Childhood Near-Death Experiences
Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine November 1, 1986 M. L. Morse 94 citations
Among 11 children aged 3 to 16 who survived critical illnesses such as cardiac arrest and profound coma, 7 reported memories from when they were unconscious, including out-of-body experiences, entering darkness, being in a tunnel, and deciding to return to their body. In contrast, none of 29 age-matched children who survived illnesses requiring intubation and intensive care had any such memories. The near-death experiences (NDEs) were clearly linked to surviving a critical illness and resembled those reported in adults, though no children described depersonalization. The authors suggest a core NDE may be a natural developmental experience triggered by dying or resuscitation and propose a neurophysiologic hypothesis for its cause.