Religious and Spiritual Changes After Near-Death Experience: A Survey-Based Study Among Urban Indonesians
Religions March 12, 2026 Rena Latifa, Maryam Abidah Masykuroh, Stefan Huber
Near-death experiences (NDEs) are linked to increased spirituality or religiosity among Indonesian adults, consistent with global findings. In a sample of 402 NDErs from Jakarta (70% female; average age 23), age moderated the effect: early adulthood showed the highest rate of increase, significantly exceeding adolescence, while middle adulthood had higher baseline levels but greater stability. Pre-existing spirituality or religiosity predicted post-NDE changes, and non-religious individuals were overrepresented among those reporting a decrease. Gender differences were not significant.