Religious and Spiritual Changes After Near-Death Experience: A Survey-Based Study Among Urban Indonesians

Near-death experiences (NDEs) are linked to increased spirituality or religiosity among Indonesian adults, consistent with global findings. In a sample of 402 NDErs from Jakarta (70% female; average age 23), age moderated the effect: early adulthood showed the highest rate of increase, significantly exceeding adolescence, while middle adulthood had higher baseline levels but greater stability. Pre-existing spirituality or religiosity predicted post-NDE changes, and non-religious individuals were overrepresented among those reporting a decrease. Gender differences were not significant.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Near-death experiences (NDEs) are profound psychological events known to catalyze significant spiritual transformation, though most research has been conducted in Western contexts. This study investigated perceived changes in spirituality or religiosity following NDEs among adults residing in Jakarta, Indonesia (N = 402 NDErs; 70% female; Mage = 23, SD = 7.93). This population is crucial as spirituality or religiosity are deeply intertwined yet understudied here. Gender differences were non-significant in both continuous (t(400) = 0.43, p = 0.671) and categorical analyses (χ2(2) = 1.03, p = 0.597). Crucially, age emerged as a significant moderator. Early adulthood showed the highest rate of post-NDE increase, significantly exceeding adolescence (z = −2.86, p = 0.004). Conversely, middle adulthood showed higher baseline levels but greater post-NDE stability. Furthermore, pre-existing spirituality or religiosity significantly predicted post-NDE changes (r = 0.174, p < 0.001). Interestingly, non-religious individuals were paradoxically overrepresented among those reporting a decrease (χ2(4) = 15.10, p = 0.004). These findings indicate that age and pre-existing levels of spirituality or religiosity potentially moderate the relationship between NDEs and changes in spiritual or religious levels following NDEs, highlighting the role of developmental and cognitive factors in transformative experiences. This study suggests that NDEs are associated with increased spirituality or religiosity among Indonesians, consistent with the broader global literature on their transformative aftereffects.