A reference guide to the specialized vocabulary of NDE and DBE discernment
This glossary gathers the key terms used throughout Testing the Spirits and defines each one in plain language. The entries are organized alphabetically so you can find any term quickly. Wherever a term comes from Greek or Hebrew, I have given the transliteration first (so you can say it out loud), then the original script in parentheses, then a short English explanation. Where a term has its fullest treatment in a specific chapter, I have added a cross-reference like "(see Chapter 10)" so you can dig deeper if you want to.
The glossary is a reference, not an essay, but I have tried to write each entry so that a thoughtful reader can understand both what the term means and why it matters for discernment. Some entries include a short caution or clarification, especially when a term is used in more than one way, or when Christians and non-Christians use the same word to mean very different things.1 If you are reading the book straight through, you can skim this appendix or skip it entirely; if you are returning to the book later to look up a term, this is the place to start.
Each entry states the term in bold, gives a clear definition, notes the original language where relevant, and points you to the chapter that treats the term most fully. Where a word carries theological weight, I have tried to distinguish the biblical sense from competing uses (for example, "Christ" in New Age writing is not the same as "Christ" in the New Testament). Where a word is a technical term in NDE or DBE research, I have noted the main researchers who shaped its use.
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Aftereffects. The long-term changes reported by people after a near-death experience or deathbed experience. Common aftereffects include a reduced fear of death, increased compassion, a stronger sense of God's presence, a shift away from materialism, and — in many cases — a new hunger for Scripture, prayer, and Christian community. Aftereffects are one of the most studied features of NDEs because they can be observed and measured years after the event.2 In this book, aftereffects function as one of the seven tests of authenticity: a genuine encounter with God tends to produce fruit consistent with the Spirit of God, while a counterfeit experience tends to produce drift away from Christ (see Chapters 11 and 22).
After-death communication (ADC). A reported experience in which someone believes they have received a message, sign, or visitation from a loved one who has died. ADCs range from a sudden sense of the loved one's presence, to a dream encounter, to an audible voice, to an apparition. ADCs are distinct from mediumship because the recipient did not seek out the experience. The dying person's family often reports ADCs in the hours or days surrounding a death. Christians must distinguish between genuine spiritual comfort from God and counterfeit experiences that promote necromancy, spiritualism, or ongoing attempts to contact the dead (see Chapters 3, 26). ADCs are treated most fully in the DBE literature.3
Anastasis. The Greek word anastasis (ἀνάστασις), meaning "resurrection" or literally "standing up again." It refers to the bodily raising of the dead, not the mere survival of the soul. The New Testament uses this word for both the resurrection of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:4) and the future resurrection of all people (John 5:29). Resurrection is distinct from the intermediate state: the soul may be conscious in God's presence after death, but resurrection refers to the reuniting of soul and body at Christ's return. NDEs can only glimpse the intermediate state, not the resurrection (see Chapter 15).
Angel of light. A biblical phrase from 2 Corinthians 11:14: "Satan disguises himself as an angel of light." The phrase is central to this book's discernment framework because it warns that deceptive spirits can present themselves as beautiful, benevolent, and "heavenly." A glowing being, a feeling of overwhelming love, or a peaceful voice is not automatic proof of a divine encounter. The Greek verb for "disguises" (metaschēmatizetai, μετασχηματίζεται) implies an outward change of form to deceive. The angel-of-light warning does not mean every NDE is demonic, but it does require that claims about encounters with luminous beings be tested (see Chapter 7).4
Angelology. The branch of Christian theology that studies the nature, rank, and work of holy angels. Angels are created spiritual beings who worship God, serve His people, and carry out His will (Hebrews 1:14). In NDE literature, angelic figures are commonly reported as escorts, guardians, and messengers. Sound angelology helps the discerning reader distinguish biblical angels (who direct worship to God, are often awe-inspiring, and never teach contrary to Scripture) from counterfeit spiritual beings (who accept worship, promote syncretism, or contradict biblical teaching). See Chapters 6 and 15.
Apostles' Creed. One of the earliest summaries of Christian belief, rooted in the apostolic teaching and used in baptism from at least the second century onward. It confesses faith in God the Father, in Jesus Christ (His virgin birth, crucifixion, burial, descent, resurrection, ascension, and return in judgment), in the Holy Spirit, in the holy catholic church, in the communion of saints, in the forgiveness of sins, and in the resurrection of the body. The Apostles' Creed functions in this book as a doctrinal plumb line: any teaching that denies the creed's core confessions falls outside orthodox Christianity (see Chapters 8 and 28).
Ascended masters. In Theosophy, New Age spirituality, and related movements, "ascended masters" are alleged enlightened beings — sometimes identified as historical figures like Jesus, Buddha, or Krishna — who have passed through multiple lives and now guide humanity from a higher spiritual plane. This framework is incompatible with biblical teaching on several counts: it rests on reincarnation (which Scripture denies, Hebrews 9:27), it denies the uniqueness of Christ, and it treats Jesus as one master among many. When NDE accounts describe guides or "masters" offering spiritual instruction, careful readers should watch for Theosophical assumptions (see Chapters 25, 27, 28).
Atlanta Study. A landmark research project conducted by cardiologist Michael Sabom in the 1970s and 1980s, comparing cardiac-arrest patients who reported NDEs with those who did not. Sabom, who began as a skeptic, found that NDErs could often describe specific details of their resuscitation (medical instruments, staff movements, conversations) that they could not have seen from their physical position on the table. The study contributed significantly to the veridical NDE evidence base.5 Sabom later followed this with Light and Death, which engaged the theological dimension of NDEs (see Chapter 11).
Atman. A Sanskrit term in Hindu philosophy meaning "self" or "inner soul." In classical Advaita Vedanta, atman is ultimately identical with Brahman, the impersonal absolute reality — a teaching summarized in the formula "atman is Brahman" (the soul is God). This monistic view is directly incompatible with biblical theism, which distinguishes between the Creator and the creature (Romans 1:25). When NDE accounts conclude that "we are all God" or "my true self is divine," they are often repeating the Atman-Brahman identification, even if the experiencer is unaware of the source (see Chapter 28).
Atonement. The reconciliation of sinners to God accomplished by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. The New Testament teaches that Christ died in the place of sinners, bearing the penalty of sin so that believers can be forgiven and restored to God (Romans 3:23–26; 1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:21). The atonement is central to the gospel, and any NDE teaching that denies the need for Christ's death, replaces it with self-realization, or treats sin as illusion rather than offense against a holy God has drifted from orthodox Christianity (see Chapters 8, 20, 28).
AWARE study. The "AWAreness during REsuscitation" study, led by Dr. Sam Parnia and conducted in hospitals across the United Kingdom, United States, and Austria, published initially in 2014 and followed by AWARE II. The study was designed to test whether cardiac-arrest patients could accurately perceive events during resuscitation. Its reports documented cases of apparent awareness while clinically dead, including at least one widely discussed case of a patient accurately describing his resuscitation.6 The AWARE study is often cited alongside Sabom's Atlanta Study and the NDERF database as part of the professional evidence base for veridical NDEs (see Chapter 11).
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Bodhisattva. In Mahayana Buddhism, a being who has attained enlightenment but delays entry into Nirvana in order to help others reach liberation. The bodhisattva ideal rests on Buddhist metaphysics — no permanent self, endless rebirths, enlightenment through many lifetimes — which is incompatible with biblical anthropology and the finality of judgment after death (Hebrews 9:27). In some New Age NDE literature, the bodhisattva figure appears as a "guide" or "helper" from "higher planes," often blurred together with Christian vocabulary about angels or Christ. Christians should recognize the difference in worldview (see Chapters 25, 27, 28).
