Losing the Self in Near-Death Experiences: The Experience of Ego-Dissolution.
Charlotte Martial, Géraldine Fontaine, Olivia Gosseries, Robin Carhart-Harris, Christopher Timmermann, Steven Laureys, Héléna Cassol
Brain Sciences July 14, 2021 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11070929 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 100 |
| Population | Near-death experiencers with NDE-C scale total score ≥27/80 |
| Topics | Ego dissolution Near-death experience |
| Keywords | Experiencer Nature-relatedness Out-of-body experience Self |
| Citations | 37 |
| Key findings | Ego-dissolution scores were higher than ego-inflation scores and positively correlated with total NDE intensity, out-of-body experiences, and a sense of unity. |
Abstract
Many people who have had a near-death experience (NDE) describe, as part of it, a disturbed sense of having a "distinct self". However, no empirical studies have been conducted to explore the frequency or intensity of these effects. We surveyed 100 NDE experiencers (Near-Death-Experience Content [NDE-C] scale total score ≥27/80). Eighty participants had their NDEs in life-threatening situations and 20 had theirs not related to life-threatening situations. Participants completed the Ego-Dissolution Inventory (EDI) and the Ego-Inflation Inventory (EII) to assess the experience of ego dissolution and inflation potentially experienced during their NDE, respectively. They also completed the Nature-Relatedness Scale (NR-6) which measures the trait-like construct of one's self-identification with nature. Based on prior hypotheses, ratings of specific NDE-C items pertaining to out-of-body experiences and a sense of unity were used for correlational analyses. We found higher EDI total scores compared with EII total scores in our sample. Total scores of the NDE-C scale were positively correlated with EDI total scores and, although less strongly, the EII and NR-6 scores. EDI total scores were also positively correlated with the intensity of OBE and a sense of unity. This study suggests that the experience of dissolved ego-boundaries is a common feature of NDEs.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on ego dissolution, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 22
- On the varieties of conscious experiences: Altered Beliefs Under Psychedelics (ALBUS). Neuroscience of Consciousness 2025
- Psychedelic unselfing: self-transcendence and change of values in psychedelic experiences Frontiers in Psychology June 14, 2023
- Pattern Theory of Selflessness: How Meditation May Transform the Self-Pattern Mindfulness August 1, 2024
- Psychedelic Mystical Experience: A New Agenda for Theology Religions May 1, 2022
- The ego in psychedelic drug action – ego defenses, ego boundaries, and the therapeutic role of regression Frontiers in Neuroscience October 6, 2023
and 17 more in the library
Cites 50
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- Neural correlates of the LSD experience revealed by multimodal neuroimaging. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences April 11, 2016
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