Memories of near-death experiences: are they self-defining?
Héléna Cassol, Arnaud D’Argembeau, Vanessa Charland-Verville, Steven Laureys, Charlotte Martial
Neuroscience of Consciousness 2019 DOI: 10.1093/nc/niz002 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 71 |
| Population | People who report near-death experiences or NDE-like experiences |
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Keywords | Centrality Identity music Scale ratio Autobiographical memory Event particle physics Cognitive psychology Developmental psychology Recall |
| Citations | 16 |
| Key findings | NDE memories are rated as more central to identity than other self-defining memories, and the richness of the NDE memory is positively associated with its centrality. |
Abstract
Some people report memories of near-death experiences (NDEs) after facing situations of impending death and these memories appear to have significant consequences on their lives (here referred to as “real NDE experiencers”; real NDErs). We assessed to what extent NDE memories are considered self-defining: memories that help people to define clearly how they see themselves. We screened 71 participants using the Greyson NDE scale (48 real NDErs and 23 NDErs-like who had lived a similar experience in absence of a threat to their life). Participants described their two main self-defining memories (SDMs). For each SDM, they completed the Centrality of Event Scale (CES) to assess how central the event is to their identity. The two subgroups did not differ regarding the proportion of NDErs who recalled their NDE (30 real NDErs out of 48 and 11 NDErs-like out of 23). Real NDErs and NDErs-like who recalled their NDE (n = 41) reported richer experiences as assessed by the Greyson NDE scale. Furthermore, these participants rated their NDE memory as more central to their identity as compared to other SDMs, and the richness of the NDE memory was positively associated to its centrality (CES scores). Overall, these findings suggest that the self-defining aspect of the experience might be related to its phenomenological content rather than its circumstances of occurrence. The self-defining status of NDE memories confirms that they constitute an important part of NDErs’ personal identity and highlights the importance for clinicians to facilitate their integration within the self.