Near Death Experiences (NDE) of Cardiac Arrest Survivors- A Phenomenological Study

Background and methods: A phenomenological study of Near Death Experiences (NDE) of cardiac arrest survivors was conducted in selected Panchayats of Kannur district, Kerala. The objective of the study was to describe the NDE of cardiac arrest survivors. A descriptive phenomenological research approach was used. The setting was a selected district of Kerala, South India. The participants of the study were seven cardiac arrest survivors.Interview was done using open ended questionnaire on NDE and a background proforma. Result: Participants characteristics show that the mean age of the participants were 52 years. Six out of seven participants were females and four out of them were Christians. Three were employed and two participants were graduates. One didn’t have any formal education. All were married and living with their spouse except one who is divorced. Three out of seven were from joint family and all had adequate family support. None of them had prior episode of cardiac arrest and they were hospitalized for an average duration of two weeks. Only two participants had an intuition of danger going to happen. All had faith in God and only one doesn’t believe in life after death. Except two all have heard of Near Death Experiences. The phenomenon that emerged out of the analysis of the Near Death Experiences was “Near Death Experiences…..giving life a new prospect.” Conclusion: NDE was a life changing experience for the participants and the experiences provided a new prospect to their life. Appropriate intervention by the medical team has paved way for giving them a chance to survive in this world.