Altered Beliefs, Attitudes, and Behaviors Following Near-Death Experiences
Gary Groth‐marnat, Roger Summers
Journal of Humanistic Psychology July 1, 1998 DOI: 10.1177/00221678980383005 via OpenAlex
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractPeople who have had a near-death experience (NDE) report significantly more lasting changes in beliefs, attitudes, and values than those who faced similar life-threatening situations without an NDE. These changes, corroborated by close associates, include increased concern for others, reduced death anxiety with a strengthened belief in an afterlife, heightened transcendental and paranormal awareness, less interest in material possessions, greater self-worth, and deeper appreciation of nature. The depth of the NDE correlates with the extent of change. The findings strongly suggest that the NDE itself, not merely surviving a life-threatening event, drives these transformations.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Observational cohort with control group Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 53 |
| Population | Individuals who reported having had a near-death experience, plus a control group of 27 who had similar life-threatening incidents without an NDE, and 45 significant others |
| Topics | Anxiety |
| Keywords | Afterlife Paranormal Phenomenon Social psychology Death anxiety |
| Citations | 66 |
| Key finding | The NDE group underwent significantly more changes than the control group, with changes including reduced death anxiety, strengthened belief in an afterlife, and increased transcendental experience, and the depth of the NDE was positively correlated with the extent of change. |
Abstract
This study investigated the extent and types of altered beliefs, attitudes, and values of 53 subjects who reported having had a neardeath experience (NDE). A control group was composed of 27 individuals who reported having had similar life-threatening incidents but without a corresponding NDE. In addition, 45 significant others in the lives of the participants in these groups rated the extent and types of changes as a means of obtaining outside corroboration regarding the changes. The results indicated that the NDE group went through a significantly greater number of changes than persons who went through similar life-threatening situations but without having had a corresponding NDE. In addition, the extent and types of changes were mostly corroborated by significant others. Specific areas of change included increased concern for others, reduced death anxiety with a strengthened belief in an afterlife, increased transcendental experience, reduced interest in material possessions, increased self-worth, increased appreciation for natural phenomenon, and an enhanced awareness of paranormal phenomenon. Analysis of the depth of the experience indicated that the depth and the extent of change were positively correlated. Collectively, this information strongly suggests that it is the actual NDE itself, rather than some other factor such as merely being exposed to a life-threatening situation, that is crucial in facilitating change.