A controversial theory linking visions of hell in near-death experiences to the idea that reality is a simulated world has been put forward by a doctor studying the phenomenon.
New Zealand-based healthcare researcher Dr Orson Wedgwood says accounts from people who report so-called negative near-death experiences often contain strikingly similar features, including foul smells, demonic figures and violent imagery.
He argues these recurring themes may suggest such episodes are not simply hallucinations, but could reflect experiences occurring within what he describes as a God-created “simulation” designed to test human souls.
In his view, the simulation acts as a structured environment in which individuals are effectively 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,” he 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.”
The simulation hypothesis more broadly suggests that what humans perceive as reality may be artificially generated, a concept popularised in fiction such as The Matrix.
It has also been discussed in public by figures such as Elon Musk, who has previously suggested reality could resemble an “alien Netflix series” run by an advanced creator.
Wedgwood connects this idea with religious interpretations of near-death experiences, suggesting 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.
He also claims that individuals can still be “rescued” from such experiences if they call out to God.
One case he points to is that of Ian McCormack, a New Zealand surfer who says he experienced hell after being stung by a jellyfish in 1982.
“I could feel the evil; it was all around me,” McCormack reportedly said.
He later described a vision in which his mother urged him to call out to God.
“I felt like a speck of dust being drawn up into a radiant light and delivered out of the kingdom of darkness,” he said.
Wedgwood says negative near-death experiences are rare and typically characterised by intense fear and hopelessness.
Research he cites suggests around 14% of out-of-body experience reports are negative, with roughly half of those involving 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 just as vivid and life-altering as positive ones.
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,” she said.
Wedgwood argues that such accounts are often interpreted by experiencers as genuinely hell-like, although many scientists remain sceptical of religious interpretations of near-death experiences.
“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,” he said.
“A lot of them now are adopting this simulation theory that we’re living in a simulation, and this is like serious PhDs.”