Suicide Following a Near-Death Experience.
Crisis September 1, 2024 Robert A. King 3 citations
Near-death experiences (NDEs) are altered states of consciousness during real or perceived life-threatening events. For decades, researchers assumed NDEs produce positive antisuicidal attitudes, making suicide afterward highly unlikely. This paper challenges that assumption by presenting four case studies of individuals who died by suicide after an NDE. While quantitative data are lacking, these cases show that suicide after an NDE does occur. The influence of the NDE on each suicide remains uncertain. The authors call for more research on post-NDE suicide risk and advise therapists to monitor for both active and passive suicidal ideation in NDE experiencers.