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Spiritual transformation after near-death experiences.

Bruce Greyson, Surbhi Khanna

Spirituality in Clinical Practice March 1, 2014 DOI: 10.1037/scp0000010 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Observational cohort Peer reviewed
Sample size 230
Population Self-selected survivors who had come close to death
Topics Near-death experience
Citations 40
Key findings Near-death experiencers reported greater spiritual growth than comparison survivors, and spiritual growth was correlated with depth of near-death experience; spiritual decline was comparable in the two groups.

Abstract

Traumatic events may lead to dramatic changes in spirituality. The objective of this study was to explore whether posttraumatic spiritual transformation results not just from the traumatic event, but from spiritual experience during the crisis. The hypothesis tested was that survivors of a brush with death who had spiritual “near-death experiences” have greater spiritual growth and lesser spiritual decline than survivors without near-death experiences. Two hundred thirty self-selected participants who had come close to death completed questionnaires that included the NDE Scale, the Spiritual Transformation Scale, and relevant demographic questions. Near-death experiencers reported greater spiritual growth than comparison survivors, and spiritual growth was correlated with depth of near-death experience. Spiritual decline was comparable in the two groups, and was not associated with depth of near-death experience. Near-death experiences thus are associated with greater posttraumatic spiritual growth but do not influence posttraumatic spiritual decline. The relevance of spiritual transformation to individuals’ lives and well-being suggest that further research is warranted, and that strategies to promote spiritual growth be incorporated into therapeutic practice.

Comparable studies

Other observational and cohort studies on near-death experience, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Near-death experience in survivors of cardiac arrest: a prospective study in the Netherlands Cardiac patients successfully resuscitated after cardiac arrest in ten Dutch hospitals 2001 Prospective cohort study n = 344
Incidence and correlates of near-death experiences in a cardiac care unit Cardiac inpatients at a tertiary care center 2003 Observational cohort n = 1,595
Features of "near-death experience" in relation to whether or not patients were near death Patients who believed they were near death during an illness or after an injury and... 1990 Observational cohort n = 58
The phenomenology of near-death experiences Subjects who reported near-death experiences 1980 Retrospective study n = 78
Near-Death Experiences and the Temporal Lobe Individuals who reported having had a near-death experience during a life-threatening... 2004 Observational cohort

Citations in the library

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Near-death experience