Near-death experience in a boy undergoing uneventful elective surgery under general anesthesia.
Ursula Lopez, Alain Forster, Jean-Marie Annoni, Walid Habre, Irène A Iselin-Chaves
Paediatric anaesthesia January 2006 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9592.2005.01607.x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | A 12-year-old boy undergoing general anesthesia for elective surgery |
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Key findings | Reports the first case of a near-death experience in a child during general anesthesia for an elective, uncomplicated surgery, featuring typical NDE elements such as peacefulness, out-of-body sensation, and perception of light. |
Abstract
Near-death experience (NDE) is a complex subjective experience, which may include affective elements such as a sense of peacefulness, paranormal components such as a sensation of floating out of the body, and a perception of being in a dark tunnel and seeing a brilliant light. It is usually reported to occur in association with a wide range of life-threatening situations, as for instance, cardiopulmonary resuscitation. We report on an episode of NDE that occurred in a 12-year-old boy who underwent a general anesthesia for an elective uncomplicated surgery. To our knowledge, this is the first case of NDE in a child that has been reported in this context.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on near-death experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near-Death Experiences in India Individuals in India who reported near-death experiences | 1986 | Case study | n = 16 |
| The Near-Death Experience as a Focus of Clinical Attention Patients presenting with near-death experience-related problems | 1997 | Case study | n = 4 |
| A prospectively studied near-death experience with corroborated out-of-body perceptions and unexplained healing. A person who had a near-death experience | 2006 | Case report | n = 1 |
| Verified account of near-death experience in a physician who survived cardiac arrest. A 32-year-old female physician experiencing childbirth | 2020 | Case study | n = 1 |
| This is your brain on death: a comparative analysis of a near-death experience and subsequent 5-Methoxy-DMT experience. An individual who had a near-death experience during a coma caused by bacterial... | 2023 | Case study | n = 1 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 10
- Near-death experiences in non-life-threatening events and coma of different etiologies Frontiers in Human Neuroscience May 27, 2014
- Explanation of near-death experiences: a systematic analysis of case reports and qualitative research. Frontiers in Psychology 2023
- Migraine aura, a predictor of near-death experiences in a crowdsourced study. PeerJ 2019
- Exploring near death experiences with children post intensive care: A case series. Explore 2024
- Does Science Reveal the Truth Behind Near-Death Experiences?: A Methodological Enquiry Journal of Consciousness Studies June 1, 2026
and 5 more in the library