Phenomenological and Clinical Insights into Near-Death Experiences: A Retrospective Analysis in Aseer Province Population, Saudi Arabia
Ali Al Bshabshe, Om Prakash Palanivel, Basma Alghamdi, Ziyad Saad Aldawh, Fawaz Naif AlQarni, Hatem Soliman Alwalidi
Texila International Journal of Public Health March 31, 2026 DOI: 10.21522/tijph.2013.14.01.art018 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 14 |
| Population | Individuals who reported a near-death experience, aged 18-56 years |
| Measures | Near-Death Experience (NDE) scale |
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Key findings | The most frequently reported NDE elements were sudden understanding of everything (93.0%), time speeding up (85.7%), and feeling happy (85.7%); least frequent were visions of the future (28.6%) and racing thoughts (21.4%). No significant gender differences or variation across elements were observed. |
Abstract
Near death experience (NDE) reported as supernatural and emotional feelings with episodes involving a special state of consciousness, including several special elements and these experiences typically occur with often grouped contents commonly observed in life-threatening conditions. Participants were provided with an Arabic version of the Near-Death Experience (NDE) scale via mail and social media platforms, along with a contact number for inquiries. NDE scale scores, used to assess the depth of the near-death experience, were considered indicative of an NDE if they were 7 or greater. A total of 14 participants of both sex aged between 18 and 56 years, with a mean age of 37.1 years (SD = 12.4). with a gender dispersion of 57.1% (8 males) and 42.9% (6 females). The most commonly reported incidence of near-death experiences was “sudden understanding of everything” (93.0%), “time speeding up” (85.7%), and “feeling happy” (85.7%). Conversely, the incidence reported least frequently was “visions of the future” at 28.6% and “racing thoughts” at 21.4%. No statistically significant variation in the frequency of responses across the 12 of NDE elements. The elements most frequently reported exhibited narrow confidence intervals with elevated lower bounds: “sudden understanding of everything” (93.0%, 95% CI [77.9%, 100.0%]), “time speeding up” (85.7%, 95% CI [66.4%, 100.0%]), and “feeling happy” (85.7%, 95% CI [66.4%, 100.0]). This study shows that Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) involve sensory, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual elements, with altered consciousness and neural links, showing no gender differences.
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 |