Rethinking Death: Exploring What Happens When We Die

The full recording of Parnia's Lab's premiere film, Rethinking Death: Exploring What Happens When We Die. In Rethinking Death, scientists, physicians, and survivors of cardiac arrest explore the liminal space between life, death and beyond, breaking down these stunning scientific breakthroughs to tell the remarkable, scientific story of what happens after we die.

Special thank you to Stellaris Productions, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, and of course, the researchers and survivors without whom this story could not be told:

Dr. Robert Montgomery
Dr. Sam Parnia
Dr. Lance Becker
Dr. Tom Aufderheide
Dr. Stephan Mayer
Dr. Samuel Tisherman
Dr. Alysson Muotri
Dr. Lindsay Gurin
Dr. Bruce Greyson
Dr. Mary Neal
Jeffery Olsen
Rachel Finch
Dr. Anthony Bossis
Dr. Megan Craig
Dr. Donald Hoffman
Dr. Joseph Lowy

[BobZombie]

Watching this stuff to try to deal with anxiety. If you’re here for the same reason, you’re not alone

[HumbertoCristobal]

My 4 year old passed from brain cancer she was the most sweetest loving little girl. She didn’t deserve any of that 😢💔 having to watch your child be born into this world and leave this world in that horrible way is the worst. I’m here because these stories bring me comfort and I hope one day I will be able to hold her again and hear her laugh as well ❤

[kelliekeigley]

I worked in a nursing home, I always told dying patients how happy I am to know them and that they brought joy to my life, and I thanked them.

[sampsontendaimutsago]

My wife passed away last year in July after a short illness. Mhsrip.
Some time before she died( months before)she told me how she should have died 8 years before when she was giving birth to our last born!
During the experience she said she saw 'herself' leaving her struggling body on the delivery bed and could see her body lying there and the medical personnel scurrying around to save her. She said it felt a million times better in that state and didn't really want to come back to her frail body giving birth. She then said she felt a gentle force guiding her back and the next thing she was back in her body! She was to stay another 8 years until she passed on last year July. God gave us 8 bonus years! How beautiful!

[Jogie]

While my brother was being removed from life support I couldn’t just stand there so I went and sat on the floor just outside of his room. All of a sudden I felt him race once around my shoulders and neck area then shoot up and out of a window just across from where I sat. He didn’t look back and as I think back on this last memory of him all I feel is his excitement for wherever he was off to. This experience has given me a great deal of comfort for loved ones lost.

[imbookedandverybusyhoney]

I had a patient who was dying and was very agitated, I medicated him and sat him close to me in a recliner to monitor him. What I later noticed was so beautiful. I witnessed him with fixed pupils, no blinking, eyes glazed as he looked towards a set spot towards the ceiling smiling and blowing kisses! During this time he was doing hugging motion and I believe he had pets because I witnessed him acting as if he was playing with a dog. He was definitely transitioning and was in a great place and I was lucky enough to watch those beautiful moments! He passed about half hour after I left 😢I’ll never forget him and that experience but it was definitely a beautiful day ❤❤

[lucyclink]

During my near death experience I could hear everyone in the room. I could feel their emotions. I felt their compassion. Their shock at what was unfolding in front of them. I could hear the man next to me say "she's stopped breathing". And saying" her lips have gone blue. She's stopped breathing. Does anyone know CPR. Breathe. Breathe." It was clear, vivid and I have never felt so alive or awake or aware as I did in that moment. I hope that my experience helps someone else and brings hope.

[fhcriptos]

Since my little dog passed away, I've felt an insatiable thirst for information on these topics. Two days ago, my brother came over while I was watching YouTube videos about near-death experiences. He asked what I was watching, and I explained. Turns out, he had no idea about near-death experiences. As I explained, his expression completely changed: he started listening, half laughing, and ended up looking astonished and thoughtful. To my surprise, he said, "Remember that time I crashed my bike into a tree, lost consciousness, and the ambulance took me to the hospital, taking almost an hour to wake up?" I confirmed that I did remember perfectly. Then, he shared something astounding: "I experienced something too. I saw my life flash before my eyes from birth to the moment of the accident, like slides, very fast flashes, at an incredible speed, but I could see everything in detail. In the end, a huge white light appeared, but it wasn't a normal white light; it was indescribable with words. As I approached, I felt like I was being absorbed, and that's when I woke up." When I asked why he had never mentioned it, he said he had thought a lot about it but couldn't find the words to describe it, so he let it go. My brother had a Near-Death Experience (NDE) without realizing it, making me wonder how many more people might have similar experiences without sharing them.

[Ztoney]

As long as you are in your prime years and living your life to the full, this might pass unnoticed by the endless stream of Youtube videos, but for me in my autumn years this has been extremely inspiring and meaningful to watch.

[tiffanyjoleenbowserdimeco]

This is the generation where science and spirituality begin to merge.🦋 Beautiful presentation. Thank you.🙏🏽

[aug.jam.]

