Impact of Near-Death Experiences on Dialysis Patients: A Multicenter Collaborative Study
Chun-Fu Lai, Tze-Wah Kao, Ming-Shiou Wu, Shou-Shang Chiang, Chung-Hsin Chang, Chia-Sheng Lu, Chwei-Shiun Yang, Chih-Ching Yang, Hong-Wei Chang, Shuei-Liong Lin, Chee-Jen Chang, Pei-Yuan Chen, Kwan-Dun Wu, Tun-Jun Tsai, Wang-Yu Chen
American Journal of Kidney Diseases July 1, 2007 DOI: 10.1053/j.ajkd.2007.04.021 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 710 |
| Population | Dialysis patients at 7 centers in Taipei, Taiwan |
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Citations | 39 |
| Key findings | NDEs are not uncommon in dialysis patients and are associated with positive aftereffects such as increased kindness and motivation. |
Abstract
BackgroundPeople who have come close to death may report an unusual experience known as a near-death experience (NDE). This study aims to investigate NDEs and their aftereffects in dialysis patients.Study designCross-sectional study.Setting & participants710 dialysis patients at 7 centers in Taipei, Taiwan.PredictorDemographic characteristics, life-threatening experience, depression, and religiosity.OutcomesNDE and self-perceived changes in attitudes or behaviors.MeasurementsGreyson's NDE scale, Royal Free Questionnaire, 10-Question Survey, Ring's Weighted Core Experience Index, and Beck Depression Inventory.Results45 patients had 51 NDEs. Mean NDE score was 11.9 (95% confidence interval, 11.0 to 12.9). Out-of-body experience was found in 51.0% of NDEs. Purported precognitive visions, awareness of being dead, and "tunnel experience" were uncommon (<10%). Compared with the no-NDE group, subjects in the NDE group were more likely to be women and younger at life-threatening events. Both frequency of participation in religious ceremonies and pious religious activity correlated significantly with NDE score in patients with NDEs (P < 0.01 and P = 0.01, respectively). The NDE group reported being kinder to others (P = 0.04) and more motivated (P = 0.02) after their life-threatening events than the no-NDE group.LimitationsDetermining the incidence of NDEs is dependent on self-reporting. Many NDEs occurred before the patient began long-term dialysis therapy. Causality between NDE and aftereffects cannot be inferred.ConclusionsNDE is not uncommon in the dialysis population and is associated with positive aftereffects. Nephrology care providers should be aware of the occurrence and aftereffects of NDEs. The high occurrence of life-threatening events, availability of medical records, and accessibility and cooperativeness of patients make the dialysis population very suitable for NDE research.
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 26
- LSD-induced entropic brain activity predicts subsequent personality change. Human Brain Mapping May 6, 2016
- Near-death experiences in non-life-threatening events and coma of different etiologies Frontiers in Human Neuroscience May 27, 2014
- Temporality of Features in Near-Death Experience Narratives Frontiers in Human Neuroscience June 13, 2017
- The Near-Death Experience Content (NDE-C) scale: Development and psychometric validation Consciousness and Cognition November 1, 2020
- Neurophenomenology of near-death experience memory in hypnotic recall: a within-subject EEG study. Scientific Reports October 1, 2019
and 21 more in the library
Cites 12
- 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
- Incidence and correlates of near-death experiences in a cardiac care unit General Hospital Psychiatry July 1, 2003
- Features of "near-death experience" in relation to whether or not patients were near death The Lancet November 1, 1990
- Dissociation in people who have near-death experiences: out of their bodies or out of their minds? The Lancet February 1, 2000
and 7 more in the library