Brahman. In Hindu philosophy, the ultimate, impersonal, absolute reality — the "one behind the many." In Advaita Vedanta, Brahman is identical with the true self (Atman) and is the only reality; all distinctions are illusion. Brahman is not a personal God who speaks, commands, or forgives. Christians who hear NDE reports that describe "the Source," "the All," "Universal Mind," or "the One" should recognize that these are often translations of Brahman-style monism into English, not the personal Triune God of Scripture (see Chapters 20, 28).
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Cardiac arrest. The sudden cessation of effective heart function, usually producing unconsciousness within seconds and, if not reversed, brain death within minutes. Cardiac arrest is the medical context in which many NDEs occur. Because the arrest typically produces a rapid collapse of blood pressure and measurable brain activity, NDE reports during cardiac arrest are of particular scientific interest: the patient's brain appears, by every available measure, to be incapable of producing the rich, structured experiences later reported.7 This raises serious problems for physicalist explanations of consciousness (see Chapter 11).
Cessationism. The theological view that certain miraculous spiritual gifts — especially prophecy, tongues, and miraculous healings — ceased with the death of the apostles and the closing of the New Testament canon. Cessationists affirm God's ability to act supernaturally today but hold that the specific "sign gifts" were tied to the apostolic era. Cessationists will approach NDE claims with particular caution, since they are skeptical of direct revelatory experiences. Continuationists (including charismatics) are more open to ongoing spiritual experiences. Both camps can engage NDEs biblically, but they will weigh experiential claims differently (see Chapter 35).
Chalcedonian definition. The doctrinal statement produced by the Council of Chalcedon in AD 451, affirming that Jesus Christ is one Person in two natures — fully God and fully man — "without confusion, without change, without division, without separation." The Chalcedonian definition is the basis of orthodox Christology and sets the limits for how Christians can speak about Christ. NDE teachings that portray Jesus as a merely human teacher, a cosmic Christ-consciousness, or one enlightened master among many all fall short of Chalcedonian orthodoxy (see Chapters 13, 14, 28).8
Channeling. A practice in which a person allows a spiritual being to speak through them, often while the person is in a trance or altered state. Channeling has produced a large body of New Age literature, including books attributed to "ascended masters" or discarnate entities. Scripture strictly forbids consulting the dead or making contact with spirits outside God's revealed ways (Deuteronomy 18:10–12; Leviticus 19:31). NDErs who return and begin channeling — or who treat their continuing communication with "beings of light" as channeling — have crossed from experience into occult practice (see Chapter 26).
Charismatic. A broad term for Christians who affirm the continuation of all New Testament spiritual gifts, including prophecy, tongues, and miraculous healings. Charismatic Christianity spans denominations and includes Pentecostal, Third Wave, and independent charismatic expressions. Charismatics are generally more open to NDE and DBE claims than cessationists, but they are not required to accept every experiential claim uncritically. Charismatic discernment traditions — rooted in 1 John 4:1 and 1 Corinthians 12:10 — insist that spiritual experiences be tested by Scripture and the Spirit (see Chapter 35).
Christ consciousness. A New Age and Theosophical concept: a level of spiritual awareness that any person can attain, which supposedly unites them with "the Christ" as a universal principle rather than with Jesus of Nazareth. Christ consciousness is not the Christ of Scripture. It treats "Christ" as a title for an impersonal divine principle available to all, rather than as the specific God-Man who died for sinners and rose again. When NDE accounts speak of "awakening the Christ within," "tapping into Christ consciousness," or "realizing my own divinity," they have left Christianity in all but name (see Chapters 19, 28).
Christ of Theosophy. The figure called "Christ" in Theosophical writings (Blavatsky, Bailey, and their successors) — typically portrayed as an ascended master who has inhabited various bodies throughout history and is distinct from Jesus. The Theosophical "Christ" is not the Son of God incarnate; he is a cosmic teacher in a pantheon of masters. This is the figure who often lurks behind New Age NDE teachings, even when experiencers use the name "Jesus" for him (see Chapters 19, 28).
Christology. The branch of theology that studies the person and work of Jesus Christ — His identity, His two natures, His offices, and His saving accomplishment. In this book, Christology functions as the first and most important test of any NDE: does the figure described act, speak, and bear the marks of the biblical Jesus? A sound Christology refuses to baptize every "being of light" as Christ and refuses to accept every claimed Jesus-encounter at face value. The name matters, but so do the characteristics (see Chapters 10, 13, 14).
Clinical death. The cessation of circulation and breathing — the point at which resuscitation must begin or brain death will follow. Clinical death is reversible for a brief window, typically a few minutes, before it becomes biological death. Most NDEs reported during cardiac arrest occur during clinical death, which is why they are scientifically interesting: the patient's heart has stopped and the brain is receiving no oxygenated blood, yet the patient later reports structured conscious experience.9 Clinical death is not the same as the biblical category of death, which is the separation of soul and body (see Chapter 2).
Communion of saints. The ancient Christian doctrine, confessed in the Apostles' Creed, that all believers — living and deceased — are united in Christ. The communion of saints does not teach that the living should pray to the dead or seek communication with them, but it does teach that the church spans heaven and earth. NDE reports of reunions with deceased believers, especially in DBEs, fit within this doctrine when understood carefully: the dying see loved ones who are "in Christ," not because the dead are gods or spirits-at-large, but because they live with the Lord (Philippians 1:23; see Chapters 15, 34).
Conditional immortality. The view, held by some evangelical theologians, that immortality is not an inherent property of the human soul but a gift given to those who are in Christ. On this view, the finally impenitent do not suffer forever but eventually cease to exist in the second death. Conditional immortality (sometimes called annihilationism) stands as a minority but serious position within evangelicalism. Many conditionalists still affirm an intermediate state and conscious survival of bodily death; the debate is about the duration of the final state of the lost, not whether the soul survives death. This book is compatible with several views on the final state while affirming dualism and a conscious intermediate state (see Chapters 16, 21).10
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Deathbed experience (DBE). A spiritually meaningful experience reported by a dying person in the hours, days, or weeks leading up to death. DBEs include deathbed visions (of Jesus, angels, deceased loved ones, or heavenly landscapes), terminal lucidity, final conversations with unseen figures, and peaceful changes in demeanor as death approaches. DBEs are older than the modern NDE literature — hospice and palliative care workers have observed them for generations. In this book, DBEs are treated as generally more reliable than NDEs: they are typically simpler, more directly Christ-centered, and less entangled with New Age interpretation (see Chapter 3).11
Deathbed vision (DBV). A specific type of deathbed experience in which the dying person reports seeing a person, place, or being that is not visible to those around them. Classic DBVs include visions of Jesus at the foot of the bed, of deceased family members who have come to escort the dying, and of heavenly scenes. Such visions have been documented by researchers since at least the early twentieth century (notably by Sir William Barrett) and by hospice workers through the present. DBVs are one of the purest forms of the deathbed experience and often occur in patients who are lucid and reasoning clearly (see Chapter 3).
Deceiving spirits. A biblical category (1 Timothy 4:1; 1 John 4:1–6) for spiritual beings whose aim is to lead people into false doctrine and away from Christ. Scripture assumes the existence of spiritual forces that impersonate goodness in order to deceive. In this book, "deceiving spirits" refers to the spiritual beings behind corrupted or counterfeit NDE content — not every NDE, and not most NDEs, but the ones that feature clear anti-biblical teaching. The biblical command to "test the spirits" makes sense only because deceiving spirits exist (see Chapters 4, 7).
