After life-threatening situations, some people say that they had experienced an altered state of consciousness—they were outside the body or encountered otherworldly characters. American researcher Robert A. King decided to analyze these stories through the prism of so-called self-determination theory.
The authors of this theory, American psychologists Deci and Ryan, argued that a person has three basic needs that motivate them to act and that are necessary for physical and psychological well-being. Near-death experiences (NDE), according to King, seem to strive to satisfy all three needs:
1. Relatedness (the need for relationship with other people)—people report not only being reunited with deceased relatives, but often feeling like they have returned to their real home.
2. Competence, self-confidence in the ability to implement the tasks—survivors often say that they have returned to complete unfinished business, having been given information about what their purpose is here on Earth, and they are confident that they are able to fulfill their mission.
3. Autonomy (freedom of choice)—people report having the impression that they are given the opportunity to stay in their altered state or return to physical life, often regaining consciousness immediately after a fleeting thought about returning.
As the researcher adds, satisfaction of these three basic needs contributes to the fact that survivors of NDE have a strong motivation to live a full life and a positive attitude to the world. In turn, this helps them get better faster when treatment is needed.
Do you feel like your NDE corresponded to these three points, if you’ve had such an experience?
The article was published in September 2022 in the journal OMEGA – Journal of Death and Dying.
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