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Children’s near-death experiences: A narrative review and future directions for investigating near-death experiences with children

Donna M. Thomas, Graeme O’Connor

Psychology of Consciousness Theory Research and Practice, 2026

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Abstract

In comparison to adults, little is known about children's near-death experiences (NDEs).A review of the literature shows a scarcity of studies that directly involve children and an absence of direction for this area of work.This presents challenges for researchers who want to develop studies with children and generate more knowledge around the NDE.From a phenomenological perspective, children may be a crucial cohort for the investigation of consciousness at the time of death and they should be included more in fields such as NDE and Consciousness studies.This article aims to address this paucity in evidence by performing a literature review of studies on children's NDEs and proposes some future directions for involving children in near-death research.

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