Dr. Jan Holden: Near-Death Experiences, Veridical Perception & The Future of Human Consciousness

Jan 2026 01

In this episode, Dani Foffa talks with IANDS President Dr. Jan Holden. In this episode, she shares groundbreaking insights into near-death experiences (NDEs), veridical perception, and what science currently understands about consciousness functioning beyond the brain. Dr. Holden explores how individuals report crystal-clear awareness during cardiac arrest, perception from outside the body, and verified details that challenge materialist assumptions.

Near-death research is evolving and Jan describes how it links to after-death communication, shared-death experiences, and near-death-like experiences that happen without clinical death. Dr. Holden explains why these cases point toward consciousness as fundamental and eternal, and how humanity may be approaching a collective shift from a material worldview to a more spiritual, interconnected understanding of reality. She also offers advice for therapists and the healthcare system on supporting experiencers in integrating their experiences, shares her ketamine-assisted transformative experience, and reflects on how decades of research have shaped the way she looks at life, including her relationship with death and the insights she has gained along the way, so be sure to watch until the end!

Dr. Jan Holden is the editor-in-chief of the peer-reviewed Journal of Near-Death Studies, Professor Emerita of Counseling at the University of North Texas, and her primary research focus has been the counseling implications of near-death experiences, after-death communication, and other transpersonal experiences.

Afterlife Revealed podcast – Episode 28

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Timecodes:

0:00 – Introduction
1:06 – What brought you to the fascinating field of near-death studies
3:53 – What does science know about what is happening in the brain during an NDE
8:52 – Do you feel that we are witnessing the beginning of a new era where we are shifting from a material to a more spiritual society
13:37 – What might counsellors or therapists need to be aware of in order to help NDErs integrate their experiences
19:55 – What could IANDS do to help the healthcare system support NDErs?
23:32 – How did all this research has affected the way you look at life? Were you afraid of death before all this research and how has this changed for you

Jan’s website –
Jan’s book ‘Handbook of Near-Death Experiences’ –
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What is an NDE?

A near-death experience (NDE) is typically a profound, life changing, intensely emotional experience that usually occurs during a clinical crisis and has common characteristics and aftereffects. It is not a dream, hallucination, or mental illness (Greyson, 1983). There are no predictive variables to identify who will have an NDE. They happen to people of all ages, religions, socio-economic groups, cultures, educational backgrounds, and belief systems. They occur under a variety of circumstances such as accidents, near-drownings, illnesses, combat, surgical procedures, and childbirth. Following an NDE, experiencers (NDErs) often display some common aftereffects. Research has established a set of common NDE characteristics and long-term aftereffects. Theories used to explain near-death experiences in purely physical terms have been proven inadequate by NDE researchers and others.

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