Near-Death Experiences: Quantitative Findings from an Aotearoa New Zealand Sample

Abstract

Abstract: Most of what is currently known about near-death experiences (NDEs) has come from published case studies and larger scale research projects conducted in Western Anglo-European cultures. This article presents findings from the first large-scale retrospective, quantitative study of NDEs conducted in Aotearoa New Zealand over a two-year period, between August 2010 and December 2012. We investigated the occurrence and phenomenology of NDEs in 220 participants. Results revealed the characteristics and occurrence of NDEs in this sample were similar to those reported in other Western samples. Results of a multivariate regression analysis showed belief in the survival of a soul after physical death and being of Māori ethnicity contributed a significant amount of unique variance to NDE Scale scores in Aotearoa New Zealand. Our study represents an important contribution to understanding NDEs in Aotearoa New Zealand, although more research is required to futher elucidate and advance the findings.