Abstract
Ten years ago our research on out-of-body experiences suggested that the elements of the near-death experience (NDE) were not necessarily limited to situations in which survival was threatened. A decade of continued study has confirmed that theperception of being near death, independent of the actual reality of the situation, is the key determinant of the classical NDE. From early in life, the infant's dread of catastrophe leads to the elaboration of extensive psychological defenses against the possibility of extinction. The NDE is simultaneously a manifestation of faith and a catalyst for the development of faith.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Beckett, S. (1954),Waiting for Godot New York, NY: Grove Press.
Bion, W.R. (1963).Elements of psycho-analysis London, England: Heinemann.
Bion, W.R. (1970).Attention and interpretation. London, England: Tavistock Publications.
Bush, N.E. (1984). The near-death experience in children: Shades of the prison-house reopening.Anabiosis: The Journal of Near-Death Studies, 3, 177–193.
Campbell, J. (1988).The power of myth, New York, NY: Doubleday.
Eigen, M. (1985). Toward Bion's starting point: Between catastrophe and faith,International Journal of Psycho-Analysis, 66, 321–330.
Gabbard, G.O., and Twemlow, S.W. (1984).With the eyes of the mind: An empirical analysis of out-of-body states. New York, NY: Praeger.
Gabbard, G.O., Twemlow, S.W., and Jones, F.C. (1981). Do “near-death experiences” occur only near death?,Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 169, 374–377.
Morse, M., Castillo, P., Venecia, D., Milstein, J. and Tyler, D.C. (1986) Childhood neardeath experiences.American Journal of Diseases of Children, 140, 1110–1114.
Morse, M., and Perry, P. (1990).Closer to the light: Learning from the near-death experiences of children, New York, NY: Villard.
Neubauer, P., and Neubauer, A. (1990).Nature's thumbprint: The new genetics of personality. New York, NY: Addison-Wesley.
Stevenson, I., Cook, E.W., and McClean-Rice, N. (1989–90). Are persons reporting “neardeath experiences” really near death? A study of medical records.Omega, 20, 45–54.
Twemlow, S.W., Gabbard, G.O., and Jones, F.C. (1982). The out-of-body experience: A phenomenological typology based on questionnaire responses.American Journal of Psychiatry, 139, 450–455.
Winnicott, D.W. (1965).The maturational processes and the facilitating environment. New York, NY: International Universities Press.
Winnicott, D.W. (1971).Playing and reality. New York, NY: Basic Books.
Zaleski, C. (1987).Otherworld journeys: Accounts of near-death experience in medieval and modern times. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
C.F. Menninger Memorial Hospital
Instructor at the Topeka Institute for Psychoanalysis
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gabbard, G.O., Twemlow, S.W. Do “near-death experiences” occur only near death?-revisited. J Near-Death Stud 10, 41–47 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01073295
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01073295