Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 26, 2026

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Memory-Enhancing Effect of Emotion
Published on: May 4, 2011
Intensity and memory characteristics of near-death experiences
Charlotte Martial1, Vanessa Charland-Verville1, Héléna Cassol1
1Coma Science Group, GIGA Research Center and Neurology Department, University and University Hospital of Liège, Avenue de l'hôpital 11, Sart Tilman, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
Abstract:
Memories of Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) seem to be very detailed and stable over time. At present, there is still no satisfactory explanation for the NDEs' rich phenomenology. Here we compared phenomenological characteristics of NDE memories with the reported experience's intensity. We included 152 individuals with a self-reported "classical" NDE (i.e. occurring in life-threatening conditions). All participants completed a mailed questionnaire that included a measure of phenomenological characteristics of memories (the Memory Characteristics Questionnaire; MCQ) and a measure of NDE's intensity (the Greyson NDE scale). Greyson NDE scale total score was positively correlated with MCQ total score, suggesting that participants who described more intense NDEs also reported more phenomenological memory characteristics of NDE. Using MCQ items, our study also showed that NDE's intensity is associated in particular with sensory details, personal importance and reactivation frequency variables.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Traumatic Memory
Flashbulb Memory
Eyewitness Memory
One such error is memory distortion, which occurs because human memory does not function...
Explicit Memories
Episodic memory contains information about personally experienced events and is reported as a story. An example of episodic memory is recalling a birthday celebration. This type of memory includes the what, where, and when of an event, as...
Repressed Memory
Altered States of Awareness
The ingestion of substances like stimulants or hallucinogens leads to chemical alterations in the brain...

