Prevalence of near-death experiences in people with and without REM sleep intrusion.
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1,034 |
| Population | Lay people from 35 countries recruited via a crowd-sourcing platform |
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Keywords | Brain injury Cardiac arrest Coma Disorders of consciousness Drowning Intensive care Out-of-body experience Sleep |
| Citations | 34 |
| Key findings | Self-reported REM sleep intrusion is significantly associated with near-death experiences, with an odds ratio of 2.85 after adjusting for demographic and situational factors. |
Abstract
The origin and prevalence of near-death experiences are unknown. A recent study suggested a link with REM sleep intrusion but was criticized for its selection of control participants. We therefore assessed the association of REM intrusion and near-death experiences with different methods. Using a crowd-sourcing platform, we recruited 1,034 lay people from 35 countries to investigate the prevalence of near-death experiences and self-reported REM sleep intrusion. Reports were validated using the Greyson Near-Death Experiences Scale (GNDES) with ≥7 points as cut-off for near-death experiences. Near-death experiences were reported by 106 of 1,034 participants (10%; 95% CI [8.5-12%]). Evidence of REM intrusion was more common in people with near-death experiences (n = 50∕106; 47%) than in people with experiences with 6 points or less on the GNDES (n = 47∕183; 26%) or in those without such experiences (n = 107∕744; 14%; p = < 0.0001). Following multivariate regression analysis to adjust for age, gender, place of residence, employment and perceived danger, this association remained highly significant; people with REM intrusion were more likely to exhibit near-death experiences than those without (OR 2.85; 95% CI [1.68-4.88]; p = 0.0001). Using a crowd-sourcing approach, we found a prevalence of near-death experiences of 10%. While age, gender, place of residence, employment status and perceived threat do not seem to influence the prevalence of near-death experiences, we confirmed a possible association with REM sleep intrusion.
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 17
- The Near-Death Experience Content (NDE-C) scale: Development and psychometric validation Consciousness and Cognition November 1, 2020
- The evolutionary origin of near-death experiences: a systematic investigation Brain Communications June 22, 2021
- A neuroscientific model of near-death experiences. Nature Reviews Neurology June 1, 2025
- Migraine aura, a predictor of near-death experiences in a crowdsourced study. PeerJ 2019
- EEG signature of near-death-like experiences during syncope-induced periods of unresponsiveness. Neuroimage September 1, 2024
and 12 more in the library
Cites 20
- Near-death experience in survivors of cardiac arrest: a prospective study in the Netherlands The Lancet December 1, 2001
- The Near-Death Experience Scale The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease June 1, 1983
- Characteristics of Near-Death Experiences Memories as Compared to Real and Imagined Events Memories PLoS One March 27, 2013
- Qualitative thematic analysis of the phenomenology of near-death experiences PLoS One February 14, 2018
- Does the arousal system contribute to near death experience? Neurology April 10, 2006
and 15 more in the library