Thousands have formally shared an out-of-body experience; and based on Gallup surveys, millions of people in the U.S. alone may have had an NDE.

• According to a gallup survery in 1982, about 15% of Americans claimed to have an experience close to death and about 1/3 of this number claimed to have a mysitical experience, similar to an NDE. This research was repeated with similar results.1

• Besides general surveys, there have been numerous detailed studies and reports on near-death experiences. Jeffrey Long, M.D., founder of Near Death Experience Research Foundation (NDERF) alone mentions studying thousands of reports – see quote below.

The experience is considered to be a real out-of-body experience.

• While clinically dead, people have reported leaving their bodies and providing accurate, detailed descriptions of the medical treatment they received as well as information from events that occurred in locations away from their body which was later verified.2 (page 46,47)

  • Scientist Jeffrey Long writes, “During the OBE, many NDErs describe events that they shouldn’t be able to see, mainly because they are unconscious or because the events are taking place somewhere else, far away from their body. Events often include seeing their own unconscious body as well as frantic resuscitation efforts to revive them. These observations have been verified as realistic in hundreds of reports.”2 (page 47) (bold added)

• Blind people have reported visual experiences, including those who were blind from birth.2 (page 48)

• Children have reported NDE descriptions similar to adults, corroborating both accounts.2 (page 49)

• People report life reviews of past events and seeing deceased beings.2 (page 48,49)

• Per Michael Sabom’s research, people who had a near-death experience no longer had a fear of dying.3

The research has convinced doctors and theologians that these experiences provide strong evidence for life after death.

• Jeffrey Long, M.D., founder of Near Death Experience Research Foundation (NDERF).

  • "As a scientist and a “prove it to me” kind of man, I personally needed precisely this kind of information to begin to scientifically study NDEs.”4

  • "By studying thousands of detailed accounts of NDErs, I found the evidence that led to this astounding conclusion: NDEs provide such powerful scientific evidence that it is reasonable to accept the existence of an afterlife…I believe without a shadow of a doubt that there is life after physical death.”5

• Michael Sabom, M.D. author of Recollections of Death and Light & Death.

  • “When I began my research over 25 years ago, I believed reports of the NDE to be absurd. On closer examination, I found verifiable out-of-body experiences to be inexplicable from a merely physical, scientific standpoint. Biblical research then suggested that these experiences may involve the spiritual dimension. Combining the scientific and biblical evidence, I now find it highly probable that the NDE is a spiritual experience during which the soul enters the “shadow of death”.”6

• J.P. Moreland, acclaimed philosopher, theologian and Christian apologist.

  • "A sufficient body of evidence exists for the view that people have died, left their bodies, had various experiences, and returned to their bodies.  Attempts to explain NDEs as natural phenomena fail in those cases where the disembodied person gained knowledge about things miles away (e.g., conversations of family members).  One must be cautious about the theological interpretations of NDEs, but their reality is well established.”7