Adults' reports of the role of psychotherapy in integrating their childhood near-death experiences: A preliminary investigation.
J. R. Moores, S. Ammen
Journal of Near-Death Studies 2013 DOI: 10.17514/jnds-2013-31-3-p151-160 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Exploratory survey study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 29 |
| Population | Adults who had childhood near-death experiences between pre-birth and age 17 years |
| Intervention | Psychotherapy |
| Measures | NDE Scale (Greyson, 1990), Childhood NDE and Psychotherapy Questionnaire, Subjective and Psychological Well-Being Scales (Diener & Biswas-Diener, 2008) |
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Key findings | Of 29 respondents, 23 met NDE Scale criteria for a near-death experience; 15 (67%) reported engaging in psychological integration of their NDEs and more positive emotional feelings, with a reported correlation of r = .77. Participants identified helpful psychotherapy features as a therapist who accepted the NDE as real, validated the experience, and helped them express thoughts and feelings, explore meaning, and resolve guilt. The authors suggest psychological integration of NDEs is related to subjective and psychological well-being. |
Abstract
Abstract: The Purpose of the exploratory research was to learn if adults who had childhood near-death experiences (NDEs) sometime between pre-birth to age 17 years had psychotherapy and if they believed it helped them achieve psychological integration of their NDEs. Participants completed three instruments: the NDE Scale (Greyson, 1990), the author-developed Childhood NDE and Psychotherapy Questionnaire, and the three Subjective and Psychological Well-Being Scales (Diener & Biswas-Diener, 2008). Of 29 respondents, 23 met the NDE Scale criteria for an NDE. Results for the 15 (67%) who had engaged in psychological integration of NDE's and more positive emotional feelings (r = .77, p .10). The psychotherapy factors identified by participants as successful i helping them process and integrate their NDE's included having a therapist who accepted the NDE as real and validated the experience and who helped the NDEr express thoughts and feelings about, explore the meaning of, and resolve any guilt around the NDE. Results supported the idea that psychological integration of NDEs is related to subjective and psychological wellbeing, and the provided clues about features of psychotherapy that might promote NDE integration. Limitations of the study, implications of results for psychotherapeutic interventions, and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on near-death experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fantasy Proneness Correlates With the Intensity of Near-Death Experience Individuals who have experienced a near-death experience (classical or NDE-like) and... | 2018 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 228 |
| A systematic analysis of distressing near-death experience accounts Individuals who had a near-death experience and wrote down their account | 2019 | Cross-sectional study | n = 123 |
| Reduced death threat in near-death experiencers Adults who had near-death experiences, came close to death without NDE, or never came... | 1992 | Cross-sectional study | n = 290 |
| Near-Death Experiences in a Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic Population Psychiatric outpatients | 2003 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 832 |
| Near-Death States Reported in a Sample of 50 Misusers Previous ketamine misusers who reported a ketamine-related near-death experience | 2010 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 50 |