A New Zealand healthcare researcher, Dr Orson Wedgwood, has sparked debate by linking reports of hellish near-death experiences to the hypothesis that reality is a simulated world created by God. According to Wedgwood, accounts of so-called negative near-death experiences often share strikingly similar features, including foul smells, demonic figures, and violent imagery.
Recurring Themes in Negative Near-Death Experiences
Wedgwood argues that these recurring themes suggest such episodes are not merely hallucinations but may reflect experiences within a God-created “simulation” designed to test human souls. In his view, the simulation acts as a structured environment where individuals are assessed on their choices during life.
“We are in a created environment, or a ‘simulation’ in which we are being tested. Our consciousness, how we behave, and the experiences we have are real, but the rest is not,” Wedgwood said. “The simulation is designed to sort us into those who will be with God after the simulation is over versus those who won’t, all in a safe environment where we can’t do any damage.”
Connection to Simulation Theory and Religious Interpretations
The simulation hypothesis, popularised in fiction such as The Matrix, suggests that what humans perceive as reality may be artificially generated. Public figures like Elon Musk have speculated that reality could resemble an “alien Netflix series” run by an advanced creator. Wedgwood connects this idea with religious interpretations of near-death experiences, proposing that those who reject God may either lose their eternal aspect or find themselves in a dark afterlife realm.
“Most of this is in line with the Bible, and it is also somewhat in line with simulation theory expounded by people like Elon Musk who have concluded that life is not a random act of nature,” he said.
Case Study: Ian McCormack’s Experience
Wedgwood cites the case of Ian McCormack, a New Zealand surfer who says he experienced hell after being stung by a jellyfish in 1982. McCormack reportedly said, “I could feel the evil; it was all around me.” He later described a vision in which his mother urged him to call out to God, leading him to feel “like a speck of dust being drawn up into a radiant light and delivered out of the kingdom of darkness.”
Prevalence and Scientific Perspectives
Wedgwood notes that negative near-death experiences are rare, with research suggesting around 14% of out-of-body experience reports are negative, and roughly half of those involve demonic or hell-like imagery. However, a 2019 study published in the journal Memory found little difference in brain activity between positive and negative near-death experiences, suggesting both may stem from similar neurological processes but differ in emotional interpretation. The study concluded that this may explain why some people report terrifying experiences that feel as vivid and life-altering as positive ones.
Book and Expert Skepticism
Wedgwood explores these ideas in his book Near Death Experience and AWARE studies: Proof Of The Soul and God?, which examines accounts of negative near-death experiences. In one example from a 2019 study, a woman described encountering disturbing entities as she approached death: “I am beginning to distinguish forms in this incredibly thick fog. Human, bestial, monstrous. I am swimming in a stinking stench filled with horrible and furtive creatures and I am feeling overwhelmed with pain.”
While many scientists remain skeptical of religious interpretations of near-death experiences, Wedgwood argues that some colleagues privately agree that conventional science cannot explain the origin of the universe, life, or consciousness. “Many colleagues I've worked with over the years, PhDs, doctors, and many of them will agree, perhaps more privately than publicly, that they cannot provide explanations of the origin of the universe, the origin of life, and where consciousness comes from. A lot of them now are adopting this simulation theory that we're living in a simulation, and this is like serious PhDs,” he said.