Demonology. The branch of theology that studies fallen angelic beings, their origin, their activity, and their relation to human beings. Biblical demonology affirms that demons are real, personal, and active, but it refuses to attribute every spiritual phenomenon to demonic influence. A sound demonology distinguishes demonic deception from mere human error, psychological distress, or genuine divine encounter. In NDE discernment, demonology matters because the Bible warns of spirits who disguise themselves as angels of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), but it would be both unbiblical and pastorally harmful to treat every NDE as demonic (see Chapter 6).
Discerning of spirits. The spiritual gift listed in 1 Corinthians 12:10 (Greek: diakriseis pneumatōn, διακρίσεις πνευμάτων) by which believers are enabled to distinguish the activity of the Holy Spirit from other spiritual influences — whether merely human, demonic, or counterfeit. The gift of discerning spirits is a particular endowment, but the broader duty of discernment applies to every Christian (1 John 4:1; Hebrews 5:14). The seven-test framework of this book (Chapter 10) is an attempt to serve that duty with practical tools (see Chapters 4, 10).
Distressing NDE. A near-death experience marked by fear, darkness, a sense of abandonment, or an encounter with hostile beings or environments. Distressing NDEs are less frequently reported than pleasant NDEs — likely because people are reluctant to share them — but they are well documented. Researchers including Nancy Evans Bush, Barbara Rommer, and J. Steve Miller have proposed multiple sub-types: void-style experiences, hellish experiences with demonic content, meaningless-void experiences, and experiences that function disciplinarily for believers. This book resists both the "all distressing NDEs are hell" and the "none of them are hell" conclusions in favor of careful typology (see Chapter 21).12
Divination. The practice of seeking hidden knowledge — about the future, about God's will, or about unseen matters — through occult means: omens, casting lots with non-biblical rites, consulting spirits, or using mediumistic methods. Scripture roundly condemns divination (Deuteronomy 18:10–12; Leviticus 19:26). NDE-related practices that drift toward divination include attempting to contact deceased loved ones through mediums, using psychic "abilities" gained in an NDE, or seeking ongoing messages from "spirit guides." These are not neutral activities; they are biblically prohibited (see Chapter 26).
Dokimazō. The Greek verb dokimazō (δοκιμάζω), meaning "to test, examine, or prove," especially in the sense of testing precious metal to determine whether it is genuine. John uses this verb in 1 John 4:1 when he commands believers to "test the spirits." The same word group appears across the New Testament for testing one's own heart, testing doctrine, and proving what is good and acceptable to God (Romans 12:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:21). The word implies careful, deliberate examination — not cynicism, but responsible evaluation. This book takes dokimazō as its governing verb (see Chapter 4).13
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Ecumenical councils. The seven early church councils (Nicaea 325, Constantinople 381, Ephesus 431, Chalcedon 451, Constantinople II 553, Constantinople III 680–681, and Nicaea II 787) that settled foundational doctrinal disputes in the ancient church. Together they defined orthodox teaching on the Trinity and the person of Christ. Evangelical Christians typically accept the first four as definitive and receive the others as historically important. In NDE discernment, the ecumenical councils function as a check: any teaching that contradicts their core confessions — about the Triune God or the one Christ in two natures — has stepped outside historic Christianity (see Chapter 8).
End-of-life experience (ELE). A broad umbrella term for the range of spiritual, perceptual, and communicative experiences reported by dying people and their caregivers. ELEs include deathbed visions, nearing-death awareness, symbolic language about "going home," end-of-life dreams, and shared-death experiences. The term "ELE" is often preferred in hospice literature because it avoids the theological loading of "deathbed vision" and the specialized medical meaning of "NDE." In this book, ELE is treated as roughly equivalent to "DBE" but slightly broader (see Chapter 3).
Eschatology. The branch of theology that studies "last things" — death, the intermediate state, the return of Christ, the resurrection, the final judgment, and the new creation. Eschatology is directly relevant to NDE discernment because NDEs claim to glimpse the afterlife. The question is whether what an NDEr reports aligns with biblical eschatology or contradicts it. NDE teachings that deny judgment, deny resurrection, deny a final distinction between saved and lost, or promote universal reconciliation on the basis of subjective experience have stepped into eschatological territory that Scripture governs (see Chapters 15, 20, 21).
Eternal conscious torment (ECT). The historic majority view within orthodox Christianity that the finally impenitent experience conscious suffering in hell forever. ECT is defended from texts including Matthew 25:46, Revelation 14:10–11, and Revelation 20:10, 14–15. Alternative evangelical views — conditional immortality and universal reconciliation — interpret the relevant texts differently. This book takes no single position as uniquely orthodox within evangelicalism but insists that whichever view is held, the reality of divine judgment, the seriousness of sin, and the necessity of the gospel must be maintained. NDEs that erase judgment entirely are outside Christian teaching on all three views (see Chapters 16, 20, 21).
Evangelicalism. A broad movement within Protestant Christianity marked by commitment to the authority of Scripture, the necessity of personal conversion, the centrality of Christ's atoning death and resurrection, and the call to proclaim the gospel. Historian David Bebbington famously summarized evangelicalism with four marks: biblicism, crucicentrism, conversionism, and activism. Evangelicals differ on many secondary matters (denomination, sacrament, eschatology, gifts of the Spirit) but are united on the core. This book is written from within the evangelical tradition broadly conceived (see Chapter 1).14
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False prophets. People who claim to speak for God but do not. Scripture repeatedly warns against false prophets (Deuteronomy 13; Matthew 7:15; 2 Peter 2:1–3; 1 John 4:1). False prophets may genuinely believe their own message, may be deceived by spiritual forces, or may be deliberately deceptive. In NDE contexts, a person who claims that Jesus personally told them, for instance, that all religions lead to God, or that Christ died for everyone without exception regardless of faith, has moved from reporting experience into prophetic claim — and the biblical standard for prophecy applies (see Chapters 4, 8).
Final judgment. The biblical teaching that Christ will return to judge the living and the dead, rewarding righteousness and condemning unrepented wickedness (Acts 17:31; Romans 2:5–11; Revelation 20:11–15). The final judgment is public, universal, and based on the truth of each person's relationship to Christ. NDE accounts that describe a private "review" of life are not the final judgment, although they may echo it. Scripture warns against any framework that dissolves the reality of future judgment into a merely therapeutic "life review" (see Chapters 15, 16).
Flatline EEG. An electroencephalogram reading that shows no measurable electrical activity in the cortex of the brain. A flatline EEG is one of several medical signs that the brain has stopped functioning at the level associated with conscious thought. Cases of reported NDE content occurring during documented flatline EEG are among the most theologically significant, because on physicalist assumptions, no conscious experience should be possible. Such cases — while not the majority of NDEs — are serious evidence for the survival of consciousness apart from brain activity (see Chapter 11).
