June 28, 2026
First Parish in Wayland, Vestry
Evan Hadingham
According to a recent poll, 82% of Amercans believe in an afterlife, and many look to the near-death experience, or NDE, as evidence for personal survival after death. Around 10-20% of patients who recover from a severe medical crisis report NDEs that can feature traveling through a tunnel and emerging into a brilliant light, a rapid life review, encounters with dead relatives, and ineffable feelings of happiness and well-being. Rather than evidence for survival, skeptics argue that NDEs represent misfirings of the dying brain and can be triggered in non-life-threatening situations including depression, isolation, and psychedelic drugs. We’ll explore recent studies on the enigma of the NDE, touching on larger questions about the nature of consciousness, spirituality, and the self.