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Spiritual Transformation After Near-Death Experiences

Traumatic events may lead to dramatic changes in spirituality. The objective of this study was to explore whether posttraumatic spiritual transformation results not just from the traumatic event, but from spiritual experience during the crisis. The hypothesis tested was that survivors of a brush with death who had spiritual “near-death experiences” have greater spiritual growth and lesser spiritual decline than survivors without near-death experiences. Two hundred thirty self-selected participants who had come close to death completed questionnaires that included the NDE Scale, the Spiritual Transformation Scale, and relevant demographic questions. Near-death experiencers reported greater spiritual growth than comparison survivors, and spiritual growth was correlated with depth of near-death experience. Spiritual decline was comparable in the two groups, and was not associated with depth of near-death experience. Near-death experiences thus are associated with greater posttraumatic spiritual growth but do not influence posttraumatic spiritual decline. The relevance of spiritual transformation to individuals’ lives and well-being suggest that further research is warranted, and that strategies to promote spiritual growth be incorporated into therapeutic practice.