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Gehenna. A Greek word (γέεννα) derived from the Hebrew for "Valley of Hinnom," a place near Jerusalem associated with child sacrifice under idolatrous kings (2 Kings 23:10). By the time of Jesus, "Gehenna" had become a picture of final judgment. Jesus uses the word more often than anyone else in the New Testament, and it typically functions as a name for the final state of the lost, distinct from Hades (the temporary intermediate state). Gehenna language in NDE reports deserves careful attention: it belongs to the final judgment category, not to the intermediate-state glimpses most NDEs report (see Chapters 15, 21).15
General revelation. God's self-disclosure through creation, conscience, and providence — knowledge of God available, in principle, to all people (Romans 1:18–21; 2:14–15). General revelation is sufficient to render human beings accountable to God but not, by itself, sufficient for salvation. The saving message of Christ comes through special revelation. NDEs are not general revelation in the classical sense, but some Christians argue that God has used unusual experiences — dreams, visions, and in some cases NDEs — to draw non-Christians toward the gospel. This is different from treating NDEs as a new source of saving doctrine (see Chapter 8).
Greyson NDE Scale. A sixteen-item questionnaire developed by psychiatrist Bruce Greyson in 1983 to quantify the depth and type of a near-death experience. The scale measures cognitive, affective, paranormal, and transcendental features, with a score of 7 or higher generally counted as a "NDE" for research purposes. The Greyson Scale has become the most widely used research instrument in the field and appears in the major prospective studies.16 It is a descriptive tool, not a theological evaluator — a report can score high on the scale and still be theologically problematic (see Chapter 2).
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Hades. The Greek word (ᾅδης) used in the New Testament to translate the Hebrew Sheol. Hades denotes the realm of the dead before the final resurrection. In Luke 16:19–31, Jesus portrays Hades as a place of conscious experience, with separation between the righteous and unrighteous. In Revelation 20:14, Hades is cast into the lake of fire, indicating that Hades is the temporary intermediate state of the unrighteous, to be superseded by the final judgment. Distressing NDEs that report places of conscious suffering may be glimpses of Hades, not necessarily Gehenna (see Chapters 15, 21).
Hapax. A Greek adverb hapax (ἅπαξ), meaning "once" or "once for all." The author of Hebrews uses the cognate form ephapax (ἐφάπαξ) to insist that Christ died "once for all" (Hebrews 7:27; 9:12; 10:10). The finality of Christ's atoning work rules out the reincarnation scheme offered by some NDE teachers and rules out the idea that the self accomplishes its own salvation through repeated lives. Hebrews 9:27 pairs this with the declaration that "it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment" — one life, one judgment, one Savior (see Chapters 8, 23).
Holistic dualism. A form of substance dualism that emphasizes the profound unity of body and soul during earthly life. On this view, the human person is normally embodied and meant to be embodied; the soul's existence apart from the body in the intermediate state is real but abnormal — an awaiting-resurrection state rather than the final goal. Holistic dualism distinguishes itself from Platonic dualism (which treats the body as a prison) and from physicalism (which denies the soul as a distinct substance). John Cooper, in his widely cited work, argues for holistic dualism on biblical and philosophical grounds.17 (See Chapters 8, 15.)
Hypostatic union. The theological term for the union of the divine and human natures in the one Person of Jesus Christ, defined at Chalcedon (AD 451). The two natures are united "without confusion, without change, without division, without separation." The hypostatic union rules out any teaching that treats Jesus as a good man elevated to divine status, a divine being who merely appeared human, or a cosmic principle that indwells multiple teachers. Christologies in NDE literature that violate the hypostatic union have crossed into heresy (see Chapters 13, 28).
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IANDS. The International Association for Near-Death Studies, founded in 1981, the major professional and popular organization for NDE research and support. IANDS publishes the Journal of Near-Death Studies, hosts conferences, and supports local chapters for experiencers. IANDS is a pluralistic, non-confessional organization; its membership spans secular researchers, New Age spiritualists, mainline Christians, and evangelicals. Christians can benefit from IANDS resources, especially the peer-reviewed journal, while recognizing that the organization's overall framing is not Christian (see Chapter 2).
Incarnation. The doctrine that the eternal Son of God took on human nature in the Person of Jesus of Nazareth — fully God and fully man, in one Person forever (John 1:14; Philippians 2:5–11). The Incarnation is a unique, unrepeatable event, not a pattern that all humans can follow. NDE teachings that treat Jesus' incarnation as just one example of "Christ consciousness" available to all, or that claim every soul is already divinely incarnate, have departed from the Christian faith. The Incarnation is the hinge of the gospel (see Chapters 13, 28).
Inerrancy. The doctrine that the Bible, in its original manuscripts, is without error in all it teaches. Inerrancy is closely tied to the authority and inspiration of Scripture: because God is the ultimate author, and God does not lie, the writings He has breathed out are trustworthy. Inerrancy does not require wooden literalism and recognizes the literary character of Scripture (narrative, poetry, prophecy, epistle). In NDE discernment, inerrancy matters because Scripture, not experience, is the final standard — and for Scripture to function that way, it must be trustworthy in what it teaches (see Chapter 8).
Intermediate state. The condition of human beings between bodily death and the final resurrection. Orthodox Christians affirm that the soul survives bodily death in a conscious state: believers are "with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23), while the unbelieving dead await the final judgment in Hades. The intermediate state is not the final destiny of the soul; it is a waiting state before the resurrection of the body. NDEs, insofar as they are genuine, glimpse the intermediate state rather than the resurrected new creation — a distinction that resolves many apparent puzzles in NDE literature (see Chapter 15).18
Interpretation. In NDE discernment, the careful distinction between what the experiencer actually experienced and how they subsequently understood it. A person can genuinely encounter something real and then interpret it through a faulty framework. For example, an NDEr may genuinely experience God's love and conclude, wrongly, that "all religions lead to God." The experience was real; the interpretation was the experiencer's own reasoning. Distinguishing experience from interpretation is one of the most useful tools in NDE evaluation (see Chapters 9, 18).
Inverse NDE. A term sometimes used for a distressing or "negative" NDE — an experience that is the photographic opposite of the typical pleasant NDE, featuring darkness, fear, hostility, or a sense of being cast out. The term appears in some research literature; others prefer "distressing NDE." Whatever term is used, the point is the same: NDEs are not uniformly pleasant, and the existence of negative NDEs cuts against dismissive explanations that attribute all NDEs to endorphin release or wishful thinking (see Chapter 21).
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Karma. In Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain thought, the law by which a person's actions determine the quality of future lives. Karma is tied to reincarnation: the soul is reborn again and again, improving or worsening its condition based on past deeds. Karma is incompatible with the gospel in at least two ways. First, it denies that death leads to final judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Second, it makes salvation a function of self-improvement across many lives rather than a gift received by faith in Christ. NDE reports that invoke karma or "karmic lessons" have absorbed a non-Christian metaphysic (see Chapters 23, 28).
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Lake of Fire. The biblical image, drawn especially from Revelation 19:20, 20:10, 14–15, and 21:8, for the final state of the finally impenitent. The Lake of Fire appears after the final judgment, when Death and Hades themselves are cast into it. Interpreters differ on whether the fire imagery describes eternal conscious torment, eventual annihilation, or a purifying process; within evangelicalism, the first has been the majority view. What all orthodox interpreters affirm is that the Lake of Fire signals the absolute seriousness of rejecting Christ. NDE teachings that eliminate the Lake of Fire entirely have stepped beyond any historically Christian position (see Chapters 16, 21).
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Mediumship. The practice of serving as a conduit between the living and the dead, claiming to relay messages from deceased persons or other spiritual entities. Scripture prohibits mediumship plainly: "There shall not be found among you… anyone who consults the dead" (Deuteronomy 18:10–11; cf. 1 Samuel 28; Leviticus 19:31). When NDE accounts encourage survivors to seek out mediums to continue communication with loved ones, they drift from Christian spirituality into an expressly forbidden practice. Christians should recognize the difference between an unsought comforting experience and a deliberate spiritual operation that Scripture forbids (see Chapter 26).
