ISSN 0748-1187
4 papers in the library · 141 citations · publishing 1992-2023
Death Studies November 1, 1992 Bruce Greyson 58 citations
People who have had a near-death experience (NDE) report significantly less fear of death than those who came close to death without an NDE or who never came close to death. The deeper the NDE, the lower the death threat. The study measured death threat using the Threat Index and depth of NDE with a quantitative scale. Self-actualization did not relate to having or deepening an NDE.
Death Studies April 1, 2001 Emily Williams Kelly 53 citations
Near-death experiences (NDEs) are often dismissed as evidence for survival after death, yet many experiencers become convinced of survival. This article examines survival and nonsurvival interpretations, focusing on reports of seeing deceased persons during NDEs. It compares 74 NDEs with such reports to 200 NDEs without them. Some findings could support either interpretation, but several findings weaken the main nonsurvival hypothesis of expectation. The convergence of features suggesting survival, along with the need for multiple alternative explanations in individual and group cases, warrants taking the survival hypothesis more seriously than most scientists currently do.
Death Studies February 2, 2023 Sam G. Moreton, Andrew Arena, Yolanda Foy et al. 19 citations
A meaningful psychedelic experience can reduce death anxiety, and that reduction appears to help explain improvements in satisfaction with life, positive affect, and negative affect. In a survey of 201 participants who recalled a meaningful psychedelic experience, reductions in death anxiety mediated the link between mystical experience and these well-being measures, but did not mediate effects of psychological insight. The findings are correlational and do not establish causation, but they suggest that decreased death anxiety may be one mechanism through which psychedelic-induced mystical experiences boost subjective well-being.
Death Studies February 23, 2005 Bruce Greyson 11 citations
Some people who say they have had a near-death experience (NDE) do not actually meet research criteria for one (false positives), while others who deny having had an NDE do meet those criteria (false negatives). The author assessed these false claims and denials in a group that promotes near-death research and among psychiatric outpatients. The rate of false positives and negatives differed depending on how common NDEs were in each sample and how much participants knew about them. Because participants' knowledge about NDEs can affect study results, using standardized criteria to identify NDEs is critically important.