> “Compared to non-experiencers, NDErs report greatly increased concern for others, decreased fear of death, and increased belief in an afterlife, increased religious interest and feeling, and lessened desire for material success and approval of others (Flynn, 1982).”
Even for those who did not have a NDE,
> “Compared to persons who had come close to death but not had NDEs, experiencers place significantly lower value on social status, professional and material success, and fame (Greyson, 1983a), and find death less threatening (Greyson, 1992).”
I had an experience while extremely high on magic mushrooms. I was completely and totally convinced I was going to die. It was just before a fireworks display With utmost certainty I knew when the fireworks started I would die. I was terrified. I started going over everything i'd done in my life, everything i'd regretted, all the times i'd acted shitty to people, just everything.
During that time, I didn't realize until later, different layers of my personality were stripping away and each layer was a new thought about my life.
Then the fireworks started...I didn't die. I rememer.I didn't really feel relief...just happiness and a new feeling that just existing and making the best od life was good enough.
Since then i've found my attitude towards a lot of things has changed. I used to worry about my health a lot, not quite hypochondriac but sometimes pretty close, i'd get overwhelmed with anxiety about dying from different things. In all the years since then I haven't worried about it any more.
I find little things that would frustrate me or i'd put a lot of energy into worrying about don't bother me any more. Generally my interactions with people.have improved. I find i expect less from them now while at the same time I find myself generally caring about people's lives and the things that happen to them more than I used to.
I also lost interest in watching graphically violent movies or just senseless violence on general.
I dunno...I know it's not the same as a real near death experience but reading your comment really made me think of that time.
I think NDE was being used as shorthand here for an experience where one could have died, not the much more clinical definition where one's body is physically near death as above. It's a very interesting study.
Near-death experiences: clinical implications http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0101-60832007000700015&...
> “Compared to non-experiencers, NDErs report greatly increased concern for others, decreased fear of death, and increased belief in an afterlife, increased religious interest and feeling, and lessened desire for material success and approval of others (Flynn, 1982).”
Even for those who did not have a NDE,
> “Compared to persons who had come close to death but not had NDEs, experiencers place significantly lower value on social status, professional and material success, and fame (Greyson, 1983a), and find death less threatening (Greyson, 1992).”