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A significant number of near-death experience (NDE) survivors experience depression for varying lengths of time after their NDE[1]. One person, for example, explains: “My mind took longer than my body to recover. I remained very depressed for many years.” I often had suicidal thoughts because the desire to return ‘home’ was so strong. It was the confusion that lingered the longest. I was afraid; I found it painful and limiting to be in a body. I’m still very uncomfortable in it. However, I’ve learned to love my life, my breath, and to be grateful for them.”[2]
Several causes
There can be many reasons for this, all of which can be combined:
- The difficulty in understanding what has happened to them and in convincing themselves that they haven’t gone crazy. Especially if the people around them and/or their caregivers imply that this is the case[3] …
- The feeling of loneliness, the fear of being ridiculed and rejected. The difficulty of sharing their experiences with people who listen to them without judging them.
- The contrast between the happiness and peace they felt during their NDE, the beauty of the universe they glimpsed, and the everyday reality of our world.
- The feeling of having lost much of the knowledge and wisdom they possessed during the NDE. For some, the return of physical pain or a disability that had disappeared during the NDE.
- The guilt of having been brought back to life while others are gone for good.
- The difficulty of making sense of their new lives.
- Friendly separations or even break-ups between couples. This is often the case when new values and lifestyles are not accepted by those close to them.
2 must-haves
Two things are essential for the smooth integration of an NDE:
Time: it always takes months and sometimes years.
Family, friends and carers who help the person to integrate their experience and draw the consequences for their “second life”.
The second point is the most important. Pim Van Lommel, a Dutch physician specializing in NDEs, emphasizes this: “What makes NDEs so difficult to come to terms with is not so much their content. Rather, it is Western culture’s reluctance to acknowledge this kind of spiritual experience.” He stresses the need to train healthcare providers to recognize and support these particular patients.
Involvement in a therapy group with other experimenters, accompanied by a specially trained professional, would also be very useful.
[1 ] To my knowledge, no large-scale study has been carried out to assess this proportion.
[2] https://www.nderf.org/French/rachel_f_emi.htm
[3] An Australian study indicates that 50% of family members, 25% of friends, and 85% of doctors refuse to listen to the accounts of those who have had these experiences—let alone understand or accept them.
On a related topic, you may also want to read the article “What Is Life Like After an NDE?”
