Prevalence of near-death experiences in Australia.
Mahendra Perera, Gayan Padmasekara, John Belanti
The Journal of near-death studies January 1, 2005 DOI: 10.17514/jnds-2005-24-2-p109-116. via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractAbout 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.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | General population of Australia |
| Keywords | Geography History Jungian analytical psychology |
| Citations | 41 |
| Key finding | 8 percent of the Australian population reported a near death experience. |
Abstract
In the literature surveyed we found only two articles that dealt with the prevalence of near death experiences (NDEs) in a general population. The first study, from the United States, reported NDEs in 15 percent of the population. In a more strictly controlled study from Germany, the rate was 4 percent. The present study was performed to ascertain the prevalence of NDEs in Australia. We developed a questionnaire and administered it by telephone interview. We present that questionnaire here for further studies. We determined that 8 percent of the population reported an NDE. There was a 36 percent prevalence of people who had faced a situation of imminent death, almost one-fourth of whom reported an NDE.