Lucid Dying

From internationally renowned expert in resuscitation and near-death experience Sam Parnia, MD, PhD, comes a groundbreaking look at what happens to us when we die, based on the largest-ever research study run on near-death experiences What happens to us when we die? For millennia, we’ve sought the answers, and we’ve hoped to find them in near-death experiences. But while those answers have come haphazardly and can’t be trusted, groundbreaking research is now formalizing our understanding of death in new and thrilling ways. At the frontlines of that research is Dr. Sam Parnia. Lucid Dying is the first book to formally explore what happens to the human mind and consciousness not only in the period leading up to death, but also during and after death. Using data derived from multiple scientific studies, Dr. Parnia shows that the entity we refer to as consciousness—our Self—does not seem to become annihilated at the moment of death. In fact, during death, our consciousness follows a very specific narrative arc, in which we relive our lives not only from our own experiences, but from the perspective of everyone we’ve interacted with. What follows is a purposeful review of our own actions, thoughts, and intentions towards others. These studies also show that there is a universal experience of death that is meaningful, transcendent, positive, and transformative—not hallucinatory, delusional, or illusory as previously imagined. With empirical research and gripping anecdotes that explore the notion of a collective unconsciousness. Dr. Parnia shows how we can access this deeper wisdom to lead more intentional lives.