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Near-Death Experiences and Personal Values

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Near-Death Experiences and Personal Values CLINICAL AND RESEARCH REPORTS Near-Death Experiences and Personal Values Bruce Greyson, M.D. that had had near-death experiences (the study group) Near-death experiences reportedly foster value and the control group did not differ significantly in transformations and decrease suicidal ideation. mean (±SD) age (49.5±14.2 and 45.9±14.4 years, Eighty-nine survivors of near-death experiences respectively); however, the study group included a judged values related to material and social success significantly higher proportion of women (58.4%) as less important than did 1 75 control subjects. than did the control group (40.6%) (2=7.56, df=1, Decathexis of personal failures may account for the p<.Ol). The study group and the control group did not reported suicide-inhibiting effect. differ significantly in educational or occupational sta- (Am J Psychiatry 140:618-620, 1983) tus: 79.1% and 89.4%, respectively, had attended college, and 18.6% and 26.8%, respectively, had earned doctoral degrees. Professionals (e.g., health I ndividuals often report that they experienced pro- professionals, scientists, engineers, educators) made up found transcendental events while close to death (1). 50.7% of the study group and 55.5% of the control These near-death experiences, regardless of their group. mechanism, have strong effects on the individual. The Each subject was mailed a questionnaire consisting encounter with one’s fate and resultant life review have of a list of 28 objectives, goals, behaviors, and abstract been reported to foster a devaluation of conventional concepts and was asked to rate each item on a 4-point measures of material and social success and an in- scale (from “very important to me” to “not at all creased emphasis on altruistic and spiritual concerns important”). Items were grouped after scoring into (1-5). Despite the alleged romanticization of death by psychologically meaningful clusters on the basis of persons who have had near-death experiences, such an interitem correlations, so that each item would have a experience has been reported to decrease suicidal correlation of at least .50 with its cluster. The mean ideation. A number of psychodynamic hypotheses, scores of both groups were compared by t tests for most of which are related to value transformations each cluster of values. In order to correct for the following the near-death experience, have been formu- possible tendency of subjects to respond to a values lated to explain this paradox (6). In the present paper I questionnaire with culturally sanctioned answers, sub- examine the personal values of individuals who have jects also completed the Marlowe-Crowne Social De- had near-death experiences, contrast their values with sirability Scale (7), an instrument generally assumed to those of a control group, and discuss their values in measure the need to respond to questionnaires in terms of suicidal ideation. culturally sanctioned ways. METHOD RESULTS The subjects were 264 members of the International Value items were grouped into four meaningful Association for Near-Death Studies, an organization clusters of five items each; eight items could not be to promote research into near-death experiences; all included in a meaningful cluster because of low corre- subjects had volunteered for a questionnaire study of lations with other items. The four clusters, with mean their personal values. Of the 264 subjects, 89 had had cluster scores and component items, are presented in near-death experiences and 175 had not. The group table 1. Scores on the self-actualization, altruism, and spin- tuality clusters did not differ significantly between the Received Oct. 21, 1982; revised Dec. 14, 1982; accepted Dec. 22, groups. Scones on the success cluster were significantly 1982. From the Department of Psychiatry and the Psychiatric Emergency Service, University of Michigan Medical Center. Address lower among the study group (t=2.61, df= 187, reprint requests to Dr. Greyson, Box 54, University Hospital, 1405 p<.Ol). East Ann St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109. The mean score of the study group on the Social The author thanks Kenneth Ring, Ph.D., and Charles Flynn, Desirability Scale (17.7) was significantly higher than Ph.D., for their advice on questionnaire design and interpretation, that of the control group (13.5) (t=3.75, df= 148, and the International Association for Near-Death Studies (Universi- ty of Connecticut) for its assistance in the research. p<.OO1). Whether this finding suggests a greater need Copyright © 1983 American Psychiatric Association. among those who had had a near-death experience to 618 Am J Psychiatry 1 40:5, May 1983 CLINICAL AND RESEARCH REPORTS TABLE 1. Comparison of Personal Value Ratings by Subjects Who with and without near-death experiences, are familiar Had Near-Death Experiences (N = 89) and by Control Subjects