IANDS to launch first Near-Death Experience Week with new survey results

By AI, Created 4:51 PM UTC, May 18, 2026, /AGP/ – The International Association for Near-Death Studies will hold its first Near-Death Experience Week June 1-7, 2026, and release full findings from a survey of 2,100 U.S. adults on May 28. The nonprofit says the effort is meant to educate the public and professionals about near-death experiences and the beliefs surrounding them.

Why it matters: - The first-ever Near-Death Experience Week is designed to put near-death experiences in front of the public, medical professionals, clergy and people who have had them. - IANDS will also release full results from a survey of 2,100 adults, which could show that near-death experiences are more common than many people assume. - The findings may shape how the public thinks about death, the afterlife and the effects of near-death experiences on people’s lives.

What happened: - The International Association for Near-Death Studies will host Near-Death Experience Week June 1-7, 2026. - IANDS will unveil the complete results of a Centiment survey of 2,100 American adults on May 28. - The nonprofit will make member experts available to media on request during the week. - The organization is based in Durham, North Carolina.

The details: - On Tuesday, June 2 at 8 p.m. Eastern, IANDS will host a free online “Near Death Experience Webinar for Newcomers.” - The June 2 event will feature IANDS President Evan Mecham, who had an NDE in 1980, and Vincent Tolman, who had an NDE in 2003 and wrote The Light After Death: My Journey to Heaven and Back. - IANDS Executive Director Janet Riley will moderate the June 2 session. - Attendees will be able to submit questions. - On Saturday, June 6 at 3 p.m. Eastern, IANDS will host a second free online event titled “Near-Death Experiences: What Academic Research and Compelling Stories Tell Us About the Remarkable Phenomena.” - Speakers for the June 6 discussion include Marieta Pehlivanova, a research assistant professor at the University of Virginia School of Medicine Division of Perceptual Studies, and Anita Moorjani, author of Dying to Be Me, who had an NDE in 2006. - IANDS Afterlife Revealed Podcast host Dani Foffa will facilitate the June 6 discussion. - Registration is available through IANDS Groups and Events. - IANDS describes itself as a nonprofit 501(c)(3) focused on high-quality information about NDE-related subjects. - The group says its purpose is to promote multidisciplinary exploration of near-death and similar experiences, their effects and their implications for beliefs about life, death and human purpose. - IANDS says it is the only membership group of its kind with local groups around the world.

Between the lines: - The survey release and two public events suggest IANDS is trying to broaden the conversation beyond experiencers and researchers. - The use of both firsthand accounts and academic voices signals an effort to reach skeptical audiences as well as people already interested in the topic. - Framing the week as an educational effort may help IANDS present near-death experiences as a subject for serious discussion rather than fringe speculation.

What’s next: - IANDS will publish the full survey results May 28. - Near-Death Experience Week begins June 1 and runs through June 7. - Media interviews with member experts will be available by request during the week. - The two free online events will take place June 2 and June 6.