Near-Death Experience” In Grief During Public Health Crisis Or Disasters; Theoretical Explanation And Practical Implication

Background: Grieving is one of the consequences of widespread public health crisis or disasters like the COVID-19 pandemic, in human societies. Human beings were already familiar with one specific example of the experience of facing death called the Near-Death Experience (NDE). This phenomenon is characterized by a supernatural situation and a clear understanding of separation from the physical body and presence in a different spatial and temporal position. The present research aimed to examine whether this phenomenon can help manage the grief of a relative’s death - especially in these situations. Method: This is a theoretical type study and adopts a descriptive-analytical research method with a qualitative approach in which the data were collected through documentary research. Results: Most researchers in this field believe that NDE gives valuable insights about death and the dying process to the experiencers (NDErs). Anxiety and fear of death reduce in many NDErs. In addition, related studies have suggested that this phenomenon has been used to help reduce the severity of grief as well as reduce anxiety and fear of death in non-NDErs. NDE seems to help people cope with the loss of loved ones through its effects on their beliefs and cognitive processes. Conclusion: In the field of psychotherapy, several treatment protocols have been proposed for grief and the grieving process. The extent of the public health crisis or disasters -associated grief and the limitations of counseling and psychotherapy in this area require new approaches. The Near-Death Experience phenomenon, seems to be useful in these situations.  Therefore, using the capacity of the impact of NDE in the form of media content tailored to the culture is highly consistent with the social conditions created by the public health crisis or disasters. This is while some researchers believe that the general pattern of NDE is similar in different cultures; but the interpretations of the NDErs are a culture-dependent matter. Therefore, qualitative studies – due to further contemplation – can be helpful in this regard.