Metaschēmatizetai. The Greek verb metaschēmatizō (μετασχηματίζω), meaning "to transform," "to change one's outward form," or "to disguise oneself." Paul uses the word in 2 Corinthians 11:13–15 to describe how false apostles, and ultimately Satan, disguise themselves as ministers of righteousness and as an angel of light. The verb tense suggests ongoing, deliberate action. The word is crucial for NDE discernment because it warns that spiritual deception may come in beautiful, peaceful, luminous forms. Light alone does not authenticate the source (see Chapter 7).
Monism. In philosophy, the view that there is ultimately only one kind of substance or one fundamental reality. In philosophy of mind, "monism" often refers to physicalism — the claim that only the physical exists. In Eastern religion, monism refers to the view that all distinctions between God and creation, between the self and the All, are ultimately illusory. Both forms of monism conflict with biblical teaching: Christian theology maintains a real distinction between Creator and creature, and a real distinction between body and soul (see Chapters 8, 28).
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Near-death experience (NDE). A complex subjective experience reported by some people who have come close to death — typically during cardiac arrest, severe trauma, or other life-threatening crises. Commonly reported features include an out-of-body experience, movement through a tunnel or dark space, encounter with a being of light, communication with deceased loved ones, a life review, and a return to the body. The modern study of NDEs began with Raymond Moody's Life After Life (1975) and has developed through the work of Greyson, Sabom, van Lommel, Parnia, Long, and many others (see Chapter 2).19
NDERF. The Near Death Experience Research Foundation, founded by radiation oncologist Jeffrey Long in 1998. NDERF maintains an online database of thousands of NDE accounts submitted by experiencers, along with follow-up questionnaires. Dr. Long's books Evidence of the Afterlife and God and the Afterlife are based on NDERF data. Because NDERF collects self-reported accounts, Christians should use it as a valuable data source rather than as a theological authority: the database contains deeply biblical accounts and strongly unbiblical accounts side by side (see Chapter 2).20
Nearing-death awareness. A term coined by hospice nurses Maggie Callanan and Patricia Kelley to describe the heightened, often symbolic communications of dying patients in the days and weeks before death. Patients may speak of "going home," of preparing for a journey, or of seeing deceased family members. Nearing-death awareness is not the same as a single deathbed vision but is a more drawn-out phenomenon that pervades the patient's final period of life. It overlaps with DBEs and end-of-life experiences but captures a specifically communicative and anticipatory quality (see Chapter 3).
Necromancy. The practice of attempting to communicate with or call up the dead for information or power. Scripture forbids necromancy directly and treats it as a grave offense (Deuteronomy 18:11; Isaiah 8:19; 1 Samuel 28:3–25). NDEs and DBEs are not necromancy when they are unsought spiritual experiences received passively. They become entangled with necromancy when an experiencer or survivor actively seeks out the dead, uses mediums, or treats a deceased loved one as a continuing spiritual guide (see Chapter 26).
Nephesh. The Hebrew word nephesh (נֶפֶשׁ), often translated "soul," "life," "person," or "being." Nephesh has a wide range of meanings and does not by itself settle the monism-dualism debate. Sometimes nephesh refers to the whole person, sometimes to the inner life, and sometimes to the life-principle. What is clear is that Scripture regularly assumes that the inner life of a person is real, that it belongs to God, and that it can be distinguished from the body (see Chapter 8). Word studies alone do not prove either dualism or monism; the fuller case is made from whole texts and systematic theology.21
New Age spirituality. A loose, syncretistic movement that blends Eastern religion, Western occultism, Theosophy, quantum pop-science, and therapeutic self-help. Common features include pantheism or panentheism, reincarnation, karma, self-divinization, channeled teachings, "ascended masters," and a non-judgmental but dogmatic universalism. The New Age has deeply shaped parts of the NDE literature, especially since the 1970s. Much of the most problematic content in NDE books — pre-life memories, soul contracts, "we are all one," universal Christ consciousness — is New Age teaching carried into an NDE context (see Chapters 27, 28).
Nicene Creed. The foundational Christian creed produced at the Council of Nicaea (AD 325) and expanded at Constantinople (AD 381). The Nicene Creed confesses the full deity of Christ as "begotten, not made, of one substance with the Father," and the full deity of the Holy Spirit. The creed has functioned as the church's common summary of Christian faith across centuries, languages, and traditions. In NDE discernment, any "Jesus" whose teaching contradicts the Nicene confession is not the Jesus of the church (see Chapters 8, 28).
Nirvana. In Buddhist thought, the "blowing out" of the fires of craving, aversion, and ignorance — the end of the cycle of rebirth and suffering. Nirvana is typically described in negative terms (what it is not) and is decidedly impersonal. Nirvana is incompatible with biblical teaching on two axes: it replaces resurrection with dissolution of the self, and it replaces relationship with the Triune God with extinction of desire. When an NDEr reports being absorbed into "the All" or losing their individual self in a cosmic oneness, the framework in play is much closer to Nirvana than to the Christian hope of bodily resurrection (see Chapter 28).
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Out-of-body experience (OBE). An experience in which a person perceives themselves as being located outside their physical body, often observing the body from above. OBEs occur in a range of contexts: during surgery, during severe trauma, during sleep paralysis, and as a frequently reported feature of NDEs. Within the NDE literature, OBEs are particularly important because they sometimes include veridical content — the experiencer reports details they could not have perceived from the physical body. OBEs are not limited to NDEs, but they are one of the most common and early features of an NDE (see Chapters 2, 11).22
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Panentheism. The view that the world is "in" God but God is also more than the world. Unlike classical theism (which distinguishes God from creation without separating Him from it) and unlike pantheism (which identifies God with the universe), panentheism holds that the universe is part of God's being while God exceeds it. Panentheism blurs the Creator-creature distinction and often leads toward a non-judging, impersonal deity. Many NDE teachers who sound like Christians have actually embraced panentheism, even while continuing to speak of "God" and "Jesus" (see Chapter 28).
Pantheism. The view that God is identical with the universe — that all is God and God is all. Pantheism eliminates the Creator-creature distinction entirely. Pantheism denies personal relationship with God because there is no personal God to relate to; there is only the All. NDE accounts that describe an experiencer "merging with the All," "returning to the Source," or "realizing that I am everything and everything is me" have imported pantheism. Pantheism is incompatible with Christian theism at the deepest level (see Chapter 28).
Paradise. A biblical term (Greek paradeisos, παράδεισος) used by Jesus on the cross ("today you will be with me in paradise," Luke 23:43), by Paul (2 Corinthians 12:4), and in Revelation (2:7). Paradise names the place of blessed rest for the righteous dead in the presence of Christ prior to the final resurrection. It is closely related to, but not identical with, the final new creation. NDE reports of beautiful landscapes, heavenly gardens, or joyful reunions with believers map most naturally onto paradise in this intermediate-state sense (see Chapter 15).
Past-life regression. A practice in which a hypnotist guides a subject to recall alleged memories of previous lives. Past-life regression is rooted in the worldview of reincarnation, which is incompatible with Hebrews 9:27's declaration that each person lives and dies once. Psychologically, past-life memories recovered under hypnosis are highly suspect; spiritually, the practice opens the subject to whatever content the guiding spiritual influence supplies. NDE reports that feature past-life memories or pre-life reviews of previous incarnations have crossed into reincarnation framework, either through the experiencer's prior beliefs or through deceptive spiritual influence (see Chapter 23).
