Empirical Research on Near-Death Experiences: A Scoping Review of Methods, Populations, and Findings
Godwin George
2026 preprint DOI: 10.17605/osf.io/kjdme (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Scoping review protocol Qualitative |
|---|---|
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Key findings | Proposes a scoping review to map empirical research on near-death experiences, which the authors describe as fragmented across designs, populations, measures, and interpretations. The review will cover quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods studies with human participants, aiming to identify methodological patterns, limitations, and gaps without making causal or ontological claims about the phenomenon. |
Abstract
This project aims to conduct a scoping review of empirical research on near-death experiences (NDEs). Near-death experiences are complex subjective phenomena reported during life-threatening situations such as cardiac arrest or severe trauma, and have been studied across psychological, medical, and neuroscientific domains. However, the existing literature remains fragmented in terms of research designs, populations studied, measurement approaches, and theoretical interpretations. The purpose of this review is to systematically map the available empirical evidence on NDEs, with a focus on identifying the types of methodologies used, characteristics of study populations, tools and measures employed, and key findings reported across studies. The review will include quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research involving human participants. The findings are expected to provide a structured overview of the current state of research in this field, highlight methodological patterns and limitations, and identify gaps that can inform future research. This work aims to contribute to a clearer understanding of how near-death experiences are studied within scientific contexts, without making causal or ontological claims about the phenomenon itself.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on near-death experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Distressing Near-Death Experiences | 1992 | Review | |
| Attitude Change Following Near-Death Experiences Individuals who have had near-death experiences | 1980 | Review | n = 21 |
| Near-death experiences. | 2004 | Review | |
| The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences | 2009 | Review | |
| Near-death experiences in cardiac arrest survivors | 2005 | Review |