Memories of near-death experiences (NDE) are often presented as “more real” than memories of other real or imagined events, scientists led by Helena Cassol from the University of Liege, Belgium have concluded.
Twenty-five participants who had near-death experiences as a result of direct threats to their lives took part in the survey and completed questionnaires. Their responses regarding their NDE were used to analyze memory characteristics and assess event centrality scores, with autobiographical memories serving as controls.
For comparison, scientists also asked respondents to rate memories of when they had learned about a shocking public event – for example, the September 11 attacks, Princess Diana’s death, and others. These memories, known as “flashbulb” memories, are also of very vivid and emotional events.
It was found that memories of near-death experiences included much more detail and episodic information than either autobiographical memories or flashbulb memories. Moreover, such memories were imprinted as a key event over the course of the respondent’s subsequent life. According to scientists, this is due to the uniqueness of such memories in that they are generated by an unforgettable sensory experience.
In your opinion, what memories are the most vivid and realistic?
The study was published in May 2020 in the Frontiers in Psychology magazine.
