The evolving self: finding meaning in near-death experiences using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
David J. Wilde, Craig D. Murray
Mental Health, Religion & Culture December 8, 2008 DOI: 10.1080/13674670802334910 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 3 |
| Population | Female participants who had near-death experiences |
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Citations | 38 |
| Key findings | The impact of NDEs is best understood within the biographical context of an individual's life, with people selectively incorporating personally meaningful elements rather than experiencing uniform growth. |
Abstract
Near-death experiences (NDEs) have become a topic of increasing interest to medical and psychological researchers over the last 35 years. During the course of this research agenda, several studies have focused on the phenomenology of the experience and its after-effects, mostly from a nomothetic stance. The aim of this study was to investigate the experience of having an NDE and what meaning NDErs attribute to that experience and its resultant after-effects by taking an idiographic, phenomenological approach. Three female participants took part in recorded face-to-face, semi-structured interviews. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis found that to more deeply understand the impact of NDEs it is crucial to consider how the experience fits within the biographical context of an individual's life. Rather than being an overall influence on personal and spiritual growth, individuals may choose elements of an experience which are most personally meaningful for them and take that into their later lives. Each participant in some way came to a new understanding in their lives as a result of their NDE. In addition, the process of integration was helped or hindered by physical and psychological factors concomitant at the time of the NDE. Also evident were the challenges the NDE, or elements therein, have on the individual's sense of self and how they maintain and develop that self in the years succeeding the event.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on near-death experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualitative thematic analysis of the phenomenology of near-death experiences Cardiac arrest survivors | 2018 | Qualitative study | n = 34 |
| Do Suicide Survivors Report Near-Death Experiences? Persons who had been close to death as a result of a suicide attempt | 1982 | Qualitative study | n = 36 |
| Investigation of the phenomenology, physiology and impact of spiritually transformative experiences - kundalini awakening. Persons having a spiritually transformative experience (e.g., spontaneous energetic... | 2021 | Qualitative study | |
| Near-death experiences and religion: A further investigation Near-death experiencers | 1984 | Qualitative study | n = 40 |
| Is there a hell? Surprising observations about the near-death experience People who reported distressing or unpleasant near-death experiences | 1992 | Qualitative study | n = 100 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- Spiritual transformation after near-death experiences. Spirituality in Clinical Practice March 1, 2014
- The Psychological Correlates of Decreased Death Anxiety After a Near-Death Experience: The Role of Self-Esteem, Mindfulness, and Death Representations Journal of Humanistic Psychology December 5, 2019
- Reflection of a Researcher from the Narratives of Near-Death Experience Journal of Loss and Trauma September 5, 2023
- Out of Body, Loss of Self: Spiritual or Scary? Religions October 29, 2020
- Meaning making after a near-death experience: The relevance of intrapsychic and interpersonal dynamics. Death Studies October 1, 2017
and 1 more in the library
Cites 17
- 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
- Paths beyond Ego: The Transpersonal Vision Buddhist-Christian Studies 1995
- Distressing Near-Death Experiences Psychiatry February 1, 1992
- Attitude Change Following Near-Death Experiences Psychiatry August 1, 1980
and 12 more in the library