According to an influential study published by The Lancet in 2001, one out of 10 patients who go into cardiac arrest will come back with a new core memory. This “near-death experience” (or NDE) is so vivid and convincing that it often reshapes the patient’s view of the world, the afterlife and their own identity.
Unlike fragmented or disorganized experiences seen in hallucinations or delirium, NDE narratives are characterized by a high degree of clarity and persistence. When researchers have asked, many patients have identified the NDE as the most important moment of their life.
