Journal of Near-Death Studies, volume 8, issue 2
Editorial: Can Science Explain the Near-Death Experience?
Greyson, B.
Science is a tool for answering empirical questions; it is not designed to address ontological or teleological issues such as the ultimate reality and meaning of the near-death experience (NDE). There are, however, a number of empirical questions about NDEs that can be explored by the scientific method. Scientific study poses risks both to NDErs and to our understanding of the NDE itself. However, because the NDE allows us unique access to information about consciousness and death, those risks are outweighed by the benefits to NDErs and to humanity derived from a scientific description of NDErs.
