Understanding NDE Gifted Healers
Understanding NDE Gifted Healers
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By AJ Parr Spiritual Journalist
In 1985, British near-death experiencer and psychologist Margot Grey, founder of the UK office of IANDS, became the first to identify two distinct types of “healing gifts” often reported by near-death experiencers: spiritual and psychic. In her groundbreaking book Return from Death: An Exploration of the Near-Death Experience, she explained:
Spiritual Healing
Spiritual healing involves cases in which individuals are healed during their experience by “a transcendent or divine force” or heal others upon their return by becoming “a channel” of this force—commonly called “the Light” or “universal love.”
Grey noted: “In cases where healing of the illness that brought about the NDE takes place, these instances always occur within the context of the NDE (i.e. during the encounter with the individual's guide or the being of light who is often taken to be Jesus), and respondents usually assert that it was their guides or the being of light who healed them at that time. Occasionally, though, healing of the illness will take place subsequent to recovery from the near-death crisis.”
Psychic Healing
In contrast, psychic healing refers to the use of intuitive or extrasensory capacities—such as the laying on of hands, clairvoyant awareness of disease and its cause, or the ability to heal others through prayer or by directing subtle energy—to bring about physiological or emotional improvement.
Grey observed that these abilities sometimes appear after recovery from a near-death crisis and can be understood as a natural consequence of expanded consciousness following the event.
Moral Elevation and Selflessness
According to Grey, “these abilities are a natural by-product of a heightened state of spiritual awareness which is usually accompanied by moral elevation and a selfless desire to use their newly acquired powers for the benefit of others.
She also warned: “There has long been a tradition among occultists that misuse of these powers for selfish reasons motivated by greed or a desire for personal gain (e.g. money or fame) is attended by severe penalties, not the least of which being that these abilities are no longer effective.”
The Power of Transformation
The healing gifts reported by near-death experiencers, whether spiritual or psychic, reveal profound dimensions of human consciousness. Margot Grey’s pioneering work showed that these abilities are not merely extraordinary phenomena but often emerge as natural consequences of expanded awareness. They carry with them both the potential to transform lives and the responsibility to be used with humility, selflessness, and integrity.
Ultimately, the testimonies of experiencers remind us that healing is not confined to the physical body alone. It is deeply connected to spiritual awakening, moral elevation, and the universal call to serve others with compassion and love.
REFERENCE
Grey, M. (1985). Return from death: An exploration of the near-death experience. London: Arkana.
Copyright © AJ Parr 2026
The NDE Psychic Phenomena
The NDE Psychic Phenomena
By AJ Parr Spiritual Journalist
In 1993, the Australian researcher Cherie Sutherland (then a full-time doctoral student in the School of Sociology at the University of New South Wales) published her pioneering study, "Psychic Phenomena Following Near-Death Experiences: An Australian Study," in the Journal of Near-Death Studies.
Based on the reports of paranormal events in the lives of 40 near-death experiencers, she examined the incidence of a diverse group of psychic phenomena and associated beliefs both before and after the near-death experience.” In the specific case of psychic healing, the number of subjects she studied was reduced to 37 because the respondents had “not heard of, or thought about” this phenomenon or its belief by the time of their NDE.
Sutherland personally interviewed the respondents for approximately 90 minutes. She first determined if the subjects had heard about each specific phenomenon: “If so, I asked what their attitude to them was before their NDE, and then, what their attitude to them was after. I then asked if they ever had such an experience”:
“Some experiences seem to be absorbed into daily life and accepted as 'normal, ' while others demand more attention because of their more disruptive nature. (…) Of the phenomena most commonly experienced, 92% said that since the NDE, they have felt more in touch with an inner source of wisdom and noted a very strong sense of being guided.”
As Sutherland noted, some subjects reported an extreme increase in psychic sensitivity:
“There are four women, aged 43 to 65, who before the NDE were school librarian, office worker, and housewives, who now work with their psychic gifts as healers. At the other extreme there are four men, aged 56 to 65, who have tried to suppress their psychic capabilities because they feel so uncomfortable with them. This does not mean that they have been able to eliminate them entirely from their lives, but they have managed to stop certain activities, such as going out of the body and reading people's minds. Overall, every person I interviewed was aware of the increase in psychic phenomena in their lives, although the degree of this increase varied, and two respondents stated that they had not connected the increase with their NDEs until the interview."
Despite the study's small sample size, it “nevertheless demonstrates clearly the increased reports of psychic phenomena in the lives of near-death experiencers,” and that a larger sample would allow researchers “to gain insight into the sociological significance of this increase in psychic phenomena in daily life.”
REFERENCE
Sutherland, C. (1989). Psychic phenomena following near-death experiences: An Australian study. Journal of Near-Death Studies, 8(2), 93–102.
