Near-Death and Out-of-Body Experiences in the Blind: A Study of Apparent Eyeless Vision
Journal of Near-Death Studies December 1, 1997 DOI: 10.1023/a:1025010015662 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 31 |
| Population | Blind individuals, including those blind from birth |
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Key findings | Blind persons report classic NDEs comparable to sighted persons, most claim to see during NDEs and OBEs, and some claims of visually-based knowledge are independently corroborated. The authors argue that transcendental awareness explains these findings. |
Abstract
This article reports the results of an investigation into near-death and out-of-body experiences in 31 blind respondents. The study sought to address three main questions: (1) whether blind individuals have near-death experiences (NDEs) and, if so, whether they are the same as or different from those of sighted persons; (2) whether blind persons ever claim to see during NDEs and out-of-body experiences (OBEs); and (3) if such claims are made, whether they can ever be corroborated by reference to independent evidence. Our findings revealed that blind persons, including those blind from birth, do report classic NDEs of the kind common to sighted persons; that the great preponderance of blind persons claim to see during NDEs and OBEs; and that occasionally claims of visually-based knowledge that could not have been obtained by normal means can be independently corroborated. We present and evaluate various explanations of these findings before arriving at an interpretation based on the concept of transcendental awareness.