Short Answer
Near-death experiences should be approached with caution and tested against Scripture. Many of them produce ideas that do not align with the Bible, so they should not be treated as reliable sources of truth about the afterlife.
The Overview
Near-death experiences (NDEs) have become popular through books, testimonies, and media, often describing encounters with light, peace, or even heaven. While some people genuinely believe they had such experiences, they are not presented in Scripture as a reliable way to understand the afterlife. The Bible remains the primary and authoritative source for truth about life after death.
When evaluating these experiences, one important principle is to examine their “fruit”—the message they produce. Many NDE accounts promote ideas that differ from biblical teaching, such as suggesting that everyone will be fine after death or minimizing the need for repentance and faith. This stands in contrast to the clear message of the gospel, which calls people to respond to Christ.
There are also reasons for caution regarding the reliability of these accounts. Some have later been admitted as exaggerated or fabricated, while others may be influenced by psychological or physical factors during trauma. This does not mean every person is intentionally misleading, but it does mean these experiences should not be accepted uncritically.
Ultimately, Christians are called to measure all experiences against Scripture. Even if something feels real or meaningful, it must align with biblical truth. The focus should remain on the clear teaching of the Bible about salvation, judgment, and eternal life, rather than personal experiences that may be uncertain or misleading.
Key Takeaways
- Scripture Is the Authority
The Bible, not experiences, defines truth about the afterlife. - Test the “Fruit”
Many NDEs promote ideas that conflict with the gospel. - Be Cautious of Reliability
Some accounts are exaggerated or influenced by trauma. - Not All Experiences Are Trustworthy
Even sincere experiences can be misleading. - Stay Grounded in the Gospel
Focus on repentance, faith, and biblical truth.
Read Full Raw Transcript
[00:00:00 – 00:01:03] What do you think about some people who’ve had near-death experiences? I wrote about this in a book I wrote for Harvest House called 10 Mistakes People Make About Heaven, Hell, and the Afterlife. And I I dealt with it having studied these uh books and u testimonies and people giving their stories and churches about their near-death experiences. And um on the whole, I would say this that it seems like most of these, and much like I said with the last caller, you’ll know them by the fruits. Most of the theological fruit
[00:00:31 – 00:01:30] that comes from people on the teaching circuit uh or writing circuit when they write these books on their near-death experiences uh leads to bad theology. And the only near-death experience we have in scripture, so to speak, is Paul there in 2 Corinthians 12. And he talks about having being been taken up into the third heaven. But God didn’t allow him to say anything about it. He didn’t write a bestselling book about it. And the point is whatever is going on in the other world, even in Jesus’s parable
[00:01:01 – 00:01:58] about someone who’s gone to the other world and wants to go back or send someone back, the answer is always no. It’s appointed a man wants to die. And therefore, I think there’s a lot of hallucinog hallucinogenic effects of being near back. But I’m really concerned when I read about some of these books, and I may even footnote some of this in my uh book on the topic. I well it’s all about heaven, hell, and the afterlife. But as I researched this um some of the books themselves have
[00:01:29 – 00:02:26] been recounted because people have admitted we just wrote this stuff. Not all of it was true. We took a kernel of truth and built something that would would sell. And that’s horrific when people are lying in these contexts. Uh and not that all of them are. I think some people legitimate legitimately believe I died on the operating table or I died in that car accident and I went toward the light and I had a conversation and then I went back. But we don’t usually see pe people coming out of that uh having biblical things to
[00:01:57 – 00:02:45] say. They often have unbiblical things to say. And I judge that uh kind of experience by the fruit of it. If your fruit is telling everybody, for instance, a lot of these near-death experience testimonies are everything’s going to be fine. Don’t worry about death. It’s all good. You walk toward the light. I felt good. I felt fine. And it’s not a call to repentance and faith, right? It’s all about it’s all going to be okay. Don’t fear death. Well, the non-Christians should fear death. So,
[00:02:22 – 00:03:07] anybody who’s telling people not to fear death, right, you better be focused on the gospel because that’s the only hope I have. So, Gina, that that’s my concern. I could talk more about it. There have been other books that have been written critiquing a lot of the near-death experiences, and maybe I footnote that in my book. I’d have to look it up. But if you want to read a little bit about death, the concept of death, and why the near-death experiences don’t always um impress me,
[00:02:44 – 00:03:14] and they they make me uh some of them rightfully very skeptical of even the veracity of what they’re saying. But uh also the fruit of it I can easily judge by God’s word that what they’re saying is not true
