Psychology of Consciousness Theory Research and Practice
February 26, 2026
Natasha Tassell-Matamua, Karalee Kothe, Michael Nahm et al.
The unanticipated occurrence of unusually enhanced mental clarity just before death has been reported across time and cultures and has come to be known by the term “terminal lucidity.” Cases that appear to be characteristic of terminal lucidity in children have been sporadically documented in historical and more recent literature, yet no studies have systematically examined the characteristics...
Frontiers in Psychology
October 16, 2025
Bruce Greyson, Jeffrey Long, Janice Miner Holden et al.
3 citations
Introduction: In this study, we describe the construction of the veridical Near-Death Experience Scale (vNDE Scale), a structured instrument for evaluating the evidential strength of perceptions reported during near-death experiences (NDEs), and its first validation by human and artificial raters. Methods: The construction was implemented using a typical Delphi Method. The first draft of the...
Journal of Near-Death Studies
2024
Natasha Tassell-Matamua, Antti Savinainen, Bruce Greyson
Article describing life review accounts as included in the writings of the Theosophy movement, from the 1800s and 1900s.
The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease
November 1, 2023
Nicole Lindsay, Laura O'Sullivan, Rosemary Gibson et al.
Near-death experiences (NDEs) are nonordinary states of consciousness typically occurring on the brink of death. Sleep changes after NDEs have been described, including shorter sleep duration, longer sleep latency, and more sleep disturbances; however, objective verification is lacking. In this exploratory research, 57 participants took part in a 14-day actigraphy study and were assigned to...
Journal of Consciousness Studies
June 1, 2023
Natasha Tassell-Matamua, Kiri MacDonald-Nepe Apatu, Te Rā Moriarty et al.
The Indigenous Māori of Aotearoa New Zealand have a knowledge system embedded with understandings related to consciousness, soul, and spirit. Although the effects of colonization are vast and ongoing, these knowledges have not been completely lost, and endure as an essential part of Māori comprehensions about the nature of everyday life and reality. We provide an overview of the...
Explore (New York, N.Y.)
2023
Marjorie Woollacott, Anne Shumway-Cook, Natasha Tassell-Matamua
Research suggests that worldviews define our relationship to the environment, including our responsibility to the environment and our planet. This paper examines two specific worldviews and their potential environmental impact: the materialist worldview, considered to be the dominant worldview of Western society, and the so-called post-materialist worldview. We believe that changing the...
April 3, 2017
Natasha Tassell-Matamua, Nicole Lindsay, Simon Bennett et al.
Research has revealed a consistent pattern of positive aftereffects in those who report a near-death experience [NDE]. Beneficial outcomes are also possible for those who have not had a NDE, but instead learn about them, although much of this research has been conducted on therapeutic populations. Using a sample of 143 participants randomly assigned to either an intervention or non-intervention...
January 2, 2017
Natasha Tassell-Matamua, Kate L. Steadman
Near-death experiences (NDEs) often precipitate a variety of aftereffects, which can include an increased sense of spirituality. While a large volume of literature attests to these changes, less is known about what aspects of NDEs might be most influential in this change. This study aimed to address this issue by investigating what specific NDE characteristics and features were related to...
January 2, 2016
Natasha Tassell-Matamua, Nicole Lindsay
According to terror management theory, fear of death is one of the most profound of human anxieties. Yet, the near-death experience (NDE) and its associated pattern of after-effects represent an intriguing exception to this theory. Studies indicate the loss of the fear of death is an instantaneous and pervasive after-effect of NDEs. Some theorists propose this elimination of death fear could be...