History

     The earliest known description of an NDE was recounted by Plato in his "Myth of Er," found at the end of Book X of The Republic, which was written in 420 B.C. Accounts can be found in the folklore and writings of European, Middle Eastern, African, East Indian, East Asian, Pacific and Native American cultures.

     Philosophy professor Dr. Raymond Moody took up where Plato left off with his book Life after Life, written in 1975. Dr. Moody’s book spurned a new interest among academics in researching near death experiences, which is a term that he coined. Early researchers who brought NDEs to public attention included Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, George Ritchie, and P.M.H. Atwater. Later research was further introduced to the academic community by the work of Bruce Greyson, Kenneth Ring and Michael Sabom. These men and others then founded the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS) in 1978 in order to meet the needs of researchers and experiencers. Dr. Greyson has been the editor in chief of the Journal of Near Death Studies (JNDS) since 1982. These researchers have conducted years of studies, most of which can be found in the JNDS or in the numerous books they have written.