JAMA
December 14, 1979
Bruce Greyson
1 citation
Near-death experiences occur frequently during grave physical illnesses and injuries, though the role of physiological changes in these experiences remains poorly understood. Some individuals have these experiences when they believe they are dying, even without serious illness or injury. Physicians who are more aware of near-death experiences could observe and report details from patients having them, which would improve understanding of the phenomenon.
Psychology of Consciousness Theory Research and Practice
February 26, 2026
Natasha Tassell-Matamua, Karalee Kothe, Michael Nahm et al.
Terminal lucidity—unexpected mental clarity shortly before death—has been reported across cultures and eras, but its characteristics in children had not been systematically studied. Using a 42-item online survey, this study collected case reports of terminal lucidity in 11 children aged 16 years and under. Terminal lucidity typically occurred within the final hours to minutes before death and manifested as notable changes in mental abilities, behavior, and emotions. It was not preceded by any changes in medical regime and often happened despite children being semi- or comatose just before the episode. These results suggest a surge of mental clarity in terminally ill children occurs contrary to medical expectations, which may inform end-of-life care and understanding of consciousness at the end of life.
Consciousness and cognition
January 18, 2026
Marieta Pehlivanova, Rense Lange, Bruce Greyson et al.
Two scales measuring the phenomenology of near-death experiences—the 16-item NDE Scale and the 20-item NDE-C—were compared in 705 self-identified experiencers. The scales correlate nearly perfectly (r = 0.98), indicating they measure the same underlying construct. However, Rasch analysis revealed problems with the NDE-C's category structure and five novel items. The original NDE Scale's item hierarchy replicated across samples, showing long-term stability. Based on parsimony and psychometric evidence, the original NDE Scale with Rasch scoring and a validated cut-off of 7 (out of 32) is recommended for future research.
July 26, 2025
Bruce Greyson, Jeffrey Long, Janice Holden et al.
preprint
A new scale, the veridical Near-Death Experience Scale (vNDE Scale), was developed to assess how strong the evidence is for perceptions reported during near-death experiences. Experts in near-death experiences reached consensus on eight criteria covering timing, medical conditions, third-party verification, and the type and quality of perceptions, scored on a four-level Likert scale. When 11 human raters and three artificial raters using large language models applied the scale to 17 cases, overall agreement between human and artificial judges exceeded 75% in 14 of the 17 cases (82.3%), considering adjacent levels of evidence strength. The scale offers a practical way to evaluate the evidential strength of such perceptions.
Journal of Near-Death Studies
January 1, 2024
Natasha Tassell-Matamua, Antti Savinainen, Bruce Greyson
The article examines accounts of life review found in the writings of the Theosophy movement from the 1800s and 1900s. It describes how these accounts present a retrospective examination of one's life, often occurring after death or in spiritual contexts, as part of the movement's broader metaphysical teachings. The Theosophical literature portrays life review as a process of moral and spiritual evaluation, where individuals confront their actions and their consequences. The article likely explores the origins, variations, and significance of these accounts within Theosophical thought, situating them within the movement's synthesis of Eastern and Western esoteric traditions.
The Journal of near-death studies
January 1, 1997
Bruce Greyson
A review of Kimberly Clark Sharp's book 'After the Light' recounts her personal near-death experience and describes how the event transformed her life and worldview. The review presents Sharp's account of what she discovered on the other side of life and the lasting impact it had on her, including her subsequent work with the International Association for Near-Death Studies.
The Journal of near-death studies
January 1, 1996
Bruce Greyson
A review of Jeno Platthy's book 'Near-Death Experiences in Antiquity' examines how ancient texts describe experiences similar to modern near-death experiences, arguing that such phenomena were recorded across classical and ancient cultures. The reviewer notes Platthy's collection of historical accounts from Greek, Roman, and other ancient sources, suggesting that these narratives share features with contemporary reports, such as journeys to other realms and encounters with beings. The work contributes to the history of ideas about the afterlife and paranormal experiences, placing modern near-death research in a broader historical context.
The Journal of near-death studies
January 1, 1996
Bruce Greyson
A prolific author argues that ancient accounts of near-death experiences (NDEs) and underworld journeys, drawn from Greek and other sources, provide essential context for understanding both modern NDE research and medieval otherworld narratives. The book presents the author's own English translations of passages from ancient writers describing phenomena now called NDEs, along with mythological parallels and historical cases. Platthy contends that Pythagoras's account of visiting Hades foreshadowed later Christian themes of the soul's torture after death. The work retells and integrates 25 mythological visitors' stories to the underworld, many already familiar through Western dramatic retellings.
The Journal of near-death studies
January 1, 1990
Bruce Greyson
In a retrospective comparison of 183 people who reported near-death experiences and 63 who did not, the two groups were similar in age, gender, and time since the event. Those with near-death experiences endorsed all 16 items on the NDE Scale more frequently than those without such experiences.
The Journal of near-death studies
January 1, 1989
Bruce Greyson
Near-death experiences (NDEs) raise empirical questions that science can investigate, but scientific study carries risks for those who have had NDEs and for how the experience itself is understood. Because NDEs offer unique access to information about consciousness and death, these risks are outweighed by the benefits to experiencers and to humanity that come from a scientific description of NDEs.
The Journal of near-death studies
January 1, 1988
Bruce Greyson
Out-of-body experiences (OBEs) are not signs of mental illness but are relatively common, occurring in about one in ten people, often during sleep or relaxation. The book reviews empirical research on OBEs, finding that they typically occur spontaneously, are more frequent in people with certain personality traits like openness to experience, and are generally not linked to psychopathology. The authors argue that OBEs represent a psychological phenomenon that can be understood through empirical analysis, challenging earlier views that pathologized such experiences.
American Journal of Forensic Medicine & Pathology
September 1, 1980
Idabelle Stevenson, Bruce Greyson
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