Dr. Bruce Greyson on what we know, and how to study, near-death experiences

Psychiatrist Bruce Greyson created a scale to identify and rate NDEs

Researcher Bruce Greyson is one of the world’s leading experts on near-death experiences. This article explores what the field of NDE research has learned over the last five decades, discusses the difficulties of studying such a controversial topic, and outlines what we’ve ruled out as the cause of these events.

University of Virginia has the nation's premier near-death studies department

Researcher Bruce Greyson has been studying this phenomenon at the University of Virginia for decades, where he now directs the Division of Perceptual Studies. This piece from the university’s magazine explores the breadth and substance of the department, founded by pioneer researcher Ian Stevenson.

See the 16-question Greyson questionnaire on near-death experiences

The Greyson Scale, developed in the early 1980s, provides a questionnaire for people reporting near-death experiences that allows researchers some ability to quantify and track the phenomenon. See the questions and how they're scored here.

Brain activity goes into overdrive around the point of death

Recent studies suggest increased electrical activity in the brain during and after clinical death could be responsible for near-death experiences. Both high-frequency gamma waves (linked to perception and attention) and low-frequency beta waves (related to focus and concentration) increased and became more synchronized across multiple brain regions, potentially resulting in a near-death state of heightened consciousness.

Accounts of near-death experiences share similarities with hallucinogens

This short film explores human experiences of dying, blending personal reflections with scientific insight. It aims to illuminate the emotional, psychological, and physiological aspects of that final transition, and draws out similarities of psychedlic drug use and accounts of near-death experiences.

Around 5% of people report memories of a near-death experience

Near-death experiences are moments reported by people who’ve come close to death, often associated with bright lights, out-of-body sensations, or encounters with otherworldly beings. While scientific research offers theories ranging from brain chemistry to psychological coping mechanisms, no single explanation fully captures the mystery of these experiences.

The oldest medical report of a near-death experience dates to around 1740

In 2014, Dr. Philippe Charlier, a medical doctor and archeologist, found a French medical book from 1740 that described the near-death experience of a pharmacist. Using the Greyson Scale, Charlier found that the incident would have rated at least 12/32, more than high enough to scientifically classify as an NDE by today’s standards.

An avowed rationalist discusses his near-death experience

Documentarian Sebastian Junger, a veteran reporter and skeptic discusses his experiences—in particular, a frightening vision—after an aneurysm and internal hemorrhaging left him nearly dead. Junger talks about his NDE, the possible scientific explanations, and how that day changed his fundamental worldview.

Meet the Dutch cardiologist who believes consciousness can exist outside the body

Dutch cardiologist Dr. Pim van Lommel conducted one of the largest studies of near-death experiences following cardiac arrest, publishing the results in the prestigous journel The Lancet. He later went on to argue (to significant criticism from peers) that his findings suggest consciousness can exist outside the body.

Some scientists argue NDEs are constructed by the brain, not actually experienced

Despite the powerful memories associated with NDEs, scientists question the idea that the experiences prove consciousness endures after death, opting instead to find physiological explanations for common reports of out-of-body experiences, euphoric and lucid thinking, and more.

Humans experience the world subjectively. What does that mean for scientific research?

When you close your eyes, do you see static or colorful patterns or an "intrinsic grey" known as Eigengrau in German? This variation of our internal experiences is just the tip of the iceberg, one that scientists are increasingly studying and...

Thanatology is the study of death and dying

Watch this video exploring the evolution in how researchers are studying and understanding death in the context of recent scientific research. CPR to restart hearts, ventilators, and other discoveries have challenged the way we think of death and scientifically upended the idea of death as a single moment.

The evolution of dream science—from interpretation to advanced brain imaging

In the mid-1900s, dream scientists would tape study participants' eyes open, wait for them to fall asleep, and attempt to influence their dreams by shaking, tickling, and more. Now, advanced techniques like MRIs have shed new light on what’s happening in the brain as we sleep.

'1440 Explores' Episode 3: Why We See Ghosts and What Isn't There

Every culture has them—restless spirits, haunted houses, things that go bump in the night. But why do we believe in ghosts? Psychologist and skeptic Dr. Chris French joins host Sony Kassam to explore the science behind the supernatural, from sleep paralysis and hallucinations to the brain's pattern-making instincts. Together, they uncover why our minds see meaning—and sometimes ghosts—where none exist, and what that reveals about fear, memory, and our need to believe in something beyond the grave.

Using psychedelics to manage a cancer diagnosis

Dr. Roland Griffiths helped lead the revival of psychedelic research, often prescribing the use of psilocybin to address severe depression or anxiety in patients. This podcast explores how Griffiths leaned on his own career after being diagnosed with cancer and facing the prospect of death.

A brain scientist's experience with a stroke

What happens when a leading brain scientist has a stroke of her own? Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor recounts moment by moment watching her brain function slow and then cease, followed by a prolonged recovery. Through this experience, she details what she learned about the phenomenon of stroke and how it has impacted her research ever since.

'Dr. Death' (4 Seasons)

Taking a unique angle on the true crime genre, this series explores medical professionals whose lust for fame and success stops at nothing—even others’ lives. Each season explores a different doctor and the systems that enabled them. Begin with the season one and the story of Christopher Duntsch, accused of maiming or killing several patients, including leaving one quadriplegic and another brain-dead.

