The Relationship between Near Death Experiences and Psychological Transformation in CPTSD Survivors

Author : Gabriella Francis

Abstract : A Near Death Experience (NDE) is described as a phenomenon that individuals experience during close encounters with clinical death, such as cardiac arrest or fatal medicinal overdoses. NDEs are often seen as deeply profound and meaningful events to the survivor, and prior studies have shown that they experience long-term psychological and existential changes, including shifts in identity, values, emotional functioning, and spirituality. These lasting effects mirror the effects of increased neuroplasticity and psychological transformation seen in individuals with mental health challenges undergoing clinical trials for psychedelic treatment. However, there has not been much research documenting these after-effects, and the long-term changes in life for individuals who have experienced ongoing, chronic trauma. This gap is notable, considering that trauma related processes such as meaning making, memory integration, and identity reconstruction are crucial for psychological adaptation and recovery. This presentation examines the relationship between NDEs and psychological transformation among individuals with chronic trauma histories, and draws on interdisciplinary research from trauma psychology, posttraumatic growth, autobiographical memory, and cognitive neuroscience. Findings will also include NDEs that individuals found life-changing and NDEs that some have found to be distressing, and their relationship to ongoing trauma. Emerging research involving neurobiological changes following extreme physiological and psychological states is discussed to contextualize reported experiential phenomena within current neuroscientific frameworks

Keywords : Near-Death Experiences and Psychological Transformation in Chronic Trauma

Conference Name : International Conference on Spirituality, Psychology, and Human Well-Being (ICSPHW-26)

Conference Place : Melbourne, Australia

Conference Date : 31st Mar 2026