Changes to Meaning in Life Following a Near-Death Experience: A Scoping Review
Paul McQuillan, Carolyn Drinkwater
Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia November 10, 2026 DOI: 10.59158/001c.171912 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Scoping review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Key findings | The authors report establishing a knowledge base of what counselling clients are likely to experience after a near-death experience and offer reflections on how meaning-centred psychotherapy can support integration of the experience. They also propose future research directions for a larger project. |
Abstract
While near-death experiences (NDEs) have been reported throughout human history, they became more commonplace after Moody’s (1975) seminal work _Life After Life._ Since then, 50 years of research have been conducted into NDEs. In this study, we aimed to synthesise existing research into how meaning in life changes for those who have experienced an NDE, while also looking at similar experiences such as out-of-body experiences and psychedelic use to provide a basis for comparison of the impact of NDEs. We followed the JBI protocols for a scoping review (Pollock et al., 2026) to identify what has been established in the current research as well as suggest future research directions for a larger project. We established a knowledge base for what counselling clients are likely to experience post-NDE, with reflections on how meaning-centred psychotherapy can be implemented to support the integration of this experience.