'It's those who lie outside ordinary experience who have the most to teach us.'

- Author Malcolm Gladwell (1963 - present)

Hawking suggested studying black holes could reveal truths about the universe's start

After predicting black holes could evaporate and before undergoing a tracheotomy, Stephen Hawking conducted interviews in his voice, explaining phenomena like black holes and the Big Bang. In this clip, he explains how curiosity drives humans to become “masters of the universe.”

Everything scientists could learn by looking at your skull

Our skulls are all unique, but they also share characteristics across groups of people. In the absence of fingerprints, forensic scientists can learn a lot about you just from your skull.

How we frame stress—as good or bad—seems to alter how it affects us

This podcast discusses research that indicates stress perception may drastically affect how we respond to it. In research exploring if our stress is presented as diminishing our health versus if we're told it enhances our performance, it will lead to differences in how successful participants are at performing tasks—with the enhancers doing better.

Researchers believe the brain consolidates memories, processes emotions, and plans for the future during dream states

Aging explained with Dr. Nick Golinvaux

Aging is more than wrinkles and gray hair—it’s a gradual decline in cellular function. Over time, DNA damage, telomere shortening, and mitochondrial inefficiency contribute to weaker bones, slower memory, and reduced vitality. While aging is inevitable, regular exercise, quality sleep, and stress management maintain health and extend one’s years.

Listen to how medical error affected an emergency physician's approach

Emergency physician Dr. Sarah Gray discusses her worst medical error, what she learned from it, and how medical error and the culture around it lead to physician burnout. In addition to lawsuits, medical errors can lead to guilt, shame, anxiety, and fears of embarrassment, so this podcast discusses how sharing such errors and teaching about them can improve care.

A doctor answers the internet's burning questions about the gut

Gastroenterologist Dr. Ugo Iroku answers the internet’s burning questions about digestion and bowel movements. Get the lowdown on what it means when your stuff is super dark, the impact of coffee on evacuating bowels, and much more.

Watch this behind-the-scenes interview about the first person ever diagnosed with autism

Two reporters from The Atlantic tell the story behind their effort to track down the first diagnosed autism patient, Donald Gray Triplett, in Forest, Mississippi, and how his life turned out decades later.

After 25 people used virtual reality headsets to practice flying with virtual wings—flapping their arms—their visual cortex responded to the wings almost as if they were real arms, treating them as body parts.

Read a deep dive on the 'all-purpose healing' peptide BPC-157.

A researcher recently discovered an interview from 1967 between groundbreaking journalist Joan Didion and the Grateful Dead, years before the band became an institution.

Listen to an in-depth conversation on the links between Parkinson's disease and herbicide exposure and the challenging pace of scientific investigation.

In recent years a child anxiety expert has created and tested a novel phobia and anxiety treatment approach for children, focused on changing how parents respond to the fears.

Against his wishes, Albert Einstein's brain was removed before his cremation, and the pathologist responsible stored it for decades in mason jars within a beer cooler.

According to the physics of black holes, our 4D reality may be a hologram—a projection of information coded on a 2D surface on the edge of the universe.

Crows are believed to have intelligence on par with a seven-year-old child and demonstrate complex behaviors, from problem-solving with tools to recognizing human faces.

As of 2025, the most cited papers in science include a review of graphene, methods to improve image recognition, streamlining electron density calculations, and optimizing protein studies.

The concept of phantom limbs, the perception that amputated limbs are still present, dates back to a French military surgeon in the 16th century.

Watch what the Ebola virus does inside our cells and organs in order to spread and survive.

The first line of 'immortal' human cells, which can divide indefinitely and are used in scientific research, was nonconsensually taken from a Black woman.

Explore the known asteroids, comets, and spacecraft involved in asteroid studies within our solar system with 'Eyes on Asteroids,' a 3D visualization from NASA.

The Dracula character, now seen as the vampire archetype, was inspired by a seafood-induced nightmare its creator experienced.

Double world record holder Hunter Ewen helped conquer his fear of balloons, called globophobia, by training to win Guinness World Record titles for balloon inflation.

A Yale student wrote a profound essay about the consulting industry's influence on elite college students that was published in a book of her writing after she died in a post-graduation car accident.

Neutron stars, the remains of some massive stars after they explode in a supernova, are the densest directly observable objects in the universe.

Discover the catastrophic consequences of a failure of the US electrical grid—something that is more likely than many Americans think.

In 2018, 26-year-old missionary John Allen Chau was killed by tribesmen after attempting to reach and evangelize on India's isolated North Sentinel Island

Explore the history, structure, and species of Australia's Great Barrier Reef with this interactive journey narrated by Sir David Attenborough.

Warren Buffett's former professor Benjamin Graham is known as the 'father of value investing,' a strategy in which investors seek to buy stocks trading below their intrinsic worth.

See how fireworks are made and learn how metals like magnesium and copper are responsible for different colors.

SpaceX's S-1 or 'prospectus' revealed many previously unknown details about the company, including its unprofitability despite doing $18.7B in revenue in 2025, exactly how many voting shares Elon Musk will have in the company (roughly 85%), and more.

Chaos theory—informally known as the butterfly effect—is the reason why weather forecasts are presented with probabilities rather than certainties.