Patristics. The study of the theology of the early church fathers — Christian writers from roughly the second through the eighth centuries, including figures like Irenaeus, Athanasius, Augustine, the Cappadocians, and John of Damascus. The patristic authors developed and defended the doctrines summarized in the ecumenical creeds. They wrote about death, the soul, the intermediate state, and the resurrection, often reflecting on accounts of the dying and of visions. Patristic testimony is not on par with Scripture but provides historical weight for the consensus Christian teaching against which NDEs are measured (see Chapters 8, 15).
Phenomenology. In research methodology, the careful description of subjective experience on its own terms — what it was like, how it presented itself, how it was received by the experiencer — before moving to explanation. NDE researchers commonly use phenomenological methods: they collect first-person accounts, describe the reported features, and look for patterns. Phenomenology is descriptive, not evaluative; Christians can borrow phenomenological description while still bringing theological categories to bear in evaluating what has been described (see Chapter 2).
Pharmakeia. A Greek noun (φαρμακεία), traditionally translated "sorcery" or "witchcraft," listed among the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:20) and named among the sins of the unrepentant in Revelation 9:21; 18:23; 21:8; 22:15. The word is the root from which we get "pharmacy," and in the ancient world it could refer to the use of drugs in magical rites. In the New Testament it denotes occult practice more broadly. Pharmakeia covers what we today call mediumship, divination, sorcery, and related occult activities. When NDE-related practices — the use of psychedelics to "contact the light," ritual channeling, sorcery dressed as spirituality — are in view, pharmakeia is the biblical category (see Chapter 26).
Physicalism. The philosophical view that human beings are wholly physical — that there is no immaterial soul or spirit distinct from the body. Physicalism comes in several forms (strict materialism, non-reductive physicalism, constitution theory), but all of them deny substance dualism. If physicalism is true, then consciousness cannot exist apart from a functioning brain, and NDEs during flatline EEG and cardiac arrest should be impossible. The veridical NDE data strain physicalist explanations; this book argues that the cumulative case against physicalism is strong (see Chapters 8, 11).23
Pneuma. The Greek word pneuma (πνεῦμα), meaning "breath," "wind," or "spirit." Pneuma is used in the New Testament for the Holy Spirit, for the human spirit, for angels and demons, and for the wind. When applied to human beings, pneuma often refers to the inner life that relates to God (Romans 8:16) and that can be distinguished from the body (1 Corinthians 5:3). Paired with psychē, it frames the biblical witness to the person's inner, God-related life. Overstating the pneuma/psychē distinction into trichotomy is an interpretive choice; the biblical data permit but do not require it (see Chapter 8).
Pneumatology. The branch of theology that studies the Holy Spirit — His deity, His distinct Personhood, His relation to the Father and Son, and His work in creation, revelation, salvation, and the church. Sound pneumatology matters for NDE discernment because the Holy Spirit is the agent of all authentic spiritual illumination, regeneration, and sanctification. NDE accounts that describe "spirit" in impersonal terms, as energy, "higher self," or a pantheistic force, have departed from Christian pneumatology (see Chapter 8).
Postmortem opportunity. The view, held by some evangelical theologians, that those who died without hearing a clear presentation of the gospel may have a chance to respond to Christ after death, before the final judgment. Postmortem opportunity should not be confused with universalism, which holds that all will ultimately be saved regardless. Advocates of postmortem opportunity appeal to texts such as 1 Peter 3:19, 4:6, and to God's character of justice and love. The view is a minority position within evangelicalism; this book notes it as a live topic in evangelical scholarship, especially in conjunction with the intermediate state (see Chapters 15, 20).24
Prospective study. A research design in which subjects are enrolled before the event of interest occurs, then followed forward in time. In NDE research, a prospective study enrolls cardiac-arrest patients in advance and interviews them afterward to see whether they experienced an NDE, with medical data recorded in real time. Prospective studies (notably those by Pim van Lommel, Sam Parnia, and others) are methodologically stronger than retrospective studies because they minimize memory distortion and allow for cleaner medical correlation (see Chapter 11).
Psychē. The Greek word psychē (ψυχή), traditionally translated "soul." Psychē has a broad semantic range: life, life-principle, inner self, seat of emotion and will. Jesus distinguishes psychē from the body when He warns not to fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the psychē (Matthew 10:28). The word stands behind the English "psychology." Biblical use of psychē is one of the central exegetical threads in the dualism-physicalism debate, though, like nephesh, it does not settle the question by word study alone (see Chapter 8).
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Reformed theology. A tradition of Protestant Christianity descending from the sixteenth-century Reformation, especially the work of John Calvin and the Reformed confessions (Westminster, Heidelberg, Belgic, Canons of Dort). Reformed theology emphasizes God's sovereignty in creation, providence, and salvation; the authority of Scripture; the doctrines of grace; and covenant theology. Reformed Christians vary in their openness to NDEs, but they tend to bring a strong biblical discipline to evaluating experience claims. This book draws on Reformed theology among other traditions (see Chapter 8).
Resurrection. The bodily raising of the dead, either Christ's own resurrection on the third day (Matthew 28; 1 Corinthians 15) or the future resurrection of all people at the last day (John 5:28–29; 1 Corinthians 15:22–23; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18). Resurrection is not merely the survival of the soul; it is the reuniting of the person's soul with a transformed, glorified body. NDEs cannot be resurrection, because the experiencer is still mortal and returns to the current body. Some NDE accounts confuse resurrection with the intermediate state — an important category error that sound doctrine corrects (see Chapter 15).
Retrospective study. A research design that looks backward at events that have already occurred. In NDE research, a retrospective study typically gathers accounts from experiencers long after the event, relying on memory. Retrospective studies provide rich qualitative data and allow for larger samples (the NDERF database, for example), but they are methodologically weaker than prospective studies because memory distorts and narratives are shaped by subsequent reading and reflection (see Chapter 2).
Ruach. The Hebrew word ruach (רוּחַ), meaning "wind," "breath," or "spirit." Like its Greek counterpart pneuma, ruach covers a wide range of meanings: the wind of a storm (Genesis 8:1), the breath of life (Genesis 2:7 uses a different but related term), the human spirit (Psalm 31:5), and the Spirit of God (Genesis 1:2). The overlap between wind, breath, and spirit reflects the ancient intuition that the inner life of a person is not reducible to the physical body — an intuition the biblical writers assume and develop (see Chapter 8).
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Samsara. The Sanskrit term for the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth in Hindu and Buddhist thought. Samsara is driven by karma and is the condition from which liberation (moksha or nirvana) is sought. Samsara is incompatible with biblical eschatology, which teaches that each person dies once and then faces judgment (Hebrews 9:27). When NDE reports feature "lessons to learn" through multiple incarnations, or "souls choosing their next life," the framework is samsara, whether or not the word is used (see Chapters 23, 28).
