Peer-reviewed research
Look for how a study was designed, who took part, what was measured, and what limitations the authors describe.
Read deeply
Library
Research, care resources, philosophy, and spiritual texts to help you explore further.
Start with an overview, read a research paper, or explore a tradition in more depth. The collection below brings together different ways of understanding death and caring for others.
Read in context
Compare sources across research, care, philosophy, and traditions. Each offers a different way to approach awareness, meaning, and preparation near the end of life.
Read each source in its own context, paying attention to methods, limits, and the questions it can reasonably answer.
Browse the collection
Choose what to read next
Different perspectives
Institutional research summary - NYU Langone HealthLucid Dying: Patients Recall Death Experiences During CPRContemplative teaching - Robert A.F. ThurmanLucid Dying: Buddhist Inner Sciences 101Contemplative essay - Robert A.F. ThurmanHow Facing Death Brings LifeContemplative interview - Lion's RoarA Wake-Up Call
Research studies
Peer-reviewed study - PubMedA multi-center study of consciousness and awareness in cardiac arrestInstitutional research summary - University of SouthamptonResults of world's largest Near Death Experiences study publishedMeasurement tool - PubMedThe near-death experience scale: construction, reliability, and validityMeasurement tool - PubMedThe Near-Death Experience Content scale
Care and support
Foundations
Traditions
Tradition explainer - Rubin MuseumDeath, the Bardo, and Rebirth in Tibetan BuddhismPhilosophy reference - Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyMind in Indian Buddhist PhilosophyTradition explainer - Archdiocese of HobartArs Moriendi - The Art of Dying WellPrimary tradition text - Internet Sacred Text ArchiveKatha UpanishadTradition explainer - American Research Center in EgyptBook of the Dead: A Guidebook to the AfterlifePhilosophy reference - Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyStoicism
Reading with care
How to assess a source
Institutional summaries
Hospital and university summaries can be an accessible starting point. The linked research papers usually offer more detail about the findings and their limits.
Tradition sources
The author, translator, teacher, and community can help you understand the meaning and history of a teaching.
First-person accounts
Personal accounts can tell you what an experience felt like. They may leave questions about its cause or meaning unanswered.
Continue learning
Next: About
Learn why this guide exists, how it approaches sources, and when to seek professional support.