[Brief report].Near-death experiences among a sample of Iranian Muslims.
Cheryl L. Fracasso, S. Aleyasin, H. Friedman, M. S. Young
Journal of Near-Death Studies 2010 DOI: 10.17514/jnds-2010-29-1-p265-272 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 30 |
| Population | Iranian Muslims in Arak City, Iran, claiming memories from unconsciousness during a close brush with death |
| Measures | Greyson's NDE Scale |
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Key findings | 19 of 30 participants (63%) met the NDE Scale criterion for a valid NDE, indicating NDEs are not rare among Muslims. The authors argue that similarities to Western NDEs suggest a cross-culturally universal and transpersonal phenomenon. |
Abstract
Muslim near-death experiences (NDEs) have been rarely reported by comparison to the incidence of NDEs reported in other groups. Recently, after Kreps (2009) found no NDEs in a sample from Pakistan and Kashmir, he concluded Muslim NDEs may even be nonexistent. However, in Arak City, Iran, we easily identified 19 Iranian Muslims who reported having experienced an NDE. Thirty participants claiming to have memories from a period of unconsciousness associated with a close brush with death completed a Persian translation of Greyson’s (1983) NDE Scale as well as background and semi-structured questions. Of these, 19 (63%) scored 7 or higher on the NDE Scale, Greyson’s criteCheryl Fracasso, M.S., is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at Saybrook University. She serves as adjunct faculty member for the University of Phoenix; Research Assistant at Saybrook University with Stanley Krippner, Ph.D.; and Associate Managing Editor of the International Journal of Transpersonal Studies. Seyed Ali Aleyasin, Ph.D., is a faculty member with the Department of Clinical Psychology at Islamic Azad University, Ashtian Branch, in Iran. Harris Friedman, Ph.D., is a practicing clinical and organizational psychologist who was affiliated with Walden University at the time of the study; he now is Research Professor (Retired) of Psychology at the University of Florida, Professor Emeritus at Saybrook University, Senior Editor of the International Journal of Transpersonal Studies, and Associate Editor of The Humanistic Psychologist. M. Scott Young, Ph.D., is Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Mental Health Law and Policy at the University of South Florida. Correspondence regarding this article should be sent to Ms. Fracasso; email: cherylfracasso@hotmail.com. 266 joURNAL oF NEAR-DEATH STUDIES rion for a valid NDE. The presumed NDErs were 10 female and 9 male; aged 16 to 65 years old with a mean age of 33; ranging in education from no high school diploma (5%), to high school diploma (37%), to bachelor’s degree (58%); reporting NDE circumstances of accident (58%), attempted suicide (16%), illness (11%), natural disaster (11%), and emotional trauma (5%); and reporting time since NDE ranging from less than one to 20 years with a mean of 8 years. Although low reliability precluded further statistical analysis of the data or comparison of them to results of previous Western studies, our informal assessment was that both the contents and aftereffects of the Muslim NDEs were quite similar to those of Westerners. We concluded that NDEs are not particularly rare in Muslim groups and that their similarity to Western NDEs suggests they may be a cross-culturally universal and transpersonal phenomenon.
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 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
Cites 9
- 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
- Consistency of near-death experience accounts over two decades: Are reports embellished over time? Resuscitation February 8, 2007
- The Near-Death Experience as a Focus of Clinical Attention The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease May 1, 1997
and 4 more in the library