Th02 Jan Holden-Healthcare Responses to NDE Disclosure

Researchers have found that response to near-death experience (NDE) disclosure plays an important role—for good or ill—in near-death experiencers (NDErs) integration of their NDEs. However, in both conference presentations and the professional literature, near-death experiencers (NDErs) have described disastrous experiences of disclosing their NDEs to healthcare providers, being met with disbelief, dismissal, diagnosis, and demonizing. In our review of the professional literature, we found no wide-scale study of NDErs’ experiences of disclosing to healthcare providers. Our purpose in this study was to begin to remedy that gap. Eighty-eight NDErs reported on 188 experiences of disclosing their NDEs. The author-developed Near-Death Experiencers’ Experiences of Disclosure Scale (NEEDS) proved valid and reliable. Among the results were extent of harmful vs. helpful disclosure experiences and whether quality of disclosure experience varied by type of healthcare professional (medical, mental health, or religious/spiritual) or by year of NDE, timing of disclosure (immediate or delayed), and depth of NDE. The presenter will conclude by addressing implications for healthcare providers who work with NDErs and their educators and for future NDE researchers. More about Jan Holden