Opening Questions:
Have you studied Near Death Experiences?
If you have or haven’t how skeptical are you about them?
Video Description – Time 59:35 – Premiered Feb 4, 2025 Sean McDowell Show What are the top 5 best supported near-death experiences or deathbed experiences? And what do they tell us, if anything, about the afterlife? Dr. Steve Miller is BACK! He is a leading researcher on near-death experiences. While he has been on my show multiple times to talk about hellish near-death experiences, whether NDEs point to universalism, and more, the focus today is on discussing the top five documented cases. In other words, these five NDEs are among the best documented ones ever.
Video Notes:
Definition:
Near Death Experience = have died or almost died, but are revived.
Death Bed = visions right before they die.
Gary Habermas documents over 300 NDE’s.
Experience #5: Mark Twain’s Evidential Deathbed Experience
Samuel Clemens was typically very skeptical of religion.
Recorded in his auto-biography
Dream about his brother’s death, with exact details.
What does the dream mean, what is it’s source?
Is this counter evidence to Clemens’ naturalistic worldview?
How can Clemens’ vision of things to happen in the future, in detail, best be explained?
Atheist Michael Shermer – had an unexplained experience, concerning an old broken radio playing.
Experience #4: Michael Morse (pediatrician): Katie Sees Heaven
Near death of a child reported by her physician. Agnostic physician.
Drowned, heart had stopped, lung machine. 10% chance of surviving.
She said “When I saw my heavenly Father” Saw Jesus and Heavenly Father.
Tunnel. Brother playing with a G.I. Joe and other details. Parents confirmed the details. Morse interviewed and Nurses and parents.
This represents specific details seen in a different location.
The mother said that death experiences weren’t previously discussed.
Experience #3: Respected Physician Encounters His 1st NDE
Lots of physicians recorded these experiences
At a New York Academy of Sciences event.
2019 moderated my Dr. Sam Parnia, MD, PhD
Panelist Dr. Tom Aufderheide , professor of emergency medicine
asking questions like how do you tell me when someone is really dead.
Aufderheide tells the story, heart is stopped, resucitated, happens a few times.
Patient – sees going into the hallway, sees Dr talking to the family in another room, Dr. ate his lunch. The patient said what Aufderheide was thinking that he didn’t say out loud.
The video referenced in experience #3 from ChatGPT:
It looks like you’re referring to a panel discussion from 2019 titled “What Happens When We Die?” hosted by Dr. Sam Parnia, MD, PhD, at the New York Academy of Sciences Symposium, which included a panel of experts on resuscitation and consciousness in cardiac arrest fully-human.org+15
That YouTube video is the recording of the evening panel discussion at the 2019 NYAS event you mentioned. The event included presentations and a moderated session with panelists such as Dr. Tom Aufderheide, Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky, Dr. Stephan Mayer, and Dr. Sarah Perman, exploring breakthroughs in brain protection, resuscitation, and the scientific study of death experiences
Experience #2: Sir William Barrett: Respected Physicist’s Report of a Deathbed Vision.
Physician wife tells the story of a death bed patient.
Barrett interviews the people.
Oh and there’s Vida, her sister who died 3 weeks previously, without their knowledge.
Barrett wrote Deathbed Visions and other books.
Experience #1: Pam Reynolds
35 year old mother, surgery to repair a giant aneurysm, body cooled, blood removed, eyes taped shut, speakers in her ears.
She said she saw, the specialized instruments in minute detail.
tunnel, deceased relatives. Dr. Sabom’s book.
Miller: the data of 50 years of NDE and 150 Death Bed Experiences does point to an afterlife.
Sean: Does this point to universalism – really this is far more consistent with Christianity, and seeing Jesus.
BOA NDE Questions:
BOA: Is this good evidence that the physical world is not all their is?
BOA: “Naturalistic-ally you would expect some programming” but do these experiences reflect only prior programming?
BOA: what are the best naturalistic explanations for these experiences?
BOA: If you had to rate this information on how likely an afterlife is, how would you rate it on a 1 to 10 scale?
BOA ‘my’ introduction:
Book: Imagine the God of Heaven, by John Burke
What are the common experiences in NDE?
ChatGPT:
Concerning NDE’s Near Death Experiences can you list the commonly reported phenomenon across the reported stories?
Yes — across many Near Death Experience (NDE) accounts, researchers have found strikingly common themes, even across cultures and time periods. Not everyone reports every element, but certain phenomena show up repeatedly. Here are the most commonly reported features:
🌟 Commonly Reported Phenomena in NDEs
- Out-of-Body Experience (OBE)
A sense of leaving one’s body, often described as floating above and observing medical staff or surroundings.
Some claim to see their body from an external perspective.
- Heightened Perception
Vivid, clear thinking and intensified senses (colors, sounds, or awareness described as “more real than real”).
Sometimes includes a 360-degree panoramic vision.
- The Tunnel or Passage
Moving through a tunnel, corridor, or darkness toward a light or new realm.
Often accompanied by a sense of speed or being pulled.
- Encounter with Light
A radiant, loving, non-judgmental light, sometimes perceived as a divine being or presence.
Many describe the light as deeply personal and intelligent.
- Life Review
A panoramic replay of one’s life events, often experienced with heightened clarity.
People often report not only seeing their actions but also feeling their impact on others.
- Encountering Beings or Deceased Relatives
Meeting spiritual beings, angels, or loved ones who have passed away.
Communication is often described as telepathic.
- A Boundary or Limit
Perceiving a border (river, fence, door, line) beyond which they cannot pass if they are to return to life.
Many report being told “it is not your time.”
- Profound Peace and Love
Overwhelming sense of calm, acceptance, joy, and unconditional love.
Contrast to pain or distress prior to the NDE.
- Reluctant Return
Being drawn or instructed to return to the body, often reluctantly.
Many describe disappointment or sadness at coming back.
- Aftereffects
A shift in values: reduced fear of death, stronger sense of purpose, more compassion, and often spiritual transformation.
Sometimes accompanied by increased psychic sensitivity or heightened intuition.
ChatGPT:
How many books have been written on NDE’s?
Summary
Academic tally: approximately 1,535 books identified and coded in different NDE subgenres.
Final BOA Question:
What is the apologetic and evangelistic strength of Near Death Experiences?