Learnings from 1,000+ Near-Death Experiences — Dr. Bruce Greyson, University of Virginia (#774)

“I was taught in college and medical school that the mind is what the brain does and all our thoughts and feelings and perceptions are all created by the brain. And I cannot believe that anymore. I’ve seen people whose brains were either offline or severely impaired telling me they had the most elaborate experience they’ve ever had. So I’m inclined to think that the mind is something else and the brain filters it.”
— Dr. Bruce Greyson

Bruce Greyson, M.D. (brucegreyson.com), is the Chester F. Carlson Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry & Neurobehavioral Sciences and Director Emeritus of the Division of Perceptual Studies at The University of Virginia. He is also a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and one of the founders of the International Association for Near-Death Studies.

Dr. Greyson’s research for the past half century has focused on the aftereffects and implications of near-death experiences and has resulted in more than 100 presentations to national and international scientific conferences, more than 150 publications in academic medical and psychological journals, 50 book chapters, and numerous research grants.

He is a co-author of Irreducible Mind: Toward a Psychology for the 21st Century; co-editor of The Near-Death Experience: Problems, Prospects, Perspectives and of The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences: Thirty Years of Investigation; and author of After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal about Life and Beyond.

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#774: Learnings from 1,000+ Near-Death Experiences — Dr. Bruce Greyson, University of Virginia

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Want to hear another episode that ponders the nature of consciousness? Have a listen to my conversation with Professor Donald Hoffman here, in which we discuss the science of consciousness, how perception may influence the physical world, the holographic model of the universe, panpsychism (and influential panpsychists), cosmological polytope, the use of hallucinogenic drugs to tap into deeper reality and interact with conscious agents, QBism, the probability of zero that humans evolved to see reality in full, and much more wild stuff.

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

Connect with Dr. Bruce Greyson:

Website

SHOW NOTES

[06:00] Bruce’s scientific upbringing and his attraction to psychiatry.
[09:03] Bruce’s first encounter with a near-death experience (NDE) that changed everything.
[15:37] Development of the NDE scale and its characteristics.
[19:59] Challenges in studying NDEs and distinguishing genuine experiences.
[21:31] Examples of NDEs and out-of-body experiences verified by third parties.
[29:16] Attempts to explain NDEs through biological mechanisms.
[33:58] Does the manner of someone’s misadventure have a bearing on their NDE?
[36:54] Prevalence and consistency of NDEs across cultures and time.
[40:42] How new tools may deliver scientifically viable NDE evidence.
[51:23] What’s happening when people report seeing dead loved ones during NDEs?
[52:49] What can research tell us about the practical applications of NDEs?
[52:49] Are there reliable ways to simulate an NDE-like state?
[59:35] What’s really happening during an out-of-body experience?
[01:04:43] Mind vs. brain.
[01:09:42] Bruce’s career challenges and motivations for studying NDEs when few would.
[01:12:36] Can studying twins find a genetic component to NDE susceptibility?
[01:16:24] The difficulties of replicating out-of-body experiences in controlled settings.
[01:20:58] The mysteries of terminal lucidity phenomenon.
[01:23:01] The concept of time in NDEs.
[01:25:01] Auditory hallucinations after NDEs.
[01:26:33] Researchers who demonstrate open-mindedness and rigorous skepticism in NDE studies.
[01:28:07] The irreducible mind concept.
[01:29:08] Want to read Bruce’s books? Start with After.
[01:29:49] Common characteristics and after-effects of NDEs.
[01:30:37] Parting thoughts.

MORE DR. BRUCE GREYSON QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW

“If you study things that we pretty much understand already, you can make little inroads here and there about fine points. If you really want to make some impact, you need to study things we don’t understand at all.”
— Dr. Bruce Greyson

“I started out as a materialist skeptic. After 50 years, I’m still skeptical, but I’m no longer a materialist. I think that’s a dead end when it comes to explaining near-death experiences and other phenomena like this.”
— Dr. Bruce Greyson

“I’m not a philosopher. I’m an empiricist. And when people say to me, as many do, ‘If you have this non-physical mind, how does it interact with a physical brain?’ And I have no idea. On the other hand, if you take a materialistic perspective and say, ‘How does the brain, the chemical and electrical changes in the brain, create an abstract thought?,’ we have no idea about that either.”
— Dr. Bruce Greyson

“Whether you’re an empiricist, a materialist, or not, we can’t explain how thoughts arise and how they get processed to us. What we do know is that all our experiences are filtered to us through the brain.”
— Dr. Bruce Greyson

“About five percent of the general population—or one to every 20 people—has had a near-death experience. Secondly, they are not associated in any way with mental illness. People who are perfectly normal have these NDEs in abnormal situations that can happen to anybody.”
— Dr. Bruce Greyson

