Massey University researchers are dying to hear Kiwis' near-death experiences for New Zealand's first large-scale study of the phenomena.
Researchers Dr Mary Murray and Dr Natasha Tassell, who are leading the study, estimate that up to a quarter of those who have come close to dying may recall the experience.
Dr Tassell,
a psychology professor, had an experience herself. After feeling unwell, she lay down and underwent the process and remembers travelling down a tunnel with a bright light at the end.
``It's a known phenomenon, but we don't know how it occurs and exactly how prevalent it is,'' she said.
A near-death experience could occur while under anaesthetic during a surgical procedure, being involved in major trauma or after suffering a stroke or heart attack,
``Each experience is unique to the individual, and they are often very lucid, remembered in detail many years after, and produce significant and beneficial changes in the person's life.''
Dr Murray, a sociologist professor, said research suggested people often reported an experience where they left their body, could see their body from a distance or felt they were looking down on their body.
``They often go on to encounter a range of phenomena, including travel down a tunnel, meeting others, including deceased loved ones, talk of seeing a beam of white light, and often see their life quickly pass before them,'' she said.
Dr Murray believed there are gaps in the available research.
The researchers want to find out about New Zealanders' experiences to understand whether they were similar to those reported overseas, and whether there were cultural dimensions, she said.
