Life After Death: A Narrative Exploration of Near-Death Experiences.

Near-death experiences prompt shifts in awareness, priorities, and relationships. This narrative inquiry examined the stories of four individuals who had such experiences, exploring their lives before and after. Common threads across their accounts included interactions with death, life after death, and finding meaning in life after death. The findings detail how mortality awareness connects with life experiences, how life changed following these encounters, and the meaning-making process that death awareness initiates. The discussion considers implications for professionals in death and trauma-related fields.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Death awareness and near-death experiences initiate shifts in awareness, priorities, and relationships. This narrative inquiry explored the stories of four individuals who had near-death experiences. Participants shared their experiences before and after the experiences. Findings include considerations of how mortality awareness connects with life experiences. Resonant threads across narratives included Interactions with Death, Life after Death, and Meaning in Life after Death. Specifically, findings explore near-death experiences, how life was changed following interactions with death, and the meaning-making process through death awareness. Findings and discussion explore the impact of death awareness as well as considerations for those in death and trauma-related fields.