Data Visualization
We analyzed thousands of near-death experiences to map what happens when people cross to the other side—and return to tell the tale.
What you think you know about death is wrong
Hollywood loves the tunnel of light. It's become the universal symbol of near-death. But when we analyzed thousands of real accounts, we found something surprising.
💡 Only 13% of NDEs include a tunnel. The iconic image from movies? Mostly fiction. The vast majority skip straight to the light.
The real journey, mapped from data
So if not a tunnel, what do people actually experience? Despite infinite possibilities, the data reveals a surprisingly consistent pattern.
💡 61% begin by leaving their body—floating above the scene. Then comes light, sometimes a realm, and eventually... the return.
The most poignant finding in the data
Here's what stopped us in our tracks: most people don't choose to return. They're sent back—often against their will—told "it's not your time."
💡 89% are sent back, only 5% choose to return. Many describe profound disappointment, even anger, at being "forced" back to life.
The encounters that change everything
One of the most compelling aspects of NDEs is who people meet. The answer varies more than you might expect—and challenges assumptions.
💡 Deceased relatives are most common, but not universal. Many encounter beings they can't identify. And some meet no one at all.
Why movies fail to capture the truth
Movies have shaped our expectations of death for decades. But when we compare pop culture's version to actual accounts, the differences are striking.
💡 Tunnels are overrepresented. Out-of-body experiences are underrepresented. And the overwhelming peace and love? Rarely translates to screen.
This visualization is powered by AI-extracted sequences from NDERF.org's database of near-death experiences. We used GPT-4o-mini to identify the temporal sequence of events in each narrative, validated the extractions, and aggregated the transitions.