PLoS ONE
January 30, 2020
V. Charland-Verville, D. Ribeiro de Paula, C. Martial et al.
20 citations
Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) are commonly portrayed as passing to an afterlife, but empirical research is recent and their definition remains debated. Questionnaires used to identify NDEs may be restrictive and subjective. To address this, researchers analyzed freely expressed narratives from 158 participants who reported a firsthand NDE, using automated text-mining. The analysis identified the most common words and, through hierarchical clustering, revealed three main clusters of features: visual perceptions, emotions, and spatial components. The authors suggest that this user-independent, data-driven approach can help build a more rigorous description and definition of NDEs.
Frontiers in Psychology
May 13, 2020
H. Cassol, E. Bonin, C. Bastin et al.
9 citations
Memories of near-death experiences (NDEs) are recalled with more detail and a stronger sense of reality than memories of other real or imagined events. In a study of 25 people who had lived through an NDE, verbal recollections of the NDE contained more internal/episodic details than flashbulb memories or other autobiographical memories. NDE memories were also the most central to a person's identity, followed by other autobiographical memories, then flashbulb memories. Flashbulb memories were associated with lower intensity of feelings during recall, lower personal importance, less reactivation, and a less frequent first-person perspective compared to NDE and control memories. The findings indicate that NDE memories are unique and highly impactful.
Journal of Near-Death Studies
January 1, 2021
S. Laureys, V. Charland-Verville, M. Botbol-Baum
People who have near-death experiences often report feeling as if they are outside their own body or moving through a different space. This article discusses how these unusual sensations of self-location and movement can be better understood by using a concept called "Archi-Textures," which helps to more clearly define the spatio-temporal experiences that occur during an NDE.