Near-Death Experiences and Samadhi

Near-death experiences (NDEs) and certain states described in the tradition of samadhi share striking similarities: light, peace, and the disappearance of ordinary reference points. Should they be considered the same?

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Near-Death Experiences and Samadhi

A Proximity Worth Exploring

Summary : Near-death experiences (NDEs) and certain states described in the tradition of samadhi share striking similarities: light, peace, and the disappearance of ordinary reference points. Should they be considered the same? Drawing on direct experience, testimonies, and practice, this text explores their proximity without equating them, opening a simple question: could these different circumstances reveal the same potential of consciousness?

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Two Paths, One Question

Spiritual traditions describe profound states of consciousness, sometimes referred to as nirvikalpa samadhi or nirbija samadhi. These terms point to experiences in which usual reference points—thought, identity, perception—fade, giving way to a simple presence without division.

At the same time, there is a well-documented phenomenon: NDEs, occurring during accidents or extreme situations. Here too, many accounts describe a radical shift in experience.

These two domains, though distinct, invite the same question.

An Experience of Light

Among the elements frequently reported in NDEs, certain features appear consistently: an intense yet non-blinding light, a deep sense of peace, the disappearance of fear, and a quiet sense of certainty.

In meditation, certain states described in traditional teachings also involve an inner light, along with a sense of being absorbed into it.

These parallels are striking. They do not prove identity, but they invite closer attention.

A Lived Comparison

These questions can be approached not only through texts or testimonies, but through direct experience.

At different moments in my life, I have encountered two kinds of states that might be compared: one within meditation, the other following an accident, in what is called an NDE.

The circumstances were entirely different. Yet certain elements were similar: a disappearance of familiar reference points, a simple presence, and above all this light, not perceived as an object but as a field in which everything seemed to dissolve.

One evening, while meditating as I had been doing every day for years, without any particular expectation, something shifted.

The light, usually stable, seemed to draw closer, as if distance were collapsing, until it filled the entire field of experience.

There was no body, no thought, no reference point. Only this light, and the sense of being carried within it, without direction or limit.

Time itself seemed absent. What felt like a moment turned out, afterward, to have lasted many hours.

Then everything returned, as if the experience withdrew on its own, giving way to ordinary perception.

This did not unfold as a gradual progression. It appeared as a sudden shift, almost like an accident.

What Is at Stake

In NDEs, the experience arises without preparation, in a context that is not chosen. It is brief, unexpected, and linked to rupture.

In meditation, the approach is generally grounded in practice, a spiritual discipline, a growing familiarity with attention, breath, and presence.

Yet what reveals itself does not always follow this progression. The experience can arise suddenly, without transition.

A Shared Potential of Consciousness

Rather than trying to equate these experiences, another perspective can be considered.

What is lived in these different situations—deep meditation or NDEs—may reflect the same underlying potential of consciousness, appearing under different conditions.

In one case, it is approached through practice. In the other, it emerges unexpectedly.

The Aftereffects

One important aspect concerns the consequences of these experiences.

Many NDE accounts describe lasting changes: a different relationship to life, reduced fear, greater perspective, and increased attention to others.

Similar effects are described following certain deep meditative states: greater stability, clarity, and a transformed way of being.

In Summary

NDEs and certain states described as samadhi share real similarities, especially regarding light, peace, and the dissolution of ordinary reference points.

These similarities are not enough to conclude they are identical.

They suggest instead that there is, within each person, a potential of consciousness that may appear under different circumstances

If you have any questions, please write here:

madhyama.marga@gmail.com

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