depth), element detection, and sentiment analysis. We present the data as objectively as possible — the quotes and statistics reflect what experiencers reported, not our interpretations.
Was this article helpful?
The most commonly reported element of NDEs — a profound, all-encompassing feeling of peace, calm, and well-being that surpasses anything experienced in ordinary life. Often described as being 'bathed in love.'
The sensation of consciousness separating from the physical body, often viewing it from above. Many experiencers describe watching medical teams work on their body and can later verify details they shouldn't have been able to perceive.
One of the most iconic elements of near-death experiences — a dark tunnel or void with a brilliant light at the end. Experiencers often describe being drawn toward the light, feeling a sense of movement and purpose.
A brilliant, warm light is one of the most universally reported NDE elements. Unlike ordinary light, it doesn't hurt the eyes and often radiates love, warmth, and acceptance. Many describe it as the source of all creation.
Search related experiences
Use semantic search to find more accounts related to this topic
The overwhelming majority of people who have been clinically dead and returned describe the moment of death as peaceful, painless, and even blissful. While the medical events leading to death can be painful, the transition itself is consistently described as a release into profound calm, followed by heightened clarity of consciousness. This is one of the most consistently reported findings across all NDE research.
The visual elements of NDEs follow remarkably consistent patterns across thousands of independent accounts. The most commonly reported sights include an extraordinary bright light, a tunnel or passageway, celestial landscapes of extraordinary beauty, deceased relatives appearing healthy and whole, and luminous beings radiating love. These elements appear across cultures, ages, and belief systems with striking regularity.
Near-death experiences are among the most well-documented anomalous phenomena in medical literature. Thousands of independent accounts from people of all ages, cultures, and belief systems describe remarkably consistent elements. Whether they represent evidence of consciousness beyond the brain or a complex neurological process remains one of the most debated questions in science.
Get insights from our consciousness research delivered to your inbox. No spam, just meaningful updates.