Shared-death experience (SDE). A reported experience in which someone at the bedside of a dying person — not the dying person themselves — has a perception of accompanying the dying person into some transition. SDEs may include seeing a light in the room, sensing the departing loved one, or sharing in a vision. Because the experiencer is not sick and not dying, SDEs resist easy explanation as oxygen deprivation or brain chemistry. SDEs have been documented by Raymond Moody and by hospice researchers and appear in Christian as well as non-Christian contexts (see Chapter 3).25
Sheol. The Hebrew word sheol (שְׁאוֹל), the Old Testament term for the realm of the dead. Sheol is often translated "grave," "pit," or "Hades" in English versions. The Old Testament picture of Sheol is less developed than the New Testament picture of Hades and Paradise; it describes death as a shadowy realm while also hinting at hope for the righteous (Psalm 16:10; 49:15). The New Testament clarifies this with the hope of resurrection and the intermediate state of paradise. Sheol and Hades are roughly equivalent categories (see Chapter 15).
Sola Scriptura. The Reformation principle that Scripture alone is the final authority for Christian faith and practice. Sola Scriptura does not mean Scripture is the only source of Christian knowledge (creeds, councils, tradition, reason, and experience all play roles) but that Scripture alone is the ultimate, inerrant, infallible standard by which all others must be measured. In NDE discernment, sola Scriptura is the backbone of Test 2 (the Scripture test): no experience can overturn what Scripture clearly teaches, regardless of how vivid, peaceful, or transformative the experience may be (see Chapter 8).
Sōma. The Greek word sōma (σῶμα), meaning "body." Sōma is used for the physical human body, for the resurrection body, for the body of Christ in the Lord's Supper, and, metaphorically, for the church as Christ's body. Paul uses sōma importantly in 1 Corinthians 15 to distinguish the present body from the glorified resurrection body: both are real bodies, yet the resurrection body is incorruptible, powerful, and spiritual (i.e., animated by the Spirit). The future hope is not escape from sōma but its transformation (see Chapters 8, 15).
Soteriology. The branch of theology that studies salvation — the work of Christ, the application of that work by the Holy Spirit, the ordo salutis (election, calling, regeneration, faith, justification, sanctification, glorification), and the scope of salvation. Sound soteriology is indispensable in NDE discernment because many problematic NDE teachings concern salvation: who is saved, on what basis, and with what response required. An NDE "Jesus" who announces that all will be saved regardless of faith is preaching a soteriology Scripture does not teach (see Chapters 20, 25).
Soul contract. A New Age concept according to which each person, before birth, chose the circumstances of their present life — including their parents, traumas, and "lessons to learn" — in order to advance the soul through many incarnations. "Soul contracts" are part of the pre-life memory framework in some NDE literature. The concept is not biblical: Scripture teaches that human beings are formed by God in the womb (Psalm 139:13–16) and are born into a fallen world, not into a negotiated life plan. Soul contracts dissolve moral categories, blame victims for suffering, and import reincarnation (see Chapter 24).
"Source, the." A common NDE and New Age term for the ultimate spiritual reality — sometimes identified with "God," sometimes with "Universal Consciousness," sometimes with "the All." "The Source" is typically impersonal, without moral law, without judgment, and without a specific self-revelation. It is the Hindu Brahman dressed in Western spiritual vocabulary. The Triune God of Scripture is not "the Source" in this sense: He is a personal God who speaks, commands, forgives, and acts in history. NDErs who report encounters with "the Source" have named something other than the biblical God, even if they sometimes blur the two (see Chapter 28).
Special revelation. God's self-disclosure through specific words and acts — supremely through Jesus Christ, and scripturally through the Bible. Special revelation supplements general revelation and is necessary for salvation, because salvation requires knowing the gospel. NDEs are not special revelation in the technical sense; the canon is closed, and no experience adds doctrinally to Scripture. This does not mean NDEs are worthless — God may use them in various pastoral and evangelistic ways — but they do not rank with the prophets and apostles (see Chapter 8).
Substance dualism. The metaphysical view that a human being is composed of two distinct substances — a material body and an immaterial soul (or spirit). The soul is not the same thing as the body, and the soul can exist and function apart from the body after death, though its normal state is embodied. Substance dualism is the philosophical position underwriting the biblical teaching on the intermediate state, the commands against necromancy, and the possibility of NDEs as genuine phenomena. Substance dualism is compatible with holistic dualism (the emphasis on body-soul unity during life) and contrasts with physicalism (see Chapters 8, 11).26
Syncretism. The blending of elements from different religions or worldviews into a single system, often resulting in a mixture that compromises the distinctives of each. Syncretism is an ancient temptation (see 2 Kings 17 for an Old Testament case study) and a modern one. NDE literature is syncretistic when it combines Christian language (Jesus, heaven, angels) with non-Christian content (reincarnation, pantheism, universal salvation regardless of faith). Christians called to discernment must refuse syncretism in the name of Christ's uniqueness (see Chapter 25).27
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Terminal lucidity. The sudden return of mental clarity in dying patients whose cognitive function had long been severely impaired — by advanced dementia, Alzheimer's disease, end-stage brain damage, or other terminal neurological conditions. Patients who have not recognized family members for years may suddenly recognize them, speak clearly, and say farewell in the hours before death. Terminal lucidity has been documented by researchers including Michael Nahm, Bruce Greyson, and others; in Christian context, J. Steve Miller has treated it extensively.28 Terminal lucidity is a serious problem for strict physicalism, because the brain damage is not healed, yet the mind reappears (see Chapter 3).
Testing the spirits. The biblical command of 1 John 4:1: "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world" (ESV). The command is addressed to the whole church, not to a specialist class. To "test the spirits" means to evaluate the doctrinal and ethical content of spiritual claims by Scripture. John's test in the same chapter includes the confession that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh (1 John 4:2). The command names the governing activity of this whole book (see Chapter 4).
Theopneustos. The Greek adjective theopneustos (θεόπνευστος), meaning "God-breathed" or "inspired by God." It appears in 2 Timothy 3:16: "All Scripture is breathed out by God…" The word roots the doctrine of inspiration: Scripture is not merely God-influenced or God-approved; it is exhaled by God. Theopneustos supports the doctrines of inspiration, inerrancy, and final authority, and it undergirds sola Scriptura. Because Scripture is God-breathed, it can serve as the final standard for testing any experience, including NDEs (see Chapter 8).
Theosophy. A spiritual movement founded in the late nineteenth century, most prominently by Helena Blavatsky, drawing heavily on Hindu, Buddhist, and Western occult sources. Theosophy teaches reincarnation, karma, a succession of root races, and a pantheon of "ascended masters" including Jesus. Theosophy has profoundly shaped modern New Age spirituality and, through figures like Alice Bailey and Benjamin Creme, has fed concepts into the wider culture and into some NDE literature. Many elements that Christians may take to be harmless New Age language have Theosophical roots (see Chapters 27, 28).
Transformation. In NDE research, the long-term change observed in many NDErs — a shift in values, priorities, relationships, and spiritual outlook. Transformation is closely related to aftereffects but focuses on the interior orientation of the life. Transformation is not, by itself, proof of a genuine divine encounter: cults, false teachers, and New Age teachers also produce "transformation" of a sort. The biblical test is whether the transformation produces fruit consistent with Christ — love for God, love for neighbor, holiness, humility, hunger for His Word — or fruit that drifts toward self-divinization, syncretism, or occult practice (see Chapters 11, 22).
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Universal Christ. A phrase used by some contemporary authors (notably Richard Rohr) to refer to "Christ" as a cosmic principle present throughout creation from the beginning, only partially embodied in Jesus of Nazareth. On this scheme, "Christ" is bigger than Jesus and is available in all religions and in all creation. The Universal Christ is not the Christ of the ecumenical creeds. The New Testament names one Christ — Jesus of Nazareth, crucified and risen — in whom the fullness of deity dwells bodily (Colossians 2:9). NDE teachings that speak of "the Universal Christ" or "the Cosmic Christ" should be evaluated against this creedal boundary (see Chapter 28).
