Persons who report "near-death experiences" (NDEs) acknowledge more intrusive symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) than those who came close to death without NDEs, but not more avoidance symptoms, suggesting a nonspecific stress response. Although dissociation generally increases vulnerability to PTSD, the positive affect that distinguishes NDEs from other dissociative experiences...
This paper considers the generally consistent description of the common elements involved in near-death experiences (NDEs). It is suggested that the framework for studying a new psychiatric syndrome provides a context within which NDEs can be articulated both for research and for the practice of mental health professionals.