Near-Death Experiences and the Psychology of Death
OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying May 1, 2014 DOI: 10.2190/om.68.3.e (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Key points | Argues that near-death experiences, reported across known history and in all cultures by those who have died or been close to death, challenge objective-mechanistic models by suggesting the phenomenology of death may involve complex psychological processes. Discusses three characteristics of the NDE: loss of the fear of death, psychological sequelae, and complex conscious abilities, and considers implications for societal understandings of death and for professions such as palliative care. |
Abstract
Little is known about the psychological phenomenology of death. Reported across known history and in all cultures by those who have died or been close to death, NDEs challenge objective-mechanistic models by suggesting the phenomenology of death may involve a variety of complex psychological processes. This article discusses three notable characteristics of the NDE—loss of the fear of death, psychological sequelae, and complex conscious abilities—supporting this claim. The implications these have for advancing societal understandings of death are discussed, and their pragmatic application for professions where death is frequently encountered, such as palliative care, is addressed.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on near-death experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otherworld Journeys: Accounts of Near-Death Experience in Medieval and Modern Times | 1987 | Historical analysis | |
| Neuroscience and the Near-Death Experience: Roles for the NMSA-PCP receptor, the sigma receptor and the endopsychosins | 1990 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Implications of near-death experiences for a postmaterialist psychology. | 2010 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Near-Death Experience as a Probe to Explore (Disconnected) Consciousness | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Near-death experiences between science and prejudice | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
- Explanation of near-death experiences: a systematic analysis of case reports and qualitative research. Frontiers in Psychology 2023
- Comparison of free description and semi-structured interview as methods of studying near-death experience National Psychological Journal 2021
- Addressing fear of death and dying: traditional and innovative interventions Mortality August 30, 2020
- Does Learning About Near-Death Experiences Promote Psycho-Spiritual Benefits in Those Who Have Not Had a Near-Death Experience? April 3, 2017
- Near-death experiences, posttraumatic growth, and life satisfaction among burn survivors Social Work in Health Care January 9, 2017
and 2 more in the library
Cites 26
- 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
- Attitude Change Following Near-Death Experiences Psychiatry August 1, 1980
- Dissociation in people who have near-death experiences: out of their bodies or out of their minds? The Lancet February 1, 2000
- Near‐death experiences: the experience of the self as real and not as an illusion Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences October 1, 2011
and 21 more in the library