Very interesting documentary indeed worth watching. I had an NDE (Near Death Experience), 4 years ago in between two surgeries due to complications. It was never confirmed by doctors that I was actually in cardiac arrest as I was not on any monitors, however I am very sure it happened as I popped out of my body and was floating above my body seeing the doctors checking out the complication after my first surgery causing immense pain and made it impossible for me to breathe. I went into a tunnel and talked (telepathicly) with a being/energy that was not visible for me who told me everything was going to be alright. At that moment I was able to switch back seeing the doctors work on me but I decided to go back in the tunnel and I told this being/energy that I wanted to go "home", a flickering light about 600 feet away in the tunnel... But I guess I wasn't allowed to go there yet as a huge hand the size of my chest came out of the light in the tunnel and pushed me back from the tunnel into my body. I then remember I was wheeled into the operating room and I was put to sleep for the second surgery. I have held this to me for 3 years and only since a year I started speaking about this with family and friends and have extensively researched these experiences. Since that time I have become very spiritual and am no longer afraid of death. Actually I am secretly missing that place so much, wanting to go back as it was absolute bliss and peace. It is comforting to know that I will die some day and hopefully witness this again. If you're a person that is afraid of death, don't be, it will be absolute bliss, peace and all problems will immediately go away and it won't be the "end" of "you". Much love to all ❤

[nickacelvn]

I was involved in a car accident where a guy fell asleep and crossed the centre line directly into the path of a 50 ton truck. I jumped into the car (what was left of it) and comforted the guy as he passed over. There was not much else i could do but talk to him. I held his hand and said in a light hearted manor, Pffft you'll be fine mate, walk it off its just a flesh wound, nothing to worry about I'm right here with you etc. It sounds a bit cringe here and now but at the time it felt like the rite thing to do.

[hemant]

"Death is not extinguishing the light; it is putting out the lamp as dawn has come"

[ericmartin]

I was almost killed in the line of duty and I remember thinking “this isn’t so bad”. 40 years later I was at another job/career and exposed to organophosphates and was on my way to the hospital with a blood pressure of 185/165 the inside of the ambulance was like being in a cave with a little light from a candle a long ways away. They brought me back from the edge again. Death is easy, living is hard.

[toiletduck]

I've so much respect for Parnia and his team. He's both skeptical enough not to jump to conclusions and open minded enough to not rule anything out, and has fully convinced me that there is a transcendental element of NDEs thst goes beyond the brain or body.

[katelyn]

My Grandfather had an experience where he died for around 10 minutes. He said he went to a place he didn't want to leave. He said he was at peace and had never seen such a beautiful place in his entire life. At the same time, my Nan was praying for him in her garden. She was pregnant with my Uncle at the time, he's the youngest of 3 boys. My Grandfather said he could hear my Nan's prayer word to word. He was told his time wasn't up yet. When my Nan heard the story from him, she was shocked to the core. He repeated her prayer word to word. Years later, after all his boys were grown up, he unfortunately passed away from a brain tumour. During the whole time he was treated with palliative care, he told everyone he wasn't scared of death. He passed away peacefully. I miss him so much, but I can't wait to be reunited with him when my time is up. His story has always given me hope, and this video and many others too. I'm not scared of death anymore.

[KevinZimmerman]

This feels like a watershed moment for the medical community, to be acknowledging these phenomena with respect and dignity. With so many NYU medical specialists and others from reputable institutions to be featured in this documentary really is a big deal.

[AaronAaron-tvlr]

My Mom died a year ago. She was a single parent and struggled to raise me. It wasn't till she was laying beside me in her hospital bed with a BP of 50/30 that I asked her to forgive me for anything bad I had done and being frustrated and angry sometimes when I was her caretaker for 3 years. This video helped me realize that I think she heard me. She died the next day.

[mbass]

I had a near death experience while at nyu Langone 2 1/2 years ago. It was right before I woke up in the ICU on a ventilator keeping me alive for 4 days til they moved me to a regular room. I was telling the story to a friend while my nurse took notes on everything I said. My NDE was completely different from where most people go to when they have an NDE and completely different from what I saw and experienced when my mom passed away. I saw her Light /soul right when she passed away.. It was hovering as a big ball of light about 6/7ft away from me. I was crying my eyes out and although there was no bodily form I knew it was my mom looking at me. It only lasted about a minute and shot out the hospital door faster than anything I've ever seen move. I already wasn't scared of death as I'd come close to dying a couple of times when I was younger. This was a true gift and really made me realize death is not the end. My NDE was something else. It was a Buddhist near death. I'm not Buddhist though I do practice Buddhist meditations. All I can say is.. Before I came back I was in the Bardo which is the place Buddhists believe we go to in between dying and being reborn. Before I came back I was in a place where I was just consciousness and seeing what I knew was my DNA flowing endlessly in building blocks. Swirling and flowing non stop. I asked where I was.. And a voice that I can only describe as the sound of God answered and said "you are in the Bardo state of dying and being reborn". That was all. From there I felt totally at peace and if I died at that moment I would have been fine. I never believed in reincarnation before but I've had to rethink that and now believe people's deaths have different outcomes. I know my mom went to the light or wherever souls go to. Where as I think I might be coming back when my time in this body is up. I've spoken with Buddhists that I know and they also believe I was in the Bardo. I don't know how or why I came back but I'm 100% positive that death is not the end and really not something to fear. It was very much like I was seeing the world through new eyes or a babies eyes when I came back! I remember just staring out the windows for about 12 hours amazed at everything I was seeing across the east river along with the helicopters that were taking off and landing across the street from the hospital room I was in. It was so beautiful. It wasn't fun being kept alive by a ventilator and there's alot more I can say about that. But if you're reading this and have any fear of death there's truly absolutely nothing to fear 🙏💜

[halaurent]

I am one of those people who died. 40 years ago, I had a brain aneurysm. Dying was the most important event of my life. I was told that I couldn't stay because I had to do something here on earth. I have tried every day since then to find out what I am supposed to do so I can go back. There is a lot I can say about this; however, some people don't want to know because it doesn't fit with their ideas on religion. When I say that there is no religion in heaven - that religion is something created by men - they are horrified and turn away. They don't want to hear that all people are accepted. They only want their own kind to go to heaven.