Copyright © AJ Parr 2026
Healing Gifts Among NDErs vs Non-NDErs
Healing Gifts Among NDErs vs Non-NDErs
By AJ Parr Spiritual Journalist
In 2003, the Near-Death Experience Research Foundation (NDERF) presented a research study at the annual conference of the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS) addressing a focused question: are people who report a near-death experience more likely than others to report healing-related abilities?
To explore this question, NDERF researcher Jody A. Long designed a structured comparative survey examining responses from individuals who reported having NDEs and those who did not. The final analysis was based on completed surveys from 124 near-death experiencers and 75 non-experiencers, allowing for direct comparison using the same set of questions.
Near-death experiencers were significantly more likely than non-experiencers to report healing-related abilities, and these abilities were most often described as emerging after the near-death experience rather than before it. Long presented these findings descriptively, without proposing causal explanations or theoretical mechanisms.
Healing Capacities Reported
Among the most striking aspects of the survey are the healing modalities reported by near-death experiencers, including:
Hands-on healing (“heal by touch”) and energy-based healing
Heightened intuition and empathy in healing contexts
Healing through prayer and “healing by thought” (focused intention)
Emotional and spiritual support (encouragement, empathy, emotional healing)
Participants were asked both whether they reported such experiences and when they first noticed them. Across categories, healing-related experiences were reported more frequently by near-death experiencers than by non-experiencers, with the study focusing on how participants described and understood these experiences rather than evaluating effectiveness or outcomes.
Many NDErs also described a sense of responsibility in how they related to these experiences, often framing them in terms of helping or supporting others rather than personal benefit. These reflections were presented as part of the participants’ own perspectives, without moral judgment or prescription.
What the Findings Suggest
Taken together, the survey suggests that healing-related experiences are reported more often by individuals who have had a near-death experience than by those who have not, with a consistent pattern placing their onset after the NDE. At the same time, the study remains methodologically cautious, making no claims about causation or explanation.
Presented in a formal research setting and grounded in comparative survey data, Jody Long’s study offers a concise, credible look at healing-related experiences reported by near-death experiencers, highlighting clear differences between experiencers and non-experiencers while leaving broader interpretive questions open.
REFERENCE:
Long, J. A. (2003). Healing and paranormal gifts: Survey results between near-death experiencers and non-near-death experiencers. Near-Death Experience Research Foundation. https://www.nderf.org/NDERF/Research/healing.htm
Copyright © AJ Parr 2026
Increased Empathy and Altruism in NDErs
Increased Empathy and Altruism in NDErs
By AJ Parr Spiritual Journalist
One of the most common traits present in near-death experiencers is a profound increase in compassion and empathetic concern for others.
As stated by leading NDE researchers Dr. Bruce Greyson and Dr. Kenneth Ring, co-founders of the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS), people who report an NDE frequently undergo significant and lasting transformations in their attitudes and values, with heightened compassion being a central and consistent feature.
This shift is part of a broader profile of positive changes that often includes a decreased fear of death, a greater sense of purpose, and an increased desire to serve others, fundamentally altering the experiencer's worldview and priorities.
As Greyson outlined in "Getting comfortable with near-death experiences" (2014), individuals who report an NDE frequently undergo significant and lasting personal transformations, with a common feature being “increased compassion and love for others” and a “greater desire to serve others.”
This shift is well documented and part of a series of positive aftereffects that challenge purely pathological explanations, pointing toward a profound psychological and spiritual reorientation.
Nevertheless, this transformative aftereffect is not limited to those who have the experience directly. As Ring pointed out in his 1994 academic paper, “The Impact of Near-Death Experiences on Persons Who Have Not Had Them,” individuals who were exposed to detailed NDE stories reported similar positive changes, including increased compassionate concern for others and a reduced fear of death, suggesting they also develop values commonly associated with NDErs.
In conclusion, enhanced empathy and a drive to serve are not only common aftereffects among NDErs but also found among people continuously exposed to these transformative experiences, evidencing the immense power of NDEs as significant catalysts for personal transformation and increased altruism.
REFERENCE:
Greyson, B. (2014). Getting comfortable with near-death experiences: An overview of near-death experiences. Missouri Medicine, 111(6), 418–423.
Ring, K. (1994). The impact of near-death experiences on persons who have not had them: A report of a preliminary study and two replications. Journal of Near-Death Studies, 13(4), 223–235.
Copyright © AJ Parr 2026
Recommended Resources
Recommended Resources
IANDS is devoted to researching near-death experiences and related phenomena, offering support, education, outreach, and more.
Spiritual Awakenings International (SAI) is a nonprofit worldwide network to raise global spiritual awareness and offer support.
NDERF is the largest Near-Death Experience (NDE) website in the world. It provides first-hand accounts as well as key information.
For more NDE resources, visit our NDE Support section.
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