Burn Survivors’ Near-Death Experiences: A Qualitative Examination
OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying February 1, 2020 DOI: 10.1177/0030222818755286 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Burn survivors attending the Phoenix Society's World Burn Congress |
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Citations | 17 |
| Key findings | Near-death experiences reported by burn survivors align with prior research and reveal six major themes. |
Abstract
Persons who come close to death but survive catastrophic accidents sometimes report very vivid experiences during times when their survival was in doubt, when they were believed to be dead, and during resuscitation efforts. This qualitative study builds upon existing research on near-death experiences (NDEs) by focusing on the oral accounts from a sample of individuals with large and life-threatening burns. The NDE accounts were obtained from burn survivors attending the Phoenix Society's World Burn Congress and are similar to reports by notable researchers ( Greyson, 2003 ; Moody, 1975 ; Ring, 1980 ) while reflecting the uniqueness of the individual survivor's experiences. Six major themes are reported. Counselors and health professionals need to be aware of and educated about NDEs as these experiences can have profound effects upon the individual. Patients who have had NDEs may need to discuss them but fear professionals will reject their stories as being crazy.
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 |
| The evolving self: finding meaning in near-death experiences using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Female participants who had near-death experiences | 2008 | Qualitative study | n = 3 |
| 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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 9
- Virtual mortality and near-death experience after a prolonged exposure in a shared virtual reality may lead to positive life-attitude changes PLoS One November 5, 2018
- The Near-Death Experience and Self-Determination Theory. OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying March 1, 2025
- The Near-Death Experience and Suicidal Ideation. OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying March 10, 2023
- Nurse Who Had MERS-CoV Complications with A Near-Death Experience during Pregnancy: A Narrative Analysis. Healthcare January 24, 2024
- The Bereaved Detachment Experience: An NDE-like Phenomenon. OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying April 28, 2025
and 4 more in the library
Cites 11
- 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
- Distressing Near-Death Experiences Psychiatry February 1, 1992
- Incidence and correlates of near-death experiences in a cardiac care unit General Hospital Psychiatry July 1, 2003
- Implications of near-death experiences for a postmaterialist psychology. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality February 1, 2010
and 6 more in the library