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Combat near-death experiences: an exploratory study.

Tracy H. Goza, Janice Holden, Lee Kinsey

Military Medicine October 1, 2014 DOI: 10.7205/milmed-d-14-00051 (opens in new tab)

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Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Observational cohort Peer reviewed
Sample size 68
Population Military personnel who survived combat-related close brushes with death
Topics Near-death experience
Key findings Combat near-death experiencers scored lower on the NDE Scale overall and on Affective and Transcendental subscales but higher on the Cognitive subscale compared to other near-death experiencers, and their life changes were similar to other experiencers but mostly not statistically significant.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to add to the professional literature regarding combat near-death experiences (cNDEs) and to help clinicians and experiencers (cNDErs) recognize this phenomenon as an experience that is not indicative of mental illness. cNDErs were military personnel whose NDEs occurred during active combat or sequelae. Sixty-eight self-reported survivors of combat-related close brushes with death completed an online survey that included the Near-Death Experience Scale(1) (NDE Scale), the Life-Changes Inventory-Revised(2), and a few open-ended questions. Respondents were 20 cNDErs-participants who scored at least 7 on the NDE Scale-and 48 non-NDErs. Compared to NDErs from two methodologically similar studies, cNDErs scored lower on Bonferroni corrected t-tests than NDErs on the NDE Scale overall(3) (p < 0.0003) and on Affective and Transcendental subscales; they scored higher on the Cognitive subscale(1) (p < 0.0007). In Life-Changes Inventory-Revised total change and six of seven value clusters, cNDErs, compared to non-NDErs, scored in the same direction as numerous other studies of NDE aftereffects, but none of the differences were statistically significant and all reflected small effect sizes except total change and changes in spirituality that reflected medium effect sizes--a finding that corresponded to analysis of narrative responses.

Comparable studies

Other observational and cohort studies on near-death experience, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Near-death experience in survivors of cardiac arrest: a prospective study in the Netherlands Cardiac patients successfully resuscitated after cardiac arrest in ten Dutch hospitals 2001 Prospective cohort study n = 344
Incidence and correlates of near-death experiences in a cardiac care unit Cardiac inpatients at a tertiary care center 2003 Observational cohort n = 1,595
Features of "near-death experience" in relation to whether or not patients were near death Patients who believed they were near death during an illness or after an injury and... 1990 Observational cohort n = 58
The phenomenology of near-death experiences Subjects who reported near-death experiences 1980 Retrospective study n = 78
Near-Death Experiences and the Temporal Lobe Individuals who reported having had a near-death experience during a life-threatening... 2004 Observational cohort

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