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The near-death experience in children: Shades of the prison-house reopening

N. Bush

Journal of Near-Death Studies December 1, 1983 DOI: 10.17514/jnds-1983-3-2-p177-193 (opens in new tab)

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Review Peer reviewed
Sample size 17
Population Children who have had near-death experiences
Topics Near-death experience
Key findings Near-death experiences in children are substantially similar to those in adults, indicating that cultural conditioning is not a primary determinant of NDE contents.

Abstract

Abstract: "Some critics have argued that the near-death experience (NDE) is merely a culturally conditioned response to a life crisis, a reflection of expectations engendered by education, religious training, social mores, and family traditions. A review of seventeen accounts of NDEs in children, including two youngsters still in childhood, indicates that NDEs that occur at early ages appear to be substantially similar in content to adult experiences. These accounts suggest that cultural conditioning is not a primary determinant of NDE contents."