A vivid experience for 50 years: Long excerpt #15b

Radiation oncologist Jeremy Long writes in his article, "Evidence for Survival of Consciousness in Near-Death Experiences: Decades of Science and New Insights" - "The findings of the NDERF studies are corroborated by an investigation of Cherie Sutherland, PhD, a prominent near-death experience researcher. Dr. Sutherland reviewed studies published over thirty years in the scholarly literature regarding the NDEs of children, including very young children. Dr. Sutherland concluded this about NDEs in very young children:

It has often been supposed that the NDEs of very young children will have a content limited to their vocabulary. However, it is now clear that the age of children at the time of their NDE does not in any way determine its complexity. Even prelinguistic children have later reported quite complex experiences... Age does not seem in any way to affect the content of the NDE.

"Skeptics may say that near-death experiences in children may not be accurately recalled when reported many years later. This concern was addressed by William Serdahely, PhD, in his study comparing five NDEs shared by children with five NDEs that occurred in children and were shared many years later when they were adults. He compared 47 NDE characteristics between the two groups. Dr. Serdahely concluded:

This study...supports the claims of previous researchers that adults’ retrospective reports of childhood NDEs are not embellished or distorted.

"Another study by Bruce Greyson, MD, provided substantial evidence that near- death experiences are neither embellished nor forgotten even after nearly 20 years. This study included 72 NDErs who responded to the sixteen questions in the NDE Scale in the 1980s and answered the same questions again an average of more than 19 years later. Greyson compared the responses from the two NDE Scale administrations. There were no significant differences in the overall NDE Scale scores or the answers to any of the sixteen questions comprising the NDE Scale.

"Near-death experiencers often shared that they remember their NDEs exceptionally vividly:

I remember it more accurately than any other experience in my life because it was absolutely fascinating to see the other side!

This experience has been vividly with me for 50 years. It is as real today as when it happened.

Although this happened many years ago, this is the event that stands out among all others in my memory.

"The best evidence finds that NDEs are generally reliably recalled years to decades later. This is exceptionally pertinent not only for investigating NDEs that occurred in children but also for helping to validate all retrospective NDE research regardless of the age that the NDEs occurred.

"The NDERF studies are by far the most extensive investigations of near-death experiences in very young children. These studies find that the core content of the NDEs in very young children is impressively similar to the core content of NDEs in older children and adults. We are now more confident than ever that the content of NDEs in very young children is not significantly affected by their NDEs occurring at such a young age. The NDEs of very young children strongly support the concept that core NDE content is not significantly modified by prior life experiences, beliefs, or cultural influences. This is further strong evidence that NDEs are real, along with their consistent message of an afterlife."

Jeffrey Long, MD, "Evidence for Survival of Consciousness in Near-Death Experiences: Decades of Science and New Insights." In the next several posts I will share excerpts from Long's 2021 article. Footnotes have been deleted. The complete text is available as a pdf at https://www.nderf.org