Congruence Between Near-Death and Mystical Experience
International Journal for the Psychology of Religion October 1, 2013 DOI: 10.1080/10508619.2013.845005 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quantitative comparative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 326 |
| Population | 292 near-death experiencers and 34 persons who came close to death without near-death experiences |
| Topics | Mysticism Mystical experience Near-death experience |
| Keywords | Psychoanalysis Theology |
| Citations | 45 |
| Key points | Two thirds of near-death experiencers reported mystical experiences during their brush with death, compared to none of the comparison survivors, and factor analysis showed that near-death and mystical experiences share commonalities but are distinct. |
Abstract
AbstractNear-death experiences, altered states during a brush with death, may include mystical features like a sense of sacredness and divine union, timelessness/spacelessness, positive mood, noetic quality, and ineffability. We quantified mystical elements in near-death experience by comparing responses on the Mysticism Scale of 292 near-death experiencers and 34 persons who had come close to death without near-death experiences. Two thirds of near-death experiencers reported mystical experiences during their brush with death, compared to none of the comparison survivors. Near-death experiencers scored higher on the Mysticism Scale than did nonexperiencers; they endorsed noetic quality, positive affect, and unity most often and ego loss, timelessness/spacelessness, and ineffability least often. Depth of near-death experience was correlated highly with scores on the Mysticism Scale, but factor analysis of features during the brush with death yielded two distinct factors representing mystical and near-death elements, suggesting that near-death experiences have commonalities with, but can be differentiated from, mystical experience.