The self-defining aspect of near-death experiences

Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) can be defined as profound psychological events with highly emotional and self-related content, typically encompassing transcendental and mystical elements and occurring when people come close to death. Studies have highlighted that 6 to 23% of cardiac arrest survivors have reported this phenomenon, which supports its frequent occurrence. Intriguingly, similar experiences have been described after situations that do not imply any danger for physical or mental health. These experiences have been termed “NDEs-like” and have been described in contexts such as meditative states or syncope. Along with its particular circumstances of appearance and its mystical connotation, the widespread NDE phenomenon seems to be characterized by a rich phenomenology and a realistic intensity. Consequently, NDEs appear to have short and long term consequences on people’s lives (so-called NDE experiencers). Specifically, it was recently shown that NDE and NDE-like memories constitute a particular type of autobiographical memories referred to as self-defining memories (SDMs). SDMs are emotionally intense, vivid, and frequently recalled memories that reflect important themes and conflicts in one’s life. These emotional memories are the building blocks of our identity and contribute, in particular, to our sense of self-continuity, which represents the ability to consider oneself as an entity that extends back into the past and forward into the future. This ability is central to numerous processes such as planning future actions, giving meaning to new experiences or taking responsibility. The self-defining status of NDE memories confirms that they constitute an important part of NDE experiencers’ personal identities and highlights the importance for clinicians to facilitate their integration within their selves. The aim of this symposium is to have a closer look at the factors that contribute to making this experience self-defining, such as the content and intensity of the experience, as well as religious beliefs of experiencers.