Within-subject comparison of near-death and psychedelic experiences: acute and enduring effects
Charlotte Martial, Robin Carhart-Harris, Christopher Timmermann
Neuroscience of Consciousness 2024 DOI: 10.1093/nc/niae033 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 31 |
| Population | Adults who have experienced both a near-death experience and a psychedelic experience |
| Topics | Near-death experience Philosophy of mind |
| Keywords | Consciousness studies phenomenology Altered states Awareness Impact Memory Psychedelics hallucinogens Entheogens Psychoactive substances Near-death experience nde Near death Deathbed vision Mystical experiences |
| Citations | 9 |
| Key findings | Mystical-like effects overlap between NDEs and psychedelic experiences, while sensory phenomena such as disembodiment and visual imagery differ significantly. |
Abstract
Abstract Mystical-like states of consciousness may arise through means such as psychedelic substances, but may also occur unexpectedly during near-death experiences (NDEs). So far, research studies comparing experiences induced by serotonergic psychedelics and NDEs, along with their enduring effects, have employed between-subject designs, limiting direct comparisons. We present results from an online survey exploring the phenomenology, attribution of reality, psychological insights, and enduring effects of NDEs and psychedelic experiences (PEs) in individuals who have experienced both at some point during their lifetime. We used frequentist and Bayesian analyses to determine significant differences and overlaps (evidence for null hypotheses) between the two. Thirty-one adults reported having experienced both an NDE (i.e. NDE-C scale total score ≥27/80) and a PE (intake of lysergic acid diethylamide, psilocybin/mushrooms, ayahuasca, N,N-dimethyltryptamine, or mescaline). Results revealed areas of overlap between both experiences for phenomenology, attribution of reality, psychological insights, and enduring effects. A finer-grained analysis of the phenomenology revealed a significant overlap in mystical-like effects, while low-level phenomena (sensory effects) were significantly different, with NDEs displaying higher scores of disembodiment and PEs higher scores of visual imagery. This suggests psychedelics as a useful model for studying mystical-like effects induced by NDEs, while highlighting distinctions in sensory experiences.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on near-death experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fantasy Proneness Correlates With the Intensity of Near-Death Experience Individuals who have experienced a near-death experience (classical or NDE-like) and... | 2018 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 228 |
| A systematic analysis of distressing near-death experience accounts Individuals who had a near-death experience and wrote down their account | 2019 | Cross-sectional study | n = 123 |
| Reduced death threat in near-death experiencers Adults who had near-death experiences, came close to death without NDE, or never came... | 1992 | Cross-sectional study | n = 290 |
| Near-Death Experiences in a Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic Population Psychiatric outpatients | 2003 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 832 |
| Near-Death States Reported in a Sample of 50 Misusers Previous ketamine misusers who reported a ketamine-related near-death experience | 2010 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 50 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 8
- An encounter with death: a comparative thematic and content analysis of naturalistic DMT experiences and the near-death experience. Frontiers in Psychology 2025
- Psychedelics, Harm Reduction, and Life's Big Questions: Making Sense of Spirituality and Religion After the Journey Anthropology of Consciousness August 27, 2025
- The central clinical relevance of near-death experiences in acute care contexts: identification, prediction, and management Frontiers in Psychology July 22, 2025
- The Neuroscience and Psychology of the Alien Abduction Phenomenon: A Review World Futures April 19, 2026
- Psychedelic Therapy: A Primer for Primary Care Clinicians—5-Methoxy-N,N-Dimethyltryptamine American Journal of Therapeutics February 20, 2026
and 3 more in the library
Cites 34
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- Quality of Acute Psychedelic Experience Predicts Therapeutic Efficacy of Psilocybin for Treatment-Resistant Depression Frontiers in Pharmacology January 17, 2018
- Psychometric Evaluation of the Altered States of Consciousness Rating Scale (OAV) PLoS One August 31, 2010
- Near-death experience in survivors of cardiac arrest: a prospective study in the Netherlands The Lancet December 1, 2001
- Psychedelics and the essential importance of context. Journal of Psychopharmacology February 15, 2018
and 29 more in the library