AUTHOR=Michael Pascal , Fritz Pauline , Gosseries Olivia , Rousseau Anne-Françoise , Ancion Aurore , Ghuysen Alexandre , Martial Charlotte 

TITLE=The central clinical relevance of near-death experiences in acute care contexts: identification, prediction, and management

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1544438

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1544438

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=Near-death experiences (NDEs), a syndrome of experiences with mystical-type content classically arising in the context of life-threatening situations, are under-researched in terms of their relevance for acute medical care. We here discuss several reasons to raise the importance of conducting more comprehensive NDE research in emergency and critical care contexts, including but not limited to near-death experiencers’ awareness of surroundings and the need for patient support given NDEs’ profound psychological impacts, and we suggest incorporating the identification of NDEs into management plans. Exploring NDE incidence and their subsequent impact in acute settings may unveil a pathway toward favorable outcomes within clinical practice.