How Near Death Experiences Show That Christianity Is True
In this series we are building a cumulative case for Christ by looking at reasons to think that Christianity is true. This is the seventh reason in this series: The Argument From Near Death Experiences. Modern science looking at NDEs is giving us a glimpse of what life after death is like and it is revealing a Christian pattern, just like Jesus taught.
The Scientific Study of Near Death Experiences
The study of NDEs has exploded in recent decades. We are talking about peer-reviewed scientific research of NDEs published in academic journals. What researchers have found is that millions of people in the West who were declared clinically dead (no heartbeat, no measurable brain activity on an EEG, no brain stem activity which would be indicated by no blink or gag reflex), people who shouldn’t be experiencing anything, have a series of life changing experiences.
As researcher Pim van Lommel put it in the Journal of Consciousness Studies: "The NDE is an authentic experience which cannot be simply reduced to imagination, fear of death, hallucination, psychosis, the use of drugs, or oxygen deficiency." For these reasons we should take NDEs seriously.
Core Elements and Veridical Evidence
The general nature of this experience consists of several elements, including out of body experiences, the tunnel experience, light, and feelings of peace and calm. Skeptics will say that these people are not really experiencing anything; rather it must be the brain doing something at death due to fear or lack of oxygen. However, this skeptical response does not work for a number of reasons based on scientific studies by experts like Dr. Bruce Greyson or Dr. Pim van Lommel.
| Type of Evidence | Scientific Findings |
|---|---|
| Veridically Reported Data | This occurs when the person having the NDE reports data that can be verified by independent researchers. While clinically dead, many have experienced what happened to them in the operating room in accurate detail. |
| Visual Perception Of The Blind | There have been studies on people who were born BLIND, who have no physical capacity to see, can in fact see when they are clinically dead having a NDE. |
| Personal Information About Deceased Individuals | People report information about other deceased people that they could not have known otherwise which can be later corroborated. |
The Nature of the Experience
- Accurate visual and auditory perception when out of the body.
- Life review and being in another world.
- Encountering relatives and friends who had passed away.
Implications for the Truth of Christianity
This has a lot of implications for the philosophy of mind as it certainly seems like a total refutation of materialistic views of the mind since these people are having consciousness with no measurable brain activity. It also has implications for the existence of God and even the truth of Christianity. These reasons tell us that these out of body perceptions are veridical, and that these "dead" people are having legitimate perceptions at a time when they are clinically dead.
In previous contexts, we have seen that Jesus claimed to be God, backed up that claim by fulfilling prophecy and rising from the dead, and left a miraculous picture of His resurrection in the Shroud of Turin. Near-death experiences provide a seventh reason to think that Christianity is true, showing a pattern consistent with what Jesus taught.