The awareness of Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) seems to outweigh that of Shared-Death Experiences (SDEs). However, these shared experiences are a critical piece of the evidential puzzle when it comes to the existence of life after death and SDE experience.
When my grandmother passed away in March of 2020, just before the pandemic hit Australia, my sister disclosed that the night before we received news of her passing, our grandmother appeared to her in a dream. She shared that this dream felt so real with our grandmother standing right in front of her and mouthing the words “I love you, goodbye”. The next morning once my sister awoke, she received the news of my grandmother’s death. I was deeply curious about this experience, and unbeknown to me at the time, I would later be involved in a project researching this very phenomenon. I now know what my sister experienced could be explained as a remote SDE where the experiencer is physically distant from the dying – whether they be in the next room or halfway around the world.
An experience that one or more persons may have before, during, or after death is referred to as a “shared crossing” in a wider sense. SDEs are a unique type of shared crossing that people describe as sensing, witnessing, accompanying, or even assisting in the transition of the soul or spirit of the dying to a benevolent afterlife. SDEs often happen just before or shortly after death, although they can also happen minutes, hours, days, or even weeks in advance or later. When I shared my involvement in this research with others, I often heard stories that reflected an SDE. One woman I remember disclosed to me that when she was at her father’s bedside, as he was dying, she perceived mist leaving the top of his head, which she believed was his spirit leaving his body.
In an SDE, someone who is bedside or remote has experienced features that are common in NDEs. The living person might hover above their body, see a transcendent light, and perceive other deceased family members who have come to welcome the recently deceased. They may even take part in a life review with the deceased or dying person.
It is not yet known why these events occur. Could it be that the living person has instigated it somehow, or perhaps the dying person has somehow facilitated this event? Since the living individual having the SDE most definitely does not have a dying brain, the occurrence of these experiences is extremely significant since it demonstrates that some sceptical explanations for NDEs, namely that they are only hallucinations of a dying brain, may be contested.
Let’s now look briefly at the research surrounding this phenomenon. The Shared Crossing Research Initiative (SCRI) performed a qualitative analysis on written accounts of semi-structured interviews with 107 participants reporting a total of 164 SDEs. This study was known to be the first of its kind in relation to end-of-life phenomena. Interestingly, over half of the participants interviewed were engaged in various types of introspective or contemplative activities such as yoga, meditation, tai chi, mindfulness etc. Could it be that these activities assist in changes in consciousness leading to the cultivation of an SDE?
The study also found that the majority of the SDE’s occurred remotely, and 20 percent of participants received mental impressions such as brief thoughts, feelings and/or sensed the dying’s presence. A smaller percentage of participants experienced the sudden onset of unusual physical symptoms thought to correspond to those experienced by the dying immediately before death. Over eighty percent of accounts included the appearance of unusual phenomena such as having a vision of the dying, whereby the person was described as looking younger or more vibrant (in 50 percent of the cases). Other features that highly presented, were the appearance of transcendent light, sensing energy, alterations in time and space, encounters with non-human beings, seeing light or material leave the body, appearance of previously deceased loved ones and visions of otherworldly or heavenly realms. The research is in its infancy, so the sample and population size are an obvious limitation. However, as research progresses, more can be understood about this phenomenon as this small study highlights commonalities, highlighting the need for more rigorous studies in the future.
Another important element of this study is the numerous benefits that the SDE provided, such as reconciliation of grief, loss of the fear of death and a renewed sense of meaning and purpose. Whilst it may be difficult for some to express these stories for various reasons, one being that the modern Western world has placed these experiences at the margins of supernaturalism, it is vital that people have the appropriate space to share their stories for personal validation.
Reference:
Shared Crossing Research Initiative (SCRI) (2021), ‘Shared Death Experiences: A Little-Known Type of End-of-Life Phenomena Reported by Caregivers and Loved Ones’, American Journal of Hospice & Palliative Medicine, pp. 1 – 9.
Melanie Oborne, Our Expert
Melanie Oborne is a psychologist and researcher who has a passion for bringing together clinical practices, scientific research, and spiritual paradigms to enhance individual well-being. Since 2018, Melanie has assisted clients to integrate their transpersonal and/or paranormal experiences. Melanie currently conducts qualitative research with the Shared Crossing Project based in Santa Barbara, California.
- Melanie Oborne, Our Expert
- Melanie Oborne, Our Expert
- Melanie Oborne, Our Expert
- Melanie Oborne, Our Expert
- Melanie Oborne, Our Expert
- Melanie Oborne, Our Expert
- Melanie Oborne, Our Expert
- Melanie Oborne, Our Expert
- Melanie Oborne, Our Expert
