Happenings Newsletter
26Q1V8
March 2026
Dr. Jeffrey Long
An Unspoken Fear
Many people live with an unspoken background fear that death means loss, separation, or nothingness. That death anxiety can quietly shape daily life, narrowing choices, amplifying worry, and making suffering feel heavier than it needs to be. Yet one of the most consistent findings from near-death experience (NDE) research is that a near-death experience can lead to greater peace about death and a deeper appreciation for life. In other words, the same boundary that terrifies many people becomes, for some, the doorway to renewed meaning.
This is not merely a hopeful idea. In my research with 834 near-death experiencers, a clear pattern emerged: fear of death was reduced following the experience. Here is a link to the full peer-reviewed published article: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38996518/. In this study, the percentage of participants reporting 'I do not fear death’ surged from 13 % to 77 % following an NDE.
For many, the shift was not a vague reassurance but a durable change that influenced how they approached daily living, relationships, and priorities. Near-death experiencers (NDErs) often describe a sense that death is not an annihilation, and that life has significance beyond status, achievement, or accumulation. The measurable outcome after NDEs remains striking: the significant majority of experiencers report less fear about dying and more ability to live fully in the present. That reduction in death anxiety often appears alongside other transformative changes, especially increased compassion and a stronger sense of life purpose. Individuals frequently report caring less about superficial social pressures and more about how they treat others. They describe becoming more patient, more forgiving, and more motivated to contribute. This can show up in small ways, such as improved relationships and gentler communication, and in big ways, such as pursuing service-oriented work, creative projects, or deeper spiritual practice. The core pattern is not escapism or detachment. It is engagement with life, grounded in the sense that love, integrity, and meaningful connection matter most. Finally, this theme is especially relevant for readers who have lived through trauma. Trauma can fracture a person’s sense of safety and coherence, leaving behind hypervigilance, grief, and a diminished future. Many NDErs describe something different after their experience: not that suffering vanishes, but that it can be integrated into a larger framework of meaning. In that framework, survival is not just “getting back to normal.” It becomes an opportunity for renewal. For readers wrestling with uncertainty, grief, or the fear of what lies ahead, the message is both research-based and deeply human: it is possible to move from death anxiety to life appreciation, and to emerge with a renewed commitment to compassion, purpose, and gratitude.
Jody Long
Renewal, Research, and the Expanding Understanding
of Consciousness
Each spring, many traditions reflect on themes of renewal, transformation, and new beginnings. Whether observed through a religious lens, a seasonal one, or simply as a symbol of life emerging after winter, this time of year invites reflection on one of humanity’s oldest questions: What happens when life appears to end?
For nearly three decades, the Near-Death Experience Research Foundation (NDERF) has studied reports from individuals who have come close to death and returned with vivid, life-changing experiences. While interpretations vary across cultures and belief systems, the underlying themes reported by experiencers are strikingly consistent.
Again and again, individuals describe:
• A sense of leaving the physical body • Heightened awareness and clarity • Encounters with light, love, or a profound presence • A life review marked not by judgment, but by understanding • A return with a renewed appreciation for life These reports do not merely offer comfort. They provide data. Thousands of carefully documented cases across languages and continents reveal patterns that transcend geography and ideology. The consistency of these elements has become one of the most compelling aspects of near-death research. One of the most transformative findings is what happens after the experience. Research consistently shows a reduction in the fear of death, increased compassion, decreased materialism, and a strengthened sense of life purpose. Many experiencers describe their return as a form of rebirth, not physically, but psychologically and spiritually. They often speak of feeling as though they have been given a second beginning. This theme of renewal echoes far beyond any single tradition. It reflects a universal human pattern: crisis followed by growth, darkness followed by light, uncertainty followed by deeper understanding. As NDERF continues to expand its multilingual research database and collaborate with broader consciousness studies, the work itself mirrors this idea of renewal. New technologies allow for more refined analysis. New translations open the door for voices from around the world. New partnerships broaden the scope of inquiry. Each year brings not an ending, but a deepening. The study of near-death experiences does not seek to promote belief. It seeks to document, analyze, and understand. Yet in doing so, it continually encounters stories of profound transformation. Whether interpreted scientifically, philosophically, or spiritually, these accounts consistently point toward continuity, meaning, and interconnectedness. In a season traditionally associated with beginnings, it is worth remembering that research itself is an ongoing renewal, an unfolding process. The more we listen, the more we learn. The more we document, the clearer patterns become. Near-death experiences challenge assumptions about consciousness and invite careful examination. They also remind us that even in moments of profound crisis, transformation is possible. Perhaps that is the most universal message of renewal: not that endings disappear, but that they may open into something larger than we first imagined.
