How Widely Are Near-Death Experiences Recognized in Indian Society and Health Care? A Preliminary Survey

Authors

Jimmy Mathew, Amrita School of Medicine; Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, Health Sciences Campus, Kochi, Kerala, India
Sreelakshmi Rajeev, Amrita School of Medicine; Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, Health Sciences Campus, Kochi, Kerala, India
Jerry Paul, Amrita School of Medicine; Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, Health Sciences Campus, Kochi, Kerala, India
Subramnia Iyer, Amrita School of Medicine; Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, Health Sciences Campus, Kochi, Kerala, India

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2024

Abstract

Patients who have had near-death experiences are often profoundly changed by the event, and they and their families can find these phenomena bewildering or even distubing. Despite this, awareness of near-death experiences appears to be minimal among health care providers in India. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 individuals who attend patients at the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences in Kochi, Kerala, India, and on one hundred physicians at the same institution. Acquaintance with the phenomenon of near-death experiences was found to be quite low among both samples—lower than rates seen in Western societies. Almost half of the physicians who claimed adequate knowledge about these experiences did not think that they were medically important. These findings point to a need for education about neardeath experiences for health care providers in India, and possibly in other developing societies as well.

Recommended Citation

Mathew, Jimmy; Rajeev, Sreelakshmi; Paul, Jerry; and Iyer, Subramnia, "How Widely Are Near-Death Experiences Recognized in Indian Society and Health Care? A Preliminary Survey" (2024). International Journal of Transpersonal Studies Advance Publication Archive. 93.
https://digitalcommons.ciis.edu/advance-archive/93