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After Being Resuscitated, Cardiac Arrest Patients Tell What Dying Was Like

What do people see when they die? New research finds what people can recall after surviving a cardiac arrest.

By Avery Hurt
Nov 2, 2023 2:15 PMNov 2, 2023 2:13 PM
Doctor with defibrallator in hands. Cardiac arrest
Doctor holding defibrallator in hands going to send a shock (Credit: Pressmaster/Shutterstock)

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For most of history, humans had no idea what happens when you die. Death was, as Hamlet put it, an “undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns.” But with the advent of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), people are returning, at least from the borders of that country, with tales to tell.

What Do People See When They Die?

The accounts of people who have had what are popularly known as neath death experiences (NDE) are remarkably similar: the presence of a glowing white figure, a sense of peace and tranquility, cameos by deceased family members, out-of-body experiences, and memories from life, including what some call “life reviews.”

Not all reports are pleasant, however. Some returning travelers report feeling terror, isolation, and pain. These descriptions of NDEs have caused wild speculation and include claims of proof of life after death.

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