with the literature on the phenomenon and have an (N= 175) interest in furthering near-death research. Thus, these Mean Clu ster Scores data do not suggest that this sample of subjects who Study Group Control Group had had a near-death experience is comparable to the Cluster and general population regarding the evaluation of these Component Items Mean SD Mean SD values; however, these subjects are similar to members Success: social status, of the International Association for Near-Death Stud- professional success, ies who had not had a near-death experience, a sample material things, being famous, with similar interest in this field. other people’s The fact that the study group rated success lower opinion of me 6.33b 2.86 7.51 2.77 than the control group may reflect the influence of the Self-actualization: near-death experience, or it may reflect the differential feeling good about motives of the control subjects in joining the Interna- myself, personal happiness, the tional Association for Near-Death Studies. By con- “ordinary things trast, the hypothesis that the control group might in life,” physical contain a higher proportion of professionals than the fitness, a good study group, and consequently would have acquired family life 11.89 2.33 12.05 2.02 Altruism: world more material and social success, was not supported peace, elimination by the comparative data on educational and occupa- of world hunger, tional levels. social justice, help- Although these data document a difference between ing others, compas- the two groups in their investment in success measures, sion for others 12.61 2.12 12.58 2.73 Spirituality: prayer, they do not support the breadth of differences that has organized religion, been anecdotally suggested. The cross-sectional nature spiritual matters, of this study precludes any conclusion as to whether living up to my the near-death experience precipitated this difference; ideals, purpose in life 11.02 2.90 10.38 2.73 further study that would assess the subjects’ values aScale range: 1S=very important, 1O=moderately important, S=not very before and after a near-death experience is needed to important, Onot at all important. explore this area. Without such longitudinal data, it b5core significantly less than control group score (t=2.61, df=187, p<Ol). could be argued that the study group was less invested in material and social success before their near-death experiences. Similarly, it is possible that before their obtain approval by responding in a culturally accept- near-death experiences, they were less invested than able manner or whether it reflects a higher incidence of the control group was in self-actualization, altruism, this scale’s culturally acceptable, but rare, behaviors in and spirituality and that the absence of difference the study group is a question beyond the scope of this between the two groups reflects an increased invest- study. Regarding the effect of a response bias toward ment in these values subsequent to the near-death socially approved answers on the present values ques- experience. This hypothesis is supported by Ring’s tionnaire, however, scores on the success cluster (the observation (personal communication, 1982) that only cluster that differentiated the study group from many people who have had a near-death experience the control group) were not significantly correlated report that their lives were “off track” before the with scores on the Social Desirability Scale. Similarly, experience, which then gave them an opportunity to gender, which differentiated the two groups, was not correct their lives in some way. significantly associated with scores on the success In regard to suicidal ideation, I (6) have speculated cluster. that regression to an oceanic state in the near-death experience may leave the individual with a primary sense of worth and meaning not contingent upon DISCUSSION conventional measures of success. I have also noted that change to a negative attitude toward suicide after This study addressed differences in the personal a near-death experience was significantly correlated importance of various values to a sample of subjects with change to a negative attitude toward material who had had a near-death experience and control possessions, personal power, and fame. The lower subjects. It did not find that the study group valued interest in the success cluster among the study group self-actualization, altruism, or spirituality more highly supports Ring’s contention (3) that when a person than did the control group. This failure to confirm an attempting suicide has a near-death experience and increased emphasis on these values by the study group feels a sense of cosmic unity, he or she may decathect may reflect the similarity in background and values unmet worldly goals and begin to view his or her orientation of the two groups. Members of the Interna- individual losses and failures as irrelevant from a tional Association for Near-Death Studies, both those transpersonal perspective.
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