Most people know very little regarding near-death experiences, or “NDEs”. And one of the earliest questions people often have when encountering this subject regards the impact and implications of an NDE: Can a near-death experience change your life?
First, the short answer: Yes, a near-death experience can change your life, reportedly in dramatic and lasting ways. An NDE can change your entire worldview, eradicate or at least subdue your fear of and anxiety regarding death, and so much more.
But while life after a near-death experience can be beautiful in a number of ways, there can also be significant downsides as well, both for the experiencer and their loved ones.
So let’s explore this question in today’s IANDS Q&A. Can a near-death experience change your life? What impacts does it have, and for how long? And what are traditionally the positive and negative impacts?
Read More: Aftereffects of Near-Death Experiences
Can a Near-Death Experience Change Your Life? And if So, How?
For most people, having a near-death experience isn’t simply a single event marking a particular moment in time. It’s a line of demarcation, separating your life before your NDE and what comes after.
Decades of research into NDEs consistently suggest long-term psychological and behavioral shifts for those who experience them. Most people who have a near-death experience come away from the experience having undergone one or more significant life changes.
Some of the long-term effects of a near-death experience include:
- Greater compassion and an increased desire to help others
- A significantly reduced fear of death
- Reduced anxiety about everyday problems and personal and social issues
- A stronger sense of meaning, purpose, or both
- Heightened potential to make career changes toward service professions
- Heightened spirituality, which may or may not involve organized religion
- Reduced tolerance for superficial relationships
- Changes in sleep patterns
- Dietary changes, including changes in appetite and dietary tastes
- A reduced sense of materialism and reduced urgency to pursue wealth
Are there negative life changes, too?
You might read through that list and feel that most or even all of those potential life changes resulting from an NDE are positive, or maybe neutral at worst. But there are quite a few negative changes associated with having a near-death experience as well.
Near-death experiences are profound, to say the least. And it’s challenging, if not entirely impossible, for the experiencer’s loved ones to fully comprehend what they encountered, what they saw, or how real the experience was for them. The personality changes after an NDE can, at times, be surprising or even frightening for loved ones.
It’s sadly rather common for people within their orbit to assume the experiencer hallucinated or had a dream. They might even assume the experiencer is going mad, or that they suffered brain damage. And to be fair, hearing about a near-death experience without any prior knowledge of them can be a lot to take in and process for most people.
Those sorts of negative reactions—the disbelief, the unwarranted concern, the lack of understanding and even apparent lack of compassion—can leave a near-death experiencer feeling unsupported, isolated, and confused. They might become skeptical of sharing their experience with others, and have difficulty reintegrating with ordinary life. It can lead to depression, relationship strains, and self-doubt.
What to Do if You or a Loved One has Had a Near-Death Experience
If you or someone you know has had a near-death experience, you’ve surely come here looking for helpful answers. And at IANDS, we do what we can to provide you with useful information and support resources.
The first thing you should know is that no, you’re not alone. And while each and every NDE is unique, they share many NDE characteristics you may want to read more about. NDEs are more common than most people realize, and they can happen to anyone, too.
You may want to begin by perusing our support section, where you’ll find useful articles, links to support and sharing groups, information about mental health providers, and more. You may also want to learn more about NDEs by browsing our learn section. And you may also want to read through our IANDS Q&A articles and the IANDS glossary, too.
If you find yourself in need of guidance, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us, too. IANDS provides educational resources, support networks, and opportunities to connect with others who have had similar experiences. And we can’t understate the importance of discussing your NDE with people who understand what you’ve experienced.
