Search

A selective literature review of publications on life review generated ideas on implementation, theory, research, and therapy. The review begins by differentiating life review from reminiscence, and summarizing ways to conduct a life review. A dozen theories that have been influenced by the life review technique are presented, with a focus placed on Erikson's Stages of Psychosocial Development. Erikson's theory has not only been influenced by the life review, it has had a major impact on life review research. Three research topics are discussed: Erikson's ego integrity versus despair in old age, demographical differences in the practice of life reviews, and the impact of conducting life reviews on staff in institutional settings. Most practitioners of life reviews are institutional staff, university students, and family members, many of whom have had limited prior training. The prospect of a certified life review training program is discussed.

In this article first some general aspects of near-death experience will be discussed, followed by questions about consciousness and its relation to brain function. Details will be described from our prospective study on near-death experience in survivors of cardiac arrest in the Netherlands, which was published in the Lancet in 2001. In this study it could not be shown that physiological, psychological, or pharmacological factors caused these experiences after cardiac arrest. Neurophysiology in cardiac arrest and in a normal functioning brain will be explained. Finally, implications for consciousness studies will be discussed, and how it could be possible to explain the continuity of our consciousness. Scientific study of NDE pushes us to the limits of our medical and neurophysiologic ideas about the range of human consciousness and mind--brain relation. KEYWORDS: Informational fields of consciousness, mind-brain relation, near-death experience.

Some persons who claim to have had near-death experiences (NDEs) fail research criteria for having had NDEs ('false positives'), others who deny having had NDEs do meet research criteria for having had NDEs ('false negatives'). The author evaluated false positive claims and false negative denials in an organization that promotes near-death research and in psychiatric outpatients. The frequency of false positives and negatives varied in samples that differed in prevalence of and knowledge about, NDEs. The influence of participants' knowledge about NDEs on the findings of near-death research makes it critically important to use standardized criteria for identifying NDEs.

Participants of the Parapsychology and Thanatology Conference expressed their interesting reactions and opinions to Dr. Emily Cook's review of the conference and her criticisms of their contributions. Many agree that the central issue of the conference was surviving physical death and its relation to parapsychology. However, progress in this field of research is rather slow. This has raised several arguments on the viability of the approach required to promote survival research., [Editor's Note. Following are the replies received from participants in the Parapsychology and Thanatology Conference to Dr. Emily Cook's review in the preceding issue of the Journal A response from [...]

NEAR-DEATH experiences are profound subjective events frequently reported by individuals who have come close to death. They are of importance to mental health professionals, not only because they often happen to patients under our care, but because they have been reported to produce widespread and long-lasting changes in values, beliefs, and behavior that dramatically affect the experiencers' attitudes toward living and dying (Bates and Stanley 1985; Bauer 1985; Flynn 1982; Greyson 1983b; Noyes 1980; Ring 1984). Several studies, including surveys of recently resuscitated hospitalized patients (Ring 1980; Sabom 1982) and a nationwide poll of the general population (Gallup and Proctor 1982) have estimated that near-death experiences are reported by 30%-40% of individuals who come close to death, or about 5% of the adult American population.

Near-death experiences (NDEs), profound mystical or transcendental experiences occurring on the threshold of death, have been reported to reduce fear of death and death anxiety. This study compared responses to the Threat Index, a widely used measure of the threat implied by one's personal death, of (a) 135 near-death experiencers, (b) 43 individuals who had come close to death but not had an NDE, and (c) 112 individuals who had never come close to death. Death threat was significantly lower among those with near-death experiences than among the two comparison groups, and degree of death threat was inversely correlated with depth of NDE as measured by the quantitative NDE Scale. Self/ideal self discrepancy or, inversely, actualization, was not related to occurrence or depth of NDEs.

The near-death experience literature includes many accounts of adults who have had near-death experiences as adults or when they were children. The literature also reveals a few accounts of children reporting on their childhood near-death experiences. But the literature does not contain a single case of a near-death experience happening at birth, until the reporting of this case. Not only is this case interesting because it is a birth near-death experience, recalled through the medium of dreams, but because the respondent was born in the Philippines, adding cross-cultural validation to the phenomenon of the near-death experience. This is something the literature has called for in the past. Additionally, unlike the vast majority of near-death experiences, this one had a negative affective quality to it, which is discussed in detail through the use of Grey's typology of negative near-death experiences.

Many studies in humans suggest that altered temporal lobe functioning, especially functioning in the right temporal lobe, is involved in mystical and religious experiences. We investigated temporal lobe functioning in individuals who reported having transcendental 'near-death experiences' during life-threatening events. These individuals were found to have more temporal lobe epileptiform electroencephalographic activity than control subjects and also reported significantly more temporal lobe epileptic symptoms. Contrary to predictions, epileptiform activity was nearly completely lateralized to the left hemisphere. The near-death experience was not associated with dysfunctional stress reactions such as dissociation, posttraumatic stress disorder, and substance abuse, but rather was associated with positive coping styles. Additional analyses revealed that near-death experiencers had altered sleep patterns, specifically, a shorter duration of sleep and delayed REM sleep relative to the control group. These results suggest that altered temporal lobe functioning may be involved in the near-death experience and that individuals who have had such experiences are physiologically distinct from the general population.

KOKUBO, H., AND KASAHARA, T. (2000). Japanese studies on anomalous phenomena in the 1990's. International Journal of Parapsychology, 11,35-61. In Japan, scientific studies dealing with anomalous phenomena are being actively [...]

It is estimated that 8 million people have undergone a near-death experience (NDE) within the United States today (1). Clinical documentation of this phenomenon has been reported by physicians and nurses, mostly in the area of critical care. Some psychologists have also noted patient reporting of NDEs while under care. Taking into account the improved medical interventions used in bringing people back from states of clinical death, the potential for professional exposure among health care professionals is high. If denied a chance to share their experience with others who might assist in 'normalizing' their near-death event, individuals who have undergone an NDE may become severely depressed. It is evident that this is an area of clinical concern that should warrant educational involvement within the fields of health education, psychology, and related human service professions so as to meet better the emotional needs of near-death clients. Some suggestions for meeting these needs are also included.

Many people who survive a near-death crisis report some variant of a phenomenon known as the near-death experience (NDE). This study examined health care providers' knowledge and attitude toward the NDE. A self-administered questionnaire was mailed to a random sample of 578 nurses, clergy, and physicians. Six research questions were addressed in this descriptive correlational study. Findings indicated interest in the NDE but minimum knowledge about the phenomenon itself among those health providers most likely to care for a 'survivor' of an NDE. Findings document the need for educational programs about the NDE to enable providers to incorporate this event into an individual's health plan.