We are often told that a near-death experience is a life-changing event that changes the patient’s outlook on life.
But new research has found that contrary to popular belief, patients who return from the brink of death remain exactly the same a year later.
In what is believed to be the first study of its kind, experts followed 19 people to the intensive care unit (ICU) after a near-death experience. They then followed them 12 months later.
A study published in the journal Critical Care found that 15 percent of patients surveyed had a near-death experience
The researchers, who published their findings in the journal Critical Care, originally studied 126 patients who spent more than a week in five intensive care units at the University of Liège in Belgium.
The patients were admitted to the ICU for various reasons, including respiratory, cardiovascular, digestive, renal, neurological, and metabolic disorders. The majority of participants interviewed were admitted for surgical reasons.
They found that 15 percent of them — 19 people — had a near-death experience. These patients were then further investigated.
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Lynn Mildner (pictured), 69, has vivid memories of a “beautiful white light” and talking to her deceased relatives
They were interviewed three to seven days after discharge from the hospital and asked about dissociative experiences, such as forgetting who they are or feeling disconnected from themselves. They were also asked about spiritual, religious and personal beliefs.
When the patients were first interviewed, those who had a near-death experience showed a greater propensity for dissociative symptoms.
These include feeling disconnected from yourself, feeling little or no pain and not being sure of who you are – and increased mental and personal well-being.
The researchers contacted them again a year later to measure their quality of life.
No significant association with quality of life was found after this period, despite the fact that NDEs (near-death experiences) “are commonly reported as transformative and may be associated with negative emotions,” the researchers wrote.
Dr. Bruce Greyson, who developed the NDE scale used by the researchers in the study, found that 10 to 20 percent of people whose heart has stopped will experience an NDE.
This is five percent of the total population.
Greyson defined near-death experiences as “extremely vivid and often life-changing experiences, often occurring under extreme physiological conditions such as life-threatening trauma, cardiac arrest, or deep anesthesia.”
The results in Critical Care differ from previous research in the past year.
A 2022 study conducted by Greyson found that participants had significant differences in quality of life even 20 years after the initial events.
The researchers for the Critical Care findings wrote that more research is needed to confirm these findings.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
