[Brief report].Near-Death Experience features during various phases related to unconsciousness: An exploratory study of Norwegian hospital patients.
Øystein Buer, Mary Harris Kalfoss, Lars Weisæth, Hans Stifoss‐Hanssen, Bjørn Bendz
Journal of Near-Death Studies 2018 DOI: 10.17514/jnds-2018-36-4-p219-231 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 23 |
| Population | Norwegian adult survivors of unconsciousness from life-threatening medical conditions: cardiac arrest (n=19) or surgery for other trauma (n=4) |
| Measures | Near-Death Experience Scale--Norwegian translation |
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Key findings | Among 23 survivors of unconsciousness, 15 endorsed at least one Near-Death Experience Scale item. Most features reportedly occurred during unconsciousness, but at least one item was also endorsed for four other phases: before, while awakening from, after (conscious), and after (asleep/dream). The authors argue that healthcare providers should be prepared for near-death experience features to be reported both during and around unconsciousness, and that further research is warranted. |
Abstract
Abstract: The objective of this study was to explore the states of consciousness associated with various features of near-death experience (NDE). The sample comprised 23 Norwegian adult survivors of unconsciousness associated with life threatening medical conditions, either cardiac arrest (CA; n=19) or surgery to address another type of trauma (OT; n=4). Of these, 11 CA and 4 OT patients endorsed at least one item on the Near-Death Experience Scale--Norwegian translation. We individually interviewed each of the 23 patients to ascertain their perception of the phase of unconsciousness in which each endorsed item on the NDE Scale occurred. Although most features reportedly occurred during unconsciousness, at least one item was endorsed for four other phases related to unconsciousness: before, while awakening from, after (conscious), and after (asleep/dream). Our results indicate that healthcare providers need to be prepared that ND experiencers may report clinically significant NDE features during both unconsciousness itself and that more research into this topic is warranted.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on near-death experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualitative thematic analysis of the phenomenology of near-death experiences Cardiac arrest survivors | 2018 | Qualitative study | n = 34 |
| Do Suicide Survivors Report Near-Death Experiences? Persons who had been close to death as a result of a suicide attempt | 1982 | Qualitative study | n = 36 |
| The evolving self: finding meaning in near-death experiences using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Female participants who had near-death experiences | 2008 | Qualitative study | n = 3 |
| Investigation of the phenomenology, physiology and impact of spiritually transformative experiences - kundalini awakening. Persons having a spiritually transformative experience (e.g., spontaneous energetic... | 2021 | Qualitative study | |
| Near-death experiences and religion: A further investigation Near-death experiencers | 1984 | Qualitative study | n = 40 |