Persistence of Attitude Changes After Near-Death Experiences

Summary

People who have had near-death experiences report lasting changes in their attitudes toward life and death. A study of 63 participants, average age 46 at the start, found that these attitude changes, measured by the Life Changes Inventory, remained stable over two decades. The depth of the near-death experience, assessed with the NDE Scale, was typical of such experiences. Scores on the Life Changes Inventory showed significant shifts in attitudes at both the beginning of the study and twenty years later, with no significant change between the two time points. The persistence of these attitude changes appears to be unusual compared to other transformative experiences.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Abstract The aim of this study was to compare attitude changes reported by people who described near-death experiences (NDEs) at two periods two decades apart, to ascertain whether the attitude changes persisted over time. Participants completed the Life Changes Inventory (LCI) upon entry into the study and again two decades later, and the NDE Scale to quantify depth of the experience. Sixty-three participants (mean age at entry into study, 46 ± 10 years) had scores on the NDE Scale typical of other near-death experiencers. Scores on the LCI showed significant changes in attitudes toward life and death both on entry into the study and two decades later. LCI scores showed no significant change over that period, nor was there a significant correlation between change in LCI scores and time elapsed between the two administrations. NDEs appear to be unusual in the long-term persistence of attitude changes.