Meditation-Induced Near-Death Experiences: a 3-Year Longitudinal Study
William van Gordon, Edo Shonin, Thomas J. Dunn, David Sheffield, Javier García-campayo, Mark D Griffiths
Mindfulness March 11, 2018 DOI: 10.1007/s12671-018-0922-3 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Longitudinal within-subjects comparison with control conditions and embedded qualitative analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 12 |
| Population | Advanced Buddhist meditators |
| Intervention | Meditation-induced near-death experience (MI-NDE) |
| Duration | 3-year study period |
| Topics | Meditation Near-death experience |
| Keywords | Public health Psychotherapist Clinical psychology Nursing Theology |
| Citations | 38 |
| Key findings | Meditation-induced NDEs produced significantly greater increases in NDE profundity, mystical experiences, and non-attachment than control meditation practices, with profundity increasing over three years. |
Abstract
Near-death experiences (NDEs) are life transformational events that are increasingly being subjected to empirical research. However, to date, no study has investigated the phenomenon of a meditation-induced near-death experience (MI-NDE) that is referred to in ancient Buddhist texts. Given that some advanced Buddhist meditators can induce NDEs at a pre-planned point in time, the MI-NDE may make NDEs more empirically accessible and thus advance understanding into the psychology of death-related processes. The present study recruited 12 advanced Buddhist meditators and compared the MI-NDE against two other meditation practices (i.e. that acted as control conditions) in the same participant group. Changes in the content and profundity of the MI-NDE were assessed longitudinally over a 3-year period. Findings demonstrated that compared to the control conditions, the MI-NDE prompted significantly greater pre-post increases in NDE profundity, mystical experiences and non-attachment. Furthermore, participants demonstrated significant increases in NDE profundity across the 3-year study period. Findings from an embedded qualitative analysis (using grounded theory) demonstrated that participants (i) were consciously aware of experiencing NDEs, (ii) retained volitional control over the content and duration of NDEs and (iii) elicited a rich array of non-worldly encounters and spiritual experiences. In addition to providing corroborating evidence in terms of the content of a "regular" (i.e. non-meditation-induced) NDE, novel NDE features identified in the present study indicate that there exist unexplored and/or poorly understood dimensions to NDEs. Furthermore, the study indicates that it would be feasible-including ethically feasible-for future research to recruit advanced meditators in order to assess real-time changes in neurological activity during NDEs.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on near-death experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brain activity in near-death experiencers during a meditative state Near-death experiencers | 2009 | Within-subjects experimental design with Meditation and Control conditions | |
| EEG signature of near-death-like experiences during syncope-induced periods of unresponsiveness. Healthy volunteers | 2024 | Experimental study | n = 22 |
| Designing a "Near-Death Experience" Reality Testing System. | 2021 | Experimental design | |
| COMPARING THE DIFFERENCE IN NURSES' KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDES TOWARD NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES (NDES) BEFORE AND AFTER RECEIVING NDE EDUCATION Registered nurses employed in Kaiser Permanente Northern California facilities | 2026 | Quasi-experimental study | n = 41 |
| Teaching about near-death experiences: the effectiveness of using The Day I Died. Advanced undergraduates at a southwestern university (66 in the experimental group; 39... | 2011 | Quasi-experimental study | n = 105 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 19
- Comparison of psychedelic and near-death or other non-ordinary experiences in changing attitudes about death and dying PLoS One August 24, 2022
- Compassion as a Skill: A Comparison of Contemplative and Evolution-Based Approaches Mindfulness August 3, 2023
- N,N‐dimethyltryptamine and Amazonian ayahuasca plant medicine Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental February 17, 2022
- THE NEUROPHENOMENOLOGY OF OUT-OF-BODY EXPERIENCES INDUCED BY HYPNOTIC SUGGESTIONS International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis January 2, 2019
- Exploring Emptiness and its Effects on Non-attachment, Mystical Experiences, and Psycho-spiritual Wellbeing: A Quantitative and Qualitative Study of Advanced Meditators. Explore 2019
and 14 more in the library
Cites 16
- Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude gamma synchrony during mental practice Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 8, 2004
- 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
- A qualitative study of mindfulness‐based cognitive therapy for depression British Journal of Medical Psychology June 1, 2001
- A qualitative study of self‐perceived effects of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) in a psychosocial oncology setting Stress and Health November 28, 2006
and 11 more in the library