Dr. Jeffrey Long, a leading researcher into near-death experiences (NDEs), shared new findings and reports on the phenomenon. He also reacted to Prof. Kevin Nelson's recent study (see below) which connected NDEs to out-of-body experiences (OBEs) and sleep paralysis. While Long was pleased that research into this area was being conducted, he was critical of the study's conclusions. He felt their surveys didn't retrieve enough details from respondents, and that more information could have highlighted the differences between these experiences.
There is a startling similarity across countries and cultures of what people report during NDEs, which can include being greeted by deceased relatives and friends, traveling through a tunnel, and undergoing a life review. Even NDErs who have been blind from birth report seeing similar things, he said.
About 5% of NDEs involve hellish encounters, Long noted. In a few cases he's collected, people have reported interactions with beings on other planets. He shared the report of Roger C. who described speaking telepathically, and conveying images to members of an advanced civilization on a distant planet. The beings, dressed in strange uniforms that molded to their skin, expressed surprise when he told them that humans eat foods that had been alive. "We knew there were primitive civilizations but not as bad as that!," they commented.