Near-death experience.

What's near in this sentence?

It means almost died

Question

Near-death experience.

What's near in this sentence?

It means almost died

Answer

The experience of dying is the thing that is near.

People report having seen a light and things like this. What they assume to be their passing from this world into the next

Answer

Yes, in "near-death experience," the word "near" means "almost" or "close to."

So, a near-death experience refers to a situation where someone almost dies but survives.