NDERF Spotlight
This quarter, we’re honored to spotlight Lisa Fernandez.
Lisa’s background blends storytelling and strategy. With roots in writing, filmmaking, and narrative analysis, she now works in marketing and messaging, helping brands communicate with clarity and depth. Her work includes brand strategy, content development and building systems that align meaning with measurable impact.
Over the past year, Lisa has supported the Near Death Experience Research Foundation (NDERF) through Google Ad Grant, messaging refinement, content strategy and creation, as well as other multimedia initiatives. She is passionate about helping NDERF amplify its research and foster thoughtful dialogue about consciousness and transformative experience.
Outside of her volunteer work, Lisa creates films with her husband through their nonprofit, Violet Oak, providing scholarships and creative opportunities for the next generation of Southern storytellers.
Another Testament to the Power of NDEs
Focusing on the
Transformative Nature of NDEs
Question: What was your religion prior to your experience? Answer: Unaffiliated- Atheist
Question: Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Answer: Yes I know that religion is of man and not of God
Question: Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Answer: Yes, I know that God, Jesus, and heaven exists.
NDE Summary Below
or Click Link for Full Narrative
NDE Summary
By Joseph Khasho -
NDE 101
Consciousness and Alertness:
When “More Real” Challenges Our Assumptions
One helpful way to approach a near-death experience (NDE) is to compare it with our ordinary waking awareness. In a survey of over 800 NDEs, Dr. Jeffrey Long found: 95% described their consciousness as “real” or “more real” than everyday life. Nearly 80% said it was *more real than normal waking reality. Let that sink in for a moment. More real than real — reported during periods of clinical death or extreme trauma, conditions in which we would expect consciousness to diminish, not intensify. For many people, this idea of hyper-reality is hard to grasp, especially when a person is physiologically compromised. That's a clue. Yet experiencers consistently describe heightened clarity, sharper thinking, expanded perception, and a strong sense of identity. Rather than fading into confusion, they report stepping into a state of extraordinary alertness. For many people, this is difficult to imagine. We assume waking life represents the fullest form of awareness. But what if consciousness is not simply “on” or “off”? What if it varies in depth and clarity? Imagine looking into an old antique mirror compared to one that is perfectly polished. Or viewing a video that is mildly pixelated versus one rendered in ultra-high resolution. Both are “real,” both reflect movement and general contours accurately, yet one carries much greater clarity and accuracy of who we really are. Once that clarity comes into view, people naturally tend to align their lives with a truer understanding of self which, in this case, is not bound by time or death and overflows with compassion, light, and love. Whether one views NDEs through a psychological, philosophical, or spiritual lens, the consistency of this finding across thousands of accounts deserves serious attention. When people repeatedly describe a state of awareness that feels more stable, precise, and real in a way that uniquely and positively transforms their lives — unlike any other human experience — we are called to pay attention; it also raises an important question: What if waking consciousness is not the ceiling of awareness, but just one level within it? That question alone, combined with other key evidential elements that suggest such awareness is not brain-induced, makes the study of reported consciousness apart from the body impossible to ignore.