Universal consciousness. A New Age term for the impersonal, all-encompassing awareness said to lie behind individual minds — another vocabulary for Brahman, "the Source," or "the One." "Universal consciousness" collapses the Creator-creature distinction and the distinction between persons. It dissolves the Triune God into an impersonal field and dissolves the human person into a wave on the cosmic ocean. NDE reports that identify God with "universal consciousness" have left the biblical frame, even when they still use the word "God" (see Chapter 28).
Universal reconciliation. The view (often called Christian universalism) that, in the end, all persons will be reconciled to God through Christ — either because God's love will eventually win all hearts, or because the atoning work of Christ is effectively extended to all. Universal reconciliation differs from New Age universalism in that it still affirms Christ's uniqueness and the reality of judgment (often as a purifying rather than eternally punitive process). Within evangelicalism it is a minority, generally non-majority position. This book acknowledges universal reconciliation as a live scholarly discussion while holding that the reality of judgment and the necessity of Christ must be affirmed (see Chapters 16, 20).29
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Veridical NDE. An NDE in which the experiencer reports information that they could not have acquired through their physical senses and that is later verified by independent witnesses or documentation. Classic veridical cases include patients describing surgical instruments, staff conversations, events in distant rooms, or details of the resuscitation effort that match external records. Veridical NDEs are the strongest empirical evidence for consciousness functioning apart from brain activity, and they form the evidential spine of Sabom's Atlanta Study, Parnia's AWARE study, and the professional NDE literature more broadly.30 Veridical content, where present, is the first positive marker in NDE discernment (see Chapter 11).
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Several remarks about how this glossary fits into the larger argument of the book.
First, the glossary is descriptive, not polemical. Many of the entries — atman, karma, bodhisattva, "ascended masters," "universal Christ" — describe concepts that are incompatible with biblical Christianity, but the entries themselves simply define the concepts so that the Christian reader knows what is being said when these terms appear in NDE books. A good discernment vocabulary is the first tool of a good discerner. Once you can name what a writer is teaching, you can evaluate it against Scripture.31
Second, several entries point in the same direction. Atman, Brahman, karma, samsara, nirvana, "the Source," "universal consciousness," Christ consciousness, and the ascended masters belong to a coherent worldview — a monistic, reincarnational, impersonal-absolute framework that has come into Western culture through Theosophy, New Age writers, and the spiritual milieu that has shaped much NDE literature. Recognizing this cluster helps the reader see the pattern: when an NDE book is using two or three of these terms, it is usually operating inside the whole worldview, whether or not that is made explicit. Naming the cluster is one of the main purposes of the glossary.
Third, terms like substance dualism, intermediate state, resurrection, anastasis, and final judgment belong to another cluster — the biblical framework for thinking about death and the afterlife. These are not just academic labels. They are the doctrinal categories in which real spiritual experiences can find a faithful home. A Christian NDEr who returns with questions does not need to abandon their experience in order to think biblically; they need to find the biblical categories that can hold the experience without distorting it. That is what these terms offer.
Fourth, several entries distinguish careful biblical categories from popular conflations. Hades is not Gehenna; the intermediate state is not the resurrection; paradise is not the new creation in its fullness; general revelation is not special revelation. The book is emphatic that these distinctions matter. Much of the confusion in popular NDE literature is not because experiencers are deceitful but because they lack the categories to make sense of what they report. Good categories are pastoral gifts.
Fifth, this glossary is not a substitute for the chapter treatments, the biblical exegesis, or the case-by-case evaluation the book develops. It is a reference — a map for returning to terms encountered in the body of the book. The real work of discernment happens in the chapters, in Scripture, in local churches, and in the ongoing friendships in which NDErs and non-NDErs seek the truth together.32
If this is your first time meeting many of these terms, do not be intimidated. The discernment task is not a test of vocabulary but a stewardship of attention. You do not have to memorize every word here to become a good discerner. You have to know Christ, know Scripture, and be willing to ask good questions. The vocabulary is a tool. It serves the relationship. It is not a substitute for the relationship.
For fuller theological treatments, see John W. Cooper, Body, Soul, and Life Everlasting (on dualism and the intermediate state); Joshua R. Farris, An Introduction to Theological Anthropology (on the range of Christian views of the person); and Michael A. Wilkinson, Crowned with Glory and Honor (for a Chalcedonian anthropology). For the broader discernment literature, see J. Steve Miller, Is Christianity Compatible with Deathbed and Near-Death Experiences?; Shaun Tabatt, The NDE Conspiracy; and Michael Sabom, Light and Death. Full bibliographic details are in the chapter bibliographies and in Appendix E.
Bauer, Walter, Frederick W. Danker, William F. Arndt, and F. Wilbur Gingrich. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3rd ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000.
Bebbington, David W. Evangelicalism in Modern Britain: A History from the 1730s to the 1980s. London: Unwin Hyman, 1989.
Burke, John. Imagine Heaven: Near-Death Experiences, God's Promises, and the Exhilarating Future That Awaits You. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2015.
Bush, Nancy Evans. Dancing Past the Dark: Distressing Near-Death Experiences. n.p.: Parson's Porch, 2012.
Carson, D. A. The Gospel According to John. Pillar New Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1991.
Cooper, John W. Body, Soul, and Life Everlasting: Biblical Anthropology and the Monism-Dualism Debate. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2000.
Fackre, Gabriel, Ronald Nash, and John Sanders. What About Those Who Have Never Heard? Three Views on the Destiny of the Unevangelized. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1995.
Farris, Joshua R. An Introduction to Theological Anthropology: Humans, Both Creaturely and Divine. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2020.
Fudge, Edward W. The Fire That Consumes: A Biblical and Historical Study of the Doctrine of Final Punishment. 3rd ed. Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2011.
Fudge, Edward W., and Robert A. Peterson. Two Views of Hell: A Biblical and Theological Dialogue. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000.
Greyson, Bruce. "The Near-Death Experience Scale: Construction, Reliability, and Validity." Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease 171, no. 6 (1983): 369–375.
Long, Jeffrey. God and the Afterlife: The Groundbreaking New Evidence for God and Near-Death Experience. New York: HarperOne, 2016.
Miller, J. Steve. Deathbed Experiences as Evidence for the Afterlife, Volume 1: A Groundbreaking, Scientific Apologetic. Acworth, GA: Wisdom Creek Press, 2021.
Miller, J. Steve. "Deathbed Experiences as Evidence for the Afterlife: A Multicultural Examination of the Literature." PhD diss., Columbia International University, 2019.
Miller, J. Steve. Is Christianity Compatible with Deathbed and Near-Death Experiences? The Surprising Presence of Jesus, Scarcity of Anti-Christian Elements, and Compatibility with Historic Christian Teachings. Acworth, GA: Wisdom Creek Press, 2023.
Moody, Raymond. Life After Life. Covington, GA: Mockingbird Books, 1975.
Moody, Raymond, with Paul Perry. Glimpses of Eternity. New York: Guideposts, 2010.
Moreland, J. P. The Soul: How We Know It's Real and Why It Matters. Chicago: Moody, 2014.
Parnia, Sam, et al. "AWARE—AWAreness during REsuscitation—A Prospective Study." Resuscitation 85, no. 12 (2014): 1799–1805.
Parry, Robin A. The Evangelical Universalist. 2nd ed. Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2012.
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