Effect on Emotional Well-Being of Hypnotic Recall of the Near-Death Experience Page: 273

                                
Effect on Emotional Well-Being of
Hypnotic Recall of the Near-Death
Experience
Janice Miner Holden, Ed.D.
University of North Texas
ABSTRACT- The prototypical near-death experience (NDE), characterized by
positive affect, and its psychologically and spiritually beneficial aftereffects
are well documented. However, the aftermath of even a pleasant NDE has
sometimes involved psychological difficulties that range from relatively mild
adjustment disorders to profoundly distressing and disorienting spiritual
emergencies. Consequently, the prospect of recalling an NDE under hypnosis
has been fraught with controversy. A recent study (Holden and MacHovec,
1993) suggested that, at least under certain circumstances, hypnotic recall
of NDEs could occur without physical or lasting psychological distress. I re-
port here the preliminary finding of overwhelming psychological benefit of
such recall, and discuss implications for future research.
Although cases of distressing near-death experiences (NDEs) have
begun to appear in the professional literature (Atwater, 1992;
Greyson and Bush, 1992), the vast majority of reported NDEs have
involved predominantly pleasant feelings during, and apparently con-
structive effects on personality and spirituality after, the experience
(Grey, 1985; Ring, 1980, 1984; Sabom, 1982). However, adjustment
difficulties, even full-blown spiritual emergencies, sometimes accom-
Janice Miner Holden, Ed.D., is Associate Professor of Counselor Education at the
University of North Texas, and maintains a private practice where she specializes in
the facilitation of psychospiritual development. The author gratefully acknowledges
the assistance of Bruce Greyson, M.D., Research Director of the International
Association for Near-Death Studies, and Kenneth Ring, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology
at the University of Connecticut, in identifying and contacting potential subjects for
the study from among their respective subject pools. Reprint requests should be
addressed to Dr. Holden at the Department of Counseling, Development, and Higher
Education, University of North Texas, Denton, TX 76203-6857.

Journal of Near-Death Studies, 14(4) Summer 1996
1996 Human Sciences Press, Inc.

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