Skip to content

Explanation of near-death experiences: a systematic analysis of case reports and qualitative research.

Amirhossein Hashemi, Ali Akbar Oroojan, Maryam Rassouli, Hadis Ashrafizadeh

Frontiers in Psychology 2023 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1048929 (opens in new tab)

Read Full Text
Relevant Not relevant

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Systematic review Qualitative Case report Peer reviewed
Sample size 465
Population Individuals (men, women, and children) who reported near-death experiences
Topics Near-death experience
Keywords Near-death experience nde Out-of-body experience obe Psychological experiences Systematic review
Citations 22
Key findings Near-death experiences share a common core across cultures, with supernatural experiences—especially out-of-body experiences—being the most frequent, while cultural and religious differences shape how individuals explain and interpret these events.

Abstract

Some individuals report a near-death experience (NDE) after a life-threatening crisis, which refers to a range of subjective experiences related to impending death. This experience is a phenomenon with transcendental elements, which leads to deep permanent changes in both the individual and the social lives of the NDEr's. Therefore, this study aims to review the near-death experiences of individuals with different religious and cultural views. This is a systematic analysis study. All the case report, case series and qualitative research studies which presented patients' NDE experiences were included in the study, without language restrictions, and in the period of 1980-2022. The stages of screening, selection, data extraction, and quality assessment have been gone through by two of the researchers. Data analysis and synthesis has been done qualitatively. JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist tool was used to evaluate the quality of the included studies. After the initial search, 2,407 studies were included, 54 of which underwent final examination. The total number of the NDEr's in the studies was 465 men, women, and children. Among these studies, 27 were case reports, 20 were case series, and 7 were qualitative studies. Near-death experiences have been categorized into 4 main categories and 19 subcategories. The main categories include emotional experiences (2 subcategories), cognitive experiences (4 subcategories), spiritual and religious experiences (4 subcategories), and supernatural experiences [9 subcategories in two categories (out of body experiences, and supernatural and metaphysical perceptions)]. The most frequent near-death experiences were supernatural experiences, especially the experience of leaving the body. The basis and the content of the patterns mentioned by the NDEr's are similar, and the differences are in the explanation and the interpretation of the experience. There is a common core among them such as out-of-body experiences, passing through a tunnel, heightened senses, etc. Therefore, correct knowledge of near-death experiences leads to providing helpful answers to patients.

Comparable studies

Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on near-death experience, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Almost 40 Years Investigating Near-Death Experiences Scholarly publications on near-death experiences 2014 Systematic review n = 266
Near-Death Experiences: A Bibliometric and Systematic Review of Published Literature From 1977 to 2025. Articles on near-death experiences 2025 Systematic review n = 775
Systematic Review on the Aftereffects of Near-Death Experiences. 2025 Systematic review
Recalled Experience of Death: transcending the cerebrocentric model of consciousness 2024 Non-systematic review
Death and Near-Death Experiences in Ketamine and Psychedelic Therapy Systematic review and synthesis

Citations in the library

Cited by 10

and 5 more in the library

Cites 40

and 35 more in the library

Related reading

Explore topics

Near-death experience