How Near-Death Experiences Transform People's Lives with Bruce Greyson M.D.

People who report near-death experiences often find that their lives have changed permanently, with new values and no fear of death.

On November 1, 2022, Shaun Lether welcomed Dr. Bruce Greyson M.D. Psychiatrist researcher, Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the UVA School of Medicine, and co-founder of the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS) to speak at Hawaiian IANDS about his four decades of research and work with Near-Death Experiencers.

🌟For centuries, some people who unexpectedly survived a life-threatening event have recounted amazing experiences. Between the time they appeared to die and when they revived, they often encountered places and beings unlike those of everyday life. What should we make of such near-death experiences?

🌟Occasionally, the reports of near-death experiences contain detailed descriptions of what was happening to the experiencer’s body, from a perspective outside the body. The person offering this report may not have had any way of knowing what was happening, yet they may have accurate details. How can we interpret these accounts?

🌟One of the hallmarks of a near-death experience is that afterwards the individual reports no more fear of death. Consequently, they frequently re-evaluate their lives. Not uncommonly, they will change their approach to their livelihood or their relationships to reflect new values. Often, surviving a near death experience helps a person live the rest of their life more fully.

🌟Scientists have long been skeptical about these accounts because they can’t be reliably (or ethically) reproduced, you can’t study them in experiments. But that doesn’t mean you can’t study them at all. Bruce Greyson M.D. has devoted decades to the scientific study of reports of near-death experiences. In addition to collecting these first-hand reports, he used medical records and the observations of family members and close friends to evaluate them. One thing he discovered is that people don’t forget details of their near-death experiences. The memories are clear and compelling for decades. Perhaps this helps explain how the transformations they seem to trigger are also very long lasting.

🌟Bruce Greyson M.D. was one of the founding members of the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS), and served for many years on the Board of Directors, as IANDS’ President, Director of Research, and for 27 years, Editor of the Journal of Near-Death Studies. Bruce graduated from Cornell University with a major in psychology, received his medical degree from the SUNY Upstate Medical College, and completed his psychiatric residency at the University of Virginia. He practiced and taught psychiatry at the University of Michigan and the University of Connecticut, where he was Clinical Chief of Psychiatry, before returning to the University of Virginia 27 years ago, where he was the Carlson Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Division of Perceptual Studies. Bruce’s near-death research for the past four decades has focused on the aftereffects of the experience, and have resulted in more than 100 presentations to national scientific conferences, 190 publications in academic medical and psychological journals, and several research grants and awards. His most recent book is After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal about Life and Beyond (2021).

[Rayjaray]

"Not afraid of dying also meant not afraid of living" What calming and meaningful takeaways. Thank you Shaun Lether and Dr Greyson.

[debbiejorde]

Thank you so much Dr Greyson for writing the book, “After”!💕 Thank you for this wonderful, informative talk! Thank you Hawaiian IANDS for inviting Dr. Greyson to speak and for sharing his talk on YouTube!🌺

[dianehill]

I’ve watched many of Dr Greyson’s presentations and this is one of the best! I wish everyone knew this research - it literally has the potential to change the world. Just imagine if humans actually lived by The Golden Rule 😍

[grantpipher]

Amazing talk, Shaun! I feel Dr Greyson's work has brought so much positive light into this world. Has added medical and academic legitimacy to this profoundly life changing phenomenon. Am grateful for his and the other IANDS/NDE pioneers' trailblazing work. 🙏🏻

[richardwilliams]

A very important thing that Bruce said is that when one has a NDE experience they tend to detach from their physical body. That says to me that we are all really Spiritual beings in a temporary physical body. And I concur with Bruce when he said we meet our dead relatives when we cross over. Why do I say this? Because days before my Dad died he was talking outloud to his deceased mother!!!

[michabienkowski]

Professor, thank You very much for sharing Your knowledge. NDE has the power to fill humanity with hope and willing to change ourselves.

[wp]

I have a curiosity about these experiencers. It is clear they are going through a traumatic experience, recovering from dying and then having that magnified by their perceptions while "dead". In everything I have watched and listened to many state that we are here to grow out of the emotional issues we have here on earth. We all have our own personal emotional issues to deal with growing up, everyone of us!!! MY curiosity is about the emotional state of these people prior to their experience. It seems like a very high percentage of these videos are about experiencers that have come from very tough life experiences., lives that are emotionally dysfunctional. We ALL have emotional issues to outgrow as we grow up!! Have you kept track of the state of mind of these people who report having an NDE, their emotional state, prior entering to their experience. Is it possible that people with highly charged emotional circumstances, compared to people with less emotional dysfunction, are more likely to have an NDE??