Near-death experiences in medicine.
Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings 2019 DOI: 10.1080/08998280.2018.1542478 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Keywords | Consciousness Mind-body paradigm |
| Key findings | NDEs occur in 10% to 20% of patients near death, and counselors trained with NDE literature reduce suicidal thoughts, bereavement, and PTSD in patients. |
Abstract
Near-death experiences (NDEs) have been a source of controversy within academia and the public. NDEs occur in 10% to 20% of patients who have come close to death and consist of vivid, subjective experiences that occur during life-threatening emergencies. Specifically, NDEs include out-of-body experiences, pleasant feelings, seeing deceased relatives, a life review, or a conscious return into the body. Although alternate psychological and physiological theories have been proposed, several methodological and neuroscientific limitations prevent their verification. Despite these limitations, counselors trained with NDE literature reduced suicidal thoughts, bereavement, and posttraumatic stress disorder among their patient populations. In addition, patients who have experienced an NDE showed significant transformation in their spiritual and emotional lives, with many stating a renewed sense of meaning, existential awareness, and mystical experiences. Family and friends of patients who have experienced an NDE also report increased comfort, hope, and inspiration. Overall, NDEs have positively impacted the medical profession and physician-patient interactions and represent a growing paradigm shift beyond the naturalistic interpretations of science and medicine.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on near-death experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distressing Near-Death Experiences | 1992 | Review | |
| Attitude Change Following Near-Death Experiences Individuals who have had near-death experiences | 1980 | Review | n = 21 |
| Near-death experiences. | 2004 | Review | |
| The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences | 2009 | Review | |
| Near-death experiences in cardiac arrest survivors | 2005 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cites 4
- Near‐death experiences: the experience of the self as real and not as an illusion Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences October 1, 2011
- Near-Death Experiences and Posttraumatic Growth The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease September 5, 2015
- Western Scientific Approaches to Near-Death Experiences Humanities November 9, 2015
- Surge of neurophysiological coherence and connectivity in the dying brain. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences August 27, 2013