Dr. Joel Funk, a psychology professor at Plymouth State College, conducted a small study on the role of music in near-death experiences (NDEs). He reported that individuals who have had NDEs recall hearing music, often described as beautiful, floating, and ambient rather than rhythmic or structured. In his research, Funk played various types of music and found that many selected New Age or synthesized soundscapes, most notably “The Angels of Comfort” (1978) by Iasos, as the closest match to what they experienced. Participants frequently described strong emotional reactions when hearing similar music again, suggesting these memories are deeply encoded and vivid.
Some individuals hear voices singing in perfect harmony, often interpreted as angelic or otherworldly choirs. These voices may not sing in any recognizable language, but the meaning is intuitively understood as communicating love, acceptance, or reassurance. Others describe instrumental music, but with qualities that cannot be replicated by any known instrument, tones that vibrate through their entire being, or melodies that seem to arise from the very fabric of the environment rather than from a single source. The music is described as ineffable: harmonious waves of sound, beyond the limits of language and even ordinary auditory perception. Some liken it to hearing “the music of the spheres,” the ancient philosophical concept describing cosmic harmony underlying all existence.
These descriptions align with reports from mystics across traditions, who often speak of hearing sublime music during deep meditation, prayer, or moments of spiritual awakening. Esoteric teachings sometimes frame this as attunement to a higher vibrational reality, where music expresses the fundamental order of the universe.
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Music of the Spheres 