Effect on emotional well-being of hypnotic recall of the near-death experience.
The Journal of near-death studies 1996 DOI: 10.17514/jnds-1996-14-4-p273-280. (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key findings | The author reports a preliminary finding that hypnotic recall of near-death experiences produced overwhelming psychological benefit, contrary to concerns that such recall might cause distress. This follows a suggestion by Holden and MacHovec (1993) that hypnotic recall of NDEs could occur without physical or lasting psychological distress. |
Abstract
The prototypical near-death experience (NDE), characterized by positive affect, and its psychologically and spiritually beneficial aftereffects are well documented.However, the aftermath of even a pleasant NDE has sometimes involved psychological difficulties that range from relatively mild adjustment disorders to profoundly distressing and disorienting spiritual emergencies.Consequently, the prospect of recalling an NDE under hypnosis has been fraught with controversy.A recent study (Holden and MacHovec, 1993) suggested that, at least under certain circumstances, hypnotic recall of NDEs could occur without physical or lasting psychological distress.I re port here the preliminary finding of overwhelming psychological benefit of such recall, and discuss implications for future research.Although cases of distressing near-death experiences (NDEs) have begun to appear in the professional literature (Atwater, 1992; Greyson and Bush, 1992), the vast majority of reported NDEs have involved predominantly pleasant feelings during, and apparently con structive effects on personality and spirituality after, the experience (Grey, 1985;Ring, 1980Ring, , 1984;;Sabom, 1982).However, adjustment difficulties, even full-blown spiritual emergencies, sometimes accom