The Science of Near-Death Experiences

What happens to consciousness during the act of dying? The most compelling answers come from people who almost die and later recall events that occurred while lifesaving resuscitation, emergency care, or surgery was performed. These events are now called near-death experiences (NDEs). As medical and surgical skills improve, innovative procedures can bring back patients who have traveled farther on the path to death than at any other time in history. Physicians and healthcare professionals must learn how to appropriately treat patients who report an NDE. It is estimated that more than 10 million people in the United States have experienced an NDE. Hagan and the contributors to this volume engage in evidence-based research on near-death experiences and include physicians who themselves have undergone a near-death experience. This book establishes a new paradigm for NDEs.

“A landmark study of seemingly trascendent consciousness reported by patients who were revived after dying. Research into such experiences began with Greek philosophers, including Plato and Democritus, but Dr. Hagan's book will be the gold standard on this subject for years to come. The book brings together historical, philosophical, psychological, clinical and neuroscientific aspects of near-death experiences to illuminate one of the deepest mysteries of human existence.”—Raymond A. Moody, MD, PhD, author of Life After Life