Near-death experiences (NDEs) share common themes across cultures, but their phenomenology differs between particular cultures and typical western European experiences. The article compares descriptions of NDEs from a cross-cultural perspective, concluding that variability likely arises from interpretation and verbalization filtered through language, cultural experiences, religion, education, and their interplay, rather than from the core experience itself.
About 8 percent of the Australian population reports having had a near death experience (NDE), according to a telephone survey. Among people who faced a situation of imminent death, 36 percent had such an experience, and nearly one-quarter of those individuals reported an NDE. This Australian rate falls between the 15 percent prevalence found in a U.S. study and the 4 percent rate from a more controlled German study. The authors present their questionnaire for use in future research.