Early NDE research The term near-death experience was coined in 1975 by Dr. Raymond Moody, an American medical doctor with a PhD in philosophy. In his book Life After Life, also published in 1975, he defined it as the incredible experience people describe having had when an accident or illness has brought them to the brink of death.
「瀕死體驗」（Near Death Experience, NDE）一詞最早出現於 1975 年的美國，是擁有哲學和醫學雙博士的雷蒙穆迪，在當年出版的《來生》《Life After Life》一書所創，意指當一個人生命處於重病、突發事故而瀕臨死亡邊緣，歷經九死一生，又恢復意識後所訴說的不可思議體驗。