“The more I learned about [NDEs], the harder they seemed to understand. So I’ve gotten more comfortable with not knowing all the answers.”
— Dr. Bruce Greyson

“Right now, people are listening to us and there’s electrical activity in parts of their brain that process hearing. It always happens when they’re hearing us. This part of the brain always lights up. That doesn’t mean that electrical activity is causing our voices; it’s just a reflection of it. So when you find these physiological concomitants of a near-death experience, you’re finding perhaps the mechanism for it, but not the cause of it.”
— Dr. Bruce Greyson

“Most people who study near-death experiences, whether they’re spiritualists or materialists or neuropsychologist or philosophers, they agree on the phenomena, they don’t agree on the interpretation of it, of what’s causing it and what its ultimate meaning is.”
— Dr. Bruce Greyson

“Many near-death experiencers have tried drugs afterwards to try to replicate the experience, and they universally tell me it is not the same thing. One person told me, ‘When I was on psilocybin, I saw Heaven. When I was in my near-death experience, I was in Heaven.'”
— Dr. Bruce Greyson

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Melanie Senn

16 days ago

Yesterday morning I was coming to the end of The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche. In 2022, I participated in a clinical trial that used psilocybin and have been working on a book about the experience. Throughout the Tibetan book I’ve been making notes about the similarities of the experience of death and the profound psychedelic experience I had (visiting the dead, being filled with light, conversing with a divine presence–this coming from a former atheist/ agnostic). The two trips were profoundly healing. Then later yesterday, I listened to your conversation with Dr. Greyson…he explains quite clearly that they are not the same–the NDE and the psychedelic experience–but there there can be some similarities. More than anything, my profound experiences in the clinical trial reduced my fear of death, as I believe it does for most people who experience NDE. Anyway, the synchronicity of reading and thinking about this in the morning and then hearing your podcast, my go-to podcast, was a delight. Thanks to Dr. Greyson, and to you Tim!

Katie

15 days ago

Tim, I really appreciated that your guest was a scientist/physician/clinician, and I loved that you asked what research/studies he would like to see funded. Thank you! For similar content, I think a part 2 with Dr. Martine Rothblatt and/or Dr. Nolan Williams would be fantastic. For something slightly different, I’d love to hear from more scientists working on climate-related research. Food for thought!

satish govindu

14 days ago

Hey Tim! This was such an insightful read! Dr. Bruce Greyson’s take on near-death experiences really adds a grounded perspective to something so mysterious. I love how he emphasizes the transformative impact rather than purely focusing on the event itself. It’s refreshing to see this topic explored through a scientific lens without losing the awe of these profound experiences. Have you come across other experts in the field who bring this same mix of curiosity and academic rigor?
Also, it was fascinating to see how these experiences often inspire deep life changes for those who have them. Dr. Greyson’s findings on the lasting effects on personal values and fears are truly inspiring. The concept of “noetic” experiences struck me—especially how they encourage a re-evaluation of life priorities. Thanks for bringing this to our attention, Tim! This post is definitely one to bookmark.

Bezos

13 days ago

Fascinating insights! Dr. Greyson’s research on near-death experiences offers profound perspectives on life and consciousness. I’m eager to explore how these experiences shape our understanding of existence!

K. Sean

Tim,
Long time listener, first time commenter. I have been tiptoeing around this topic of consciousness and universal connectedness over the past couple of months. Your conversation with Dr. Greyson was a helpful piece to my attempt to weave the disparate thoughts floating in my head. I am becoming more and more convinced that our bodies and brains are a form of transmitter for the universal energy that connects all living things. We only perceive a fraction of the frequency due to our limited consciousness and when we have the ability to unlock the additional capacity, similar to the NDE and psychedelic effects, we can tap into the greater connectivity. This is also, I believe, part of the effect that meditation provides. It removes the consciousness barrier and allows the benefits received. There is so much that we are unable to understand regarding the natural world that native peoples have known before us. The essence of “God” is just a finite attempt by humans to define this unifying energy.

Nancy H.

12 days ago

Thank you very much Tim, and Dr. Greyson, for a great discussion on an utterly fascinating topic. I’ve had a few experiences related to the subject. I also remember a former co-worker and friend (long ago passed away now) telling me about her experience while having back surgery – out of her body, she watched the medical team working on her – from a point near the ceiling. I find it interesting that people who have had these experiences often speak of being at a higher point viewing their physical selves below. I could go on for hours about this too as it is such a deeply fascinating realm.
Re: films: I like the way City of Angels displays the spiritual form leaving the body, and also Ghost.
Our Essence is free but our brains, and life, add in barriers to block that awareness. The addition of plant medicine is a fascinating study on opening The Doors of perception! Thank you for another great podcast!

SHOW NOTES

MORE DR. BRUCE GREYSON QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW

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