Near-death experiences are profound psychological events occurring to individuals close to death or facing intense physical or emotional danger. Although the term near-death experience and its acronym NDE were not coined until 1975, accounts of similar events can be found in the folklore and writings of most cultures. The phenomenon was first described as a clinical syndrome by Heim in 1892, although isolated cases appeared in medical journals throughout the 19th century. Once thought to be rare, NDEs have been documented to occur in 10% to 20% of cardiac arrest survivors. Keywords: death anxiety; hallucinations; parapsychology; stress consequences