Near-Death Experiences in a Multi-religious Hospital Population in Sri Lanka.
Miyuru Chandradasa, Chamara Wijesinghe, K A L A Kuruppuarachchi, Mahendra Perera
Journal of Religion and Health October 1, 2018 DOI: 10.1007/s10943-017-0442-9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Randomized Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 826 |
| Population | Patients admitted to Colombo North Teaching Hospital, Sri Lanka |
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Keywords | General hospital Occurrence Religion Sri lanka |
| Key findings | 3% of general hospital patients reported NDEs, and theistic religious belief was associated with higher NDE reporting than non-theistic belief. |
Abstract
Near-death experiences (NDEs) are a wide range of experiences that occur in association with impending death. There are no published studies on NDEs in general hospital populations, and studies have been mainly conducted on critically ill patients. We assessed the prevalence of NDEs and its associations in a multi-religious population in a general hospital in Sri Lanka. A randomised sample of patients admitted to the Colombo North Teaching Hospital was assessed using the Greyson NDE scale and clinical assessment. Out of total 826 participants, NDEs were described by 3%. Compared to the NDE-negative participants, the NDE-positive group had a significantly higher mean for age and a ratio of men. Women reported deeper NDEs. Patients of theistic religions (Christianity, Islam and Hinduism) reported significantly more NDEs compared to patients from the non-theistic religious group (Buddhism). NDE-positive patient group had significantly higher reporting of a feeling 'that they are about to die', the presence of loss of consciousness and a higher percentage of internal medical patients. This is the first time that NDEs are assessed in a general hospital population and NDEs being reported from Sri Lanka. We also note for the first time that persons with theistic religious beliefs reported more NDEs than those with non-theistic religious beliefs. Medical professionals need to be aware of these phenomena to be able to give an empathic hearing to patients who have NDE.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on near-death experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fantasy Proneness Correlates With the Intensity of Near-Death Experience Individuals who have experienced a near-death experience (classical or NDE-like) and... | 2018 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 228 |
| A systematic analysis of distressing near-death experience accounts Individuals who had a near-death experience and wrote down their account | 2019 | Cross-sectional study | n = 123 |
| Reduced death threat in near-death experiencers Adults who had near-death experiences, came close to death without NDE, or never came... | 1992 | Cross-sectional study | n = 290 |
| Near-Death Experiences in a Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic Population Psychiatric outpatients | 2003 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 832 |
| Near-Death States Reported in a Sample of 50 Misusers Previous ketamine misusers who reported a ketamine-related near-death experience | 2010 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 50 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 8
- Semiology and Mechanisms of Near-Death Experiences Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports July 27, 2019
- Prevalence of near-death experiences in people with and without REM sleep intrusion. PeerJ 2019
- Characterization of near death experiences using text mining analyses: A preliminary study PLoS One January 30, 2020
- Migraine aura, a predictor of near-death experiences in a crowdsourced study. PeerJ 2019
- Near-Death Experience among Iranian Muslim Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Survivors. Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research 2020
and 3 more in the library
Cites 8
- 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
- Incidence and correlates of near-death experiences in a cardiac care unit General Hospital Psychiatry July 1, 2003
- 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 between science and prejudice Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2012
and 3 more in the library