Near-death experiences and religion: A further investigation
Steven A. McLaughlin, H. Newton Malony
Journal of Religion and Health January 1, 1984 DOI: 10.1007/bf00996157 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractPeople who have a near-death experience (NDE) tend to become more religious and more active in their religion afterward, and the deeper the NDE, the larger the increase. However, how religious someone was before the NDE does not predict how deep the NDE will be. These findings come from interviews and questionnaires given to 40 people who had NDEs. Several theories about what causes NDEs are considered as possible explanations for the results.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 40 |
| Population | Near-death experiencers |
| Citations | 31 |
| Key finding | The depth of a near-death experience correlates with a subsequent increase in the importance of religion and religious activity, but pre-NDE religious orientation does not predict NDE depth. |
Abstract
The relationship between religion and near-death experiencers (NDEs) was examined by interviewing 40 near-death experiences who were given a series of instruments to measure religious orientation and religious change. No relationship was found between religious orientation prior to the NDE and the depth of the NDE. However, a significant correlation was found between the depth of the NDE and a subsequent increase both in the importance of religion and in religious activity. Various theoretical explanations of NDEs were examined to account for these findings.