Table of Contents
- In Kentucky, Jeffrey Long practices radiation oncology.
- He also founded the Near-Death Experience Research Foundation.
- He claims that his knowledge of near-death experiences has improved as a cancer physician.
An interview with Jeffrey Long serves as the basis for this article. It has been condensed to improve clarity and length.
Thirty-seven years ago as a resident oncologist, I studied the optimal use of radiation therapy to treat cancer. Since there was no internet at that time, I did my studies in the library. While leafing through a large volume of the Journal of the American Medical Association one day, I stumbled upon an article detailing near-death experiences.
It gave me complete pause. I was taught in medical school that you are either dead or alive. There was no break in between. Suddenly, however, I found myself reading about heart failure patients who had died and then resurrected, each with very detailed, even impossible accounts.
I was immediately fascinated by near-death experiences, or NDEs. In my opinion, near death experience is when one is serious dead, without a heartbeat, having a lucid experience where they see, hear, feel emotions, and interact with other beings. Learning more about these experiences has fundamentally changed my view of the universe.
Near-death experiences have common threads
After completing my residency, I founded the Near-Death Experience Research Foundation. I began collecting accounts from individuals who had near-death experiences and evaluating them using a scientific and medical approach. I entered this as a skeptic and based my conclusions on the available data. But I think there is definitely an afterlife in light of the overwhelming evidence.
An NDE is never the same twice. However, when I examined hundreds of them, I noticed a recurring pattern of events that appeared in a predictable sequence. About 45% of NDE participants report an out-of-body experience. This separates their awareness from their body and often floats above it. The person is able to see and hear everything that is happening around them, often with desperate attempts to reproduce it. A doctor was also accused of accidentally throwing a device on the ground which a woman was supposed to lift. The doctor accepted the incident.
Some claim to be transported to another dimension after an out-of-body experience. Many people see a bright light while traveling through the tunnel. They are then greeted by members of the deceased family, including dogs in the prime of their lives. Most people report an overwhelming sense of love and peace. They feel like this other realm is their real home.
I haven’t found any scientific explanation for these experiences
These experiences—the loved ones, the tunnel, and the bright light—may seem clichéd. After more than 25 years of studying NDEs, I have come to the conclusion that these descriptions are true and have become cultural clichés. I also dealt with a group of NDErs younger than five years. They reported the same experiences as adults, and at that age, it was rare that you heard of tunnels or bright lights after death.
We can then verify others’ reports of events that seem too good to be true. A woman fainted on a road while riding a horse. Her horse returned to the stable, and her consciousness rode with him, her body remaining on the trail. She was then able to give a detailed account of what happened in the barn because she had seen it despite her body not being there. Others, who hadn’t spoken to her, confirmed her account.
I practice medicine. I read about brain science and thought about all the reasons why people have NDEs. Ultimately, the point is that none of them are valid. This program rejects physical explanations that are somewhat plausible.
I’ve also studied fear-death experiences, like near-miss car accidents
I use a specific definition of NDEs. You have to be unconscious. However, I am also fascinated by another type of phenomenon, which I refer to as the fear-death experience.
In these situations you feel your life is in immediate danger. It could be an unexpected tumble or a close call with an automobile. Although the tunnel and the light are not usually experienced by these people, they frequently speak of their lives “flashing before their eyes.”
This life appraisal is more prevalent in near-death experiences, although some NDE sufferers also recall it. People also remember things from their early years that they are unable to remember consciously, but we can later verify by talking to relatives and other people.
Studying NDEs has made me a better cancer doctor
Although I am passionate about NDEs, I work with patients to overcome cancer all day. I do not discuss my NDE research with my patients. Nevertheless, working with NDErs has improved my ability to love and be a caring physician.
I am able to help my patients with more courage and passion to face life threatening diseases. My goal is to make their days on earth healthy for them. But I think he will find peace if he dies.