In the Final Analysis: More Wisdom From People Who Have Faced Death

Abstract

Seventeen adults who experienced a life-threatening situation were interviewed to ascertain what they had learned about life from their confrontation with death. Interview questions focused on participants' philosophies of life, their personal regrets and priorities, and their advice to others. Interviews were analyzed using qualitative grounded theory and discovery-oriented techniques. Among the most common themes, the participants advocated less materialism, more spirituality, and more caring for and serving of others. After their confrontation with death they worried less about mundane issues and became more optimistic about the future of humankind. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Life Experience with Death: Relation to Death Attitudes and to the Use of Death-Related Memories

“…That is, the death-related memory (but not the low point) shared by the experienced volunteers was seen as representing a landmark for a time at which they started living or thinking in a new way. Individuals often report having learned life lessons from experiences with death (Kinnier, Tribbensee, & Rose, 2001). Similarly, experience with death has been related to changing one's life goals (Edmonds & Hooker, 1992;Tedeschi & Calhoun, 2004).…”

Meaning-Making in Memories: A Comparison of Memories of Death-Related and Low Point Life Experiences

“…It thus appears that attempts at meaning-making continue for years after a loss has occurred. Interestingly, research shows the search for meaning does not only occur in the context of bereavement, and may also occur in the wake of self-related death experiences such as overcoming cancer or surviving motor-vehicle accidents (Kinnier, Tribbensee, Rose, & Vaughan, 2001). Some evidence suggests that searching for understanding of why the event happened (i.e., meaning-as-comprehension) chronologically precedes the search for worth or value in the experience (i.e., meaning-as-significance).…”

Near‐Death Experiences and Transpersonal Psychology: Focus on Helping Near‐Death Experiencers

“…Positive long-term effects of NDEs commonly cited in the literature include an increased sense of purpose and meaning in life (Britton & Bootzin, 2004;Greyson, 1996Greyson, , 1997Greyson, , 2009Moody, 1975;Noyes et al, 2009;Ring, 1980;van Lommel et al, 2001;Zingrone & Alvarado, 2009), feelings of unity, love, and compassion towards all of life (Greyson, 2001;Holden, Long, & MacLurg, 2006;James, 2004;Parnia et al, 2001), a decreased interest in obtaining material wealth (Stout, Jacquin, & Atwater, 2006), a desire to eat healthier (many reported eating more vegetables and desiring less red meat), a decreased fear of death, and an increased desire to be of service to others (Brumm, 2006;Christian, 2005;Kinnier, Tribbensee, Rose, & Vaughan, 2001;Moody, 1975;Morris & Knafl, 2003;Ring, 1980;Sabom, 1982;Wren-Lewis, 2004). Many NDErs also reported a decreased desire to consume certain chemicals found in some foods and/or addictive type of substances, such as caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine (James, 2004;Ring, 1992).…”