Article describing the results of informal and formal research regarding electromagnetic (EM) effects of near-death experiences (NDEs); it reviews cases in which a person acts on his environment and those in which a person reacts to the environment. The paper also proposes more precise terminology regarding EM phenomena based on the research and literature review.

Abstract: Research has revealed that following a near-death experience (NDE) a majority of experiencers (NDEers) change fundamentally in values, religious/spiritual beliefs, and relationship to paranormal phenomena. Much less is known about the relationship between aftereffects of one spouse's NDE and subsequent marital adjustment and stability. In this preliminary retrospective study, we addressed this question quantitatively with supplementary narrative data. Using the framework of John Gottman's (1999) Sound Marital House, we analyzed self-reported adjustment in and stability of the marriages of 26 NDEers before and after a self-identified life-changing event (LCE) unrelated to NDEs. Results indicated a significant reduction in marital meaning (p = .008), adjustment (p = .007), and stability (p = .005) in NDE compared to LCE couples, with a majority of NDE (65%) but only a minority of LCE (35%) couples' marriages ending in divorce. Implications for health professionals are discussed.

Article exploring the reasons why near-death experiences may not occur during induced cardiac arrest.

Abstract: This article provides a summary of current literature regarding the nature of spiritual development, types of potentially spiritually transformative experiences (pSTEs), and both short- and long-term aftereffects of pSTEs— biological, psychological, spiritual, and social. The author concludes that in the aftermath of pSTEs, experiencers, their intimates and associates, and their healthcare providers should be prepared to experience integration that can be manageable or be deeply challenging and that can be relatively brief or can last for years.

Book review of "A Farther Shore: How Near-Death and Other Extraordinary Experiences Can Change Ordinary Lives" by researchers Yvonne Kason and Teri Degler.

Review of the book "Many Lives, Many Masters" by psychiatrist Brian L. Weiss about past life therapy.

Article reporting the preliminary finding of overwhelming psychological benefit of hypnotic recall of near-death experiences, and discussing implications for future research.

A letter from Janice Miner Holden to the editor of the Journal of Near-Death Studies on the topic: "Response to 'Is it Rational to Extrapolate from the Presence of Consciousness during a Flat EEG to Survival of Consciousness After Death?'"

Article offering alternative arguments and conclusions to those Keith Augustine offered regarding discrepancies between some near-death experiencers' (NDErs') reports of events they perceived during their NDEs and objective information available about those events.

Abstract: Further research into the question of veridical perception during the "naturalistic" near-death out-of-body experience (nND OBE), that phase of the near-death experience in which the experiencer seems to be perceiving a normal earthly realm, would be of value to NDErs, their caregivers, and humanity in general. I propose a research procedure that targets visual perception during nND OBEs that occur in the hospital setting. I discuss unresolved issues in the design and implementation of such a procedure, and identify further areas of research.

Study of visual perception during the naturalistic near-death out-of-body experience (nND OBE), that aspect of the NDE in which the experiencer seems to view normal physical surroundings from a vantage point outside the physical body, which yielded some unexpected findings that contradicted or augmented previous research. Each of these findings is discussed relative to previous research and analyzed in light of the limitations of the current study.

Study attempting to ascertain the most appropriate content and placement of visual stimuli in a hospital-based study of the veridicality of out-of-body perception in the near-death experience (NDE), and the likelihood that a subject in such a study would notice, clearly perceive, and accurately recall a visual stimulus.

Article analyzing literature of the first quarter century of the field of near-death studies.

Study of near-death verdicality in the hospital setting. The paper describes problems, both anticipated and unanticipated, that were encountered. Based on the successes and failures of this undertaking, recommendations for future research of this type are presented.

Partial abstract: In this article, we present a case study of an adult male who experienced both gravity induced loss of consciousness (G-LOC) as a Korean War aviation cadet, including narrowing of his visual field to a point of light and also two subsequent transpersonal experiences -- a near-death experience (NDE) and an after-death communication (ADC) -- that both included a tunnel-and-light feature. His Near-Death Experience Scale scores for each experience and his comparison of the qualia of these experiences provide unique evidence in the debate about the nature and likely origins of such experiences. These data place more weight on the argument that the tunnel and light in transpersonal experiences cannot reasonably be attributed to loss of oxygen in the brain.

Article describing the methods and results of research to explore spontaneous mediumship experiences (SMEs) that occurred during and after near-death experiences (NDEs).

Article presenting arguments supporting the conclusion that the subtitle claims of an article published in "Nature" were not well-founded and that much research remains to be conducted to unravel the mystery of out-of-body experiences.

Review of a video titled "The Day I Died: The Mind, the Brain, and Near-Death Experiences," an educational BBC program produced by Kate Broome about near-death experiences.

Review outlining the various range of scholarly and non-scholarly characterizations regarding the survival of human consciousness after death by analyzing four books on the topic: "Science and the Near-Death Experience: How Consciousness Survives Death" (Chris Carter); "The Fun of Dying: Find Out What Really Happens Next!" (Roberta Grimes); "The Science of Life after Death: New Research Shows Human Consciousness Lives On" (Stephen Hawley Martin); and "There is Life after Death: Compelling Reports from Those Who Have Glimpsed the Afterlife" (Roy Abraham Varghese).

Article acknowledging the viability and potential value of the hypothesis underlying articles suggesting a relationship between near-death experiences (NDEs) and the body's arousal system, but also identifying substantial weaknesses in both the presented lines of evidence and the studies.

Results of a study to test knowledge and attitudes among licensed U.S. counselors regarding near-death experiences (NDEs) through surveys administered before and after the counselors completed an online course.

Abstract: Previously in this Journal, Holden and Christian (2005) profiled patterns in the field of near-death studies through an analysis of the scholarly publications from Near-Death Experiences: Index to the Periodical Literature through 2001. In this article, we provide an updated analysis of a similar type through 2011. The body of literature on which we based this analysis included 892 scholarly articles by 629 authors spanning more than a century. We report on patterns related to publication dates and venues, experts and their most cited articles, and most and least published topics in the field - both with regard to current status and in comparison to 2001. We discuss limitations of our analysis and implications of it for the future of scholarship in the field of near-death studies.

Study investigating electromagnetic effects among near-death experiencers (NDErs), people who reported a close brush with death without an NDE, and people who reported never having been close to death but who used their most life-changing event as a past reference point.

Article discussing the development of an instrument to measure healthcare professionals' knowledge and attitudes about NDEs that would demonstrate acceptable psychometric properties.