Intensity and memory characteristics of near-death experiences
Charlotte Martial, Vanessa Charland-Verville, Héléna Cassol, Vincent Didone, Martial Van der Linden, Steven Laureys
Consciousness and Cognition July 8, 2017 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2017.06.018 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 152 |
| Population | Individuals with a self-reported classical NDE occurring in life-threatening conditions |
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Citations | 24 |
| Key findings | Greyson NDE scale total score was positively correlated with MCQ total score, indicating that more intense NDEs are associated with more phenomenological memory characteristics. |
Abstract
Memories of Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) seem to be very detailed and stable over time. At present, there is still no satisfactory explanation for the NDEs' rich phenomenology. Here we compared phenomenological characteristics of NDE memories with the reported experience's intensity. We included 152 individuals with a self-reported "classical" NDE (i.e. occurring in life-threatening conditions). All participants completed a mailed questionnaire that included a measure of phenomenological characteristics of memories (the Memory Characteristics Questionnaire; MCQ) and a measure of NDE's intensity (the Greyson NDE scale). Greyson NDE scale total score was positively correlated with MCQ total score, suggesting that participants who described more intense NDEs also reported more phenomenological memory characteristics of NDE. Using MCQ items, our study also showed that NDE's intensity is associated in particular with sensory details, personal importance and reactivation frequency variables.