How to Disclose a Near-Death Experience: A Guide to Sharing Your Truth
By Dr. Lily Amorous
The NDE Connexion | www.thendeconnexion.com.au
Introduction
For many people who have had a near-death experience (NDE), the event marks a profound and life-altering moment—one that often shifts their perceptions of self, life, death, and the nature of existence. But what comes after the light, the tunnel, the sense of unity, or the life review? For many, one of the hardest parts is not the experience itself—it’s deciding whether, how, and when to talk about it.
Disclosing a near-death experience can be one of the most vulnerable things you do. It requires courage, discernment, and sometimes, a leap of faith. In a world that doesn’t always understand—or even believe—what you’ve gone through, speaking your truth takes on a deeper layer of risk and significance. But it can also be one of the most empowering, freeing, and healing steps in integrating your experience.
This article is a gentle guide to navigating that process. Whether you are wondering how to tell a loved one, a therapist, a spiritual leader, or the wider community, this guide will help you approach disclosure with clarity, safety, and confidence.
1. Understand Why You Want to Share
Before you speak, take a moment to reflect: Why do I want to share this?
There is no right or wrong answer. Some common reasons include:
Seeking understanding or support
Needing to process or make sense of what happened
Wanting to feel less alone
Helping others by sharing your story
Seeking spiritual or psychological integration
Advocating for awareness and research
Being clear on your motivation can help guide how you share, what you say, and who you choose to disclose to. It also provides a solid emotional foundation to return to if the response isn’t what you hoped for.
2. Choose Your Audience with Care
One of the most important parts of disclosure is who you share with. Some people will respond with curiosity, awe, or deep listening. Others may react with scepticism, discomfort, or even ridicule—especially if they haven't had a similar experience themselves.
You are not obligated to tell everyone. You get to choose who is worthy of hearing your story.
Start with someone you feel emotionally safe with. This might be a close friend, a family member who is spiritually open, a peer in an NDE support group, or a therapist trained in spiritual emergence. Choosing a compassionate and receptive listener makes a world of difference.
3. Know That You Don’t Need to Share Everything
Disclosing doesn’t mean telling the entire story in one sitting. It’s okay to:
Start small
Be vague at first (“I had a spiritual experience during a health crisis”)
Test the waters before going deeper
Save the most sacred parts for later—or never
You are allowed to protect the parts of your story that feel too raw or too sacred to expose. You are the steward of your own truth.
4. Use Grounded, Gentle Language
Many experiencers find that describing their NDE in simple, grounded language helps people stay open. You can honour the mystery without overwhelming the listener.
Here are some ways to introduce the topic:
“Something happened to me during a medical emergency that changed the way I see the world.”
“After a near-death event, I had an experience that I don’t fully understand but that was deeply meaningful.”
“I’m not sure if you’ve ever heard of near-death experiences, but I’ve had one. It’s had a big impact on me.”
Use language that feels natural to you. You don’t have to “sell” it. Your lived truth is enough.
5. Focus on the Meaning, Not Just the Details
Sometimes people connect more deeply when you focus on how the experience changed you, rather than just describing what happened. You might share things like:
“Since then, I’ve had a deep peace about death.”
“It made me re-evaluate my life priorities.”
“I feel more connected to others, and I try to live more compassionately.”
These outcomes often resonate universally, even with people who aren’t spiritually inclined.
6. Prepare for a Range of Reactions
Unfortunately, not everyone responds with kindness or understanding. Some may:
Change the subject
Say “that was just the brain shutting down”
Look uncomfortable or make a joke
Try to psychoanalyse or spiritualise the experience away
Re-write your experience and/or add interpretation over your NDE
Or say nothing.
This is a reflection of them, not you. They may be uncomfortable with the topic of death, unfamiliar with spiritual phenomena, or unsure how to respond. Don’t let this invalidate your truth.
You can gently say:
“I don’t expect you to understand it fully—I just needed to say it out loud.”
“I know it’s hard to relate if you haven’t had something similar.”
“This is really personal, so I appreciate you just listening.”
You’re not sharing to convince anyone. You’re sharing to live in integrity.
7. Consider Sharing with a Professional
Many NDErs want to talk about their experience in therapy or with a spiritual counsellor but worry they’ll be judged or pathologised. This fear is valid—many professionals are unfamiliar with NDEs or may interpret them through a strictly clinical lens.
When disclosing to a therapist, you might say:
“I had a near-death experience that still impacts me. Is that something you’re open to hearing about?”
“I’d like to talk about a spiritually transformative experience, and I want to make sure it’s treated respectfully.”
“I’m not looking for a diagnosis—just space to process something meaningful.”
A good professional will listen with curiosity and care. If they dismiss, minimise, or psychologise your experience, it might be time to seek someone with more awareness of spiritual emergence or NDE integration.
8. Decide Whether to Share Publicly
Some people feel called to share their NDE publicly—through blogs, books, podcasts, support groups, or speaking engagements. This can be empowering, but it also brings new challenges, such as vulnerability, internet criticism, or spiritual exploitation.
Ask yourself:
Am I ready to hold the emotional impact of being “seen” in this way?
Do I have support around me if people respond negatively?
Am I sharing from a healed place or still in the thick of integration?
You don’t need to be “finished” to share, but you do need to feel safe enough within yourself to be centred and grounded amongst the variations of others’ reactions.
Many NDErs start with anonymous posts or small interviews before going public more broadly. Let it be a gradual unfolding, if you wish it to be.
9. Create a Personal Script
Having a script or outline of what you want to say can ease anxiety and help you stay grounded. Try writing out:
A short version of your experience
A description of how it affected you
A statement of what you want the listener to do (e.g., just listen, ask questions, offer support)
Example:
“I want to share something personal. A few years ago, I died during surgery. While dead, I had an experience that felt more real than this world—of being surrounded by love, seeing a light, and then being sent back. It’s been hard to talk about, but it changed me. I’m sharing it now because I want to live more openly and not carry it alone.”
10. Honour the Sacredness of Your Story
Your NDE is not a party trick, a diagnosis, or a New Age anecdote. It is sacred. You get to decide how and when to reveal it, and to whom.
Some experiencers never share publicly but live from the inside out—making life choices guided by what they now know to be true. Others share widely, helping others feel less alone in the mystery.
There is no wrong path. Whether you whisper your truth to one trusted soul or speak it from a stage, what matters most is that you honour yourself.
Conclusion: The Power of Truth
To speak your near-death experience aloud is to bridge the worlds. It is an act of truth-telling in a culture that often avoids both death and the ineffable. It is a return to your voice, your story, your knowing.
As you consider disclosing your experience, know that there are others—many others—who walk this path with you. You are not alone. And when you speak, you give others permission to do the same. However, this does not mean you need to carry the responsibility for the decisions of others as to whether they choose to disclose or not.
The truth of your experience matters. And if and when you’re ready to share it, do it in a manner of your choosing. If you wish to disclose gently and subtly, a whisper is enough. A conversation. A connection. A candle lit in the dark. Or should you choose to disclose with gusto, then jump on the carriage of your choosing, and embrace the ride knowing that your truth is one of sacredness and love!
Need a Safe Place to Talk?
At The NDE Connexion, we provide a supportive space for near-death experiencers and spiritually transformative experiencers. Whether you're looking for a therapist, a group, or just someone who believes you—you're welcome here.
