Qualitative thematic analysis of the phenomenology of near-death experiences
PLoS ONE February 14, 2018 Héléna Cassol, Benoît Pétré, Sophie Degrange et al. 131 citations
Near-death experiences (NDEs) are profound psychological events that can significantly affect experiencers' lives. Previous research shows NDE memories are phenomenologically rich. This study analyzed the narratives of 34 cardiac arrest survivors to extract common themes. A qualitative thematic analysis identified 10 'time-bounded' themes—isolated events during the NDE—and 1 'transversal' theme that characterizes the entire narrative, often as a retrospective self-reflective comment. The division into themes provides detailed vocabulary used by experiencers and enables a rigorous description of the phenomenon, ensuring all self-reported manifestations are included.