The self-defining aspect of near-death experiences

Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) can be defined as profound psychological events with highly emotional and self-related content, typically encompassing transcendental and mystical elements and occurring when people come close to death. Studies have highlighted that 6 to 23% of cardiac arrest survivors have reported this phenomenon, which supports its frequent occurrence. Intriguingly, similar experiences have been described after situations that do not imply any danger for physical or mental health. These experiences have been termed “NDEs-like” and have been described in contexts such as meditative states or syncope. Along with its particular circumstances of appearance and its mystical connotation, the widespread NDE phenomenon seems to be characterized by a rich phenomenology and a realistic intensity. Consequently, NDEs appear to have short and long term consequences on people’s lives (so-called NDE experiencers). Specifically, it was recently shown that NDE and NDE-like memories constitute a particular type of autobiographical memories referred to as self-defining memories (SDMs). SDMs are emotionally intense, vivid, and frequently recalled memories that reflect important themes and conflicts in one’s life. These emotional memories are the building blocks of our identity and contribute, in particular, to our sense of self-continuity, which represents the ability to consider oneself as an entity that extends back into the past and forward into the future. This ability is central to numerous processes such as planning future actions, giving meaning to new experiences or taking responsibility. The self-defining status of NDE memories confirms that they constitute an important part of NDE experiencers’ personal identities and highlights the importance for clinicians to facilitate their integration within their selves. The aim of this symposium is to have a closer look at the factors that contribute to making this experience self-defining, such as the content and intensity of the experience, as well as religious beliefs of experiencers

Síntomas psicopatológicos en niñas víctimas de abuso sexual acogidas y no acogidas por instituciones de protección

La identificación de una situación de abuso sexual contra un niño, niña o adolescente requiere medidas de protección que garanticen la integridad física y psicológica de la víctima. Llevar a un niño, niña o adolescente a una institución es una medida de protección para quienes no tienen un familiar capaz de garantizar su cuidado. El presente estudio tuvo como finalidad identificar la presencia de síntomas psicopatológicos en niñas víctimas de abuso sexual, que eran acogidas y no acogidas por instituciones de protección, tales como: depresión, ansiedad, estrés, trastorno de estrés postraumático y creencias relacionadas con el abuso sexual. Las participantes fueron 40 niñas con edades entre nueve y 16 años. Los resultados indicaron que no hubo diferencias significativas entre los grupos de niñas acogidas y no acogidas por instituciones de protección, en relación con los síntomas investigados. Aunque hay estudios que señalan que en las instituciones se pueden intensificar los síntomas psicopatológicos, estos resultados demuestran que en situaciones extremas de violencia, como el abuso sexual, pueden representar una medida de protección que no empeora los síntomas

Cognitive behavioral group therapy for sexually abused girls

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of a cognitive behavioral group therapy model among female children and adolescents victims of sexual abuse. METHODS: A non-randomized study with intragroup comparisons over time was carried out. Female children and teenagers from nine to 16 years of age (N=40) were clinically assessed in three individual meetings in the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre, Southern Brazil, between 2006 and 2008. The group therapy comprised 16 semi-structured sessions. Psychological instruments were applied to investigate symptoms of anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, child stress, beliefs and perception of the abuse experience before, during and after the intervention. The results were analyzed through statistical tests for repeated measures. A comparative analysis was carried out with the results of the pretest between the groups that received group psychotherapy immediately after the sexual abuse was reported and those who were waiting for psychological support. RESULTS: The assessment of the impact of the intervention revealed that cognitive behavioral group therapy significantly reduced symptoms of depression, anxiety, child stress and post-traumatic stress disorder. In addition, the intervention enabled the participants to modify beliefs of guilt, low degrees of trust and credibility, and was effective in reducing psychological symptoms and changing distorted beliefs and perception in regard to the abuse. CONCLUSIONS: Cognitive behavioral group therapy was effective in reducing psychological symptoms in sexually abused girls.OBJETIVO: Evaluar los efectos del modelo de terapia de grupo cognitivo-comportamental para niñas y adolescentes del sexo femenino víctimas de abuso sexual. MÉTODOS: Fue utilizado delineamiento no aleatorio intragrupos de series temporales. Niños y adolescentes del sexo femenino con edad entre nueve y 16 años (N=40) de la región metropolitana de Porto Alegre (Sur de Brasil), fueron clínicamente evaluadas en tres encuentros individuales, de 2006 a 2008. La terapia de grupo consistió de 16 sesiones semi-estructuradas. Instrumentos psicológicos investigaron síntomas de ansiedad, depresión, trastorno del estrés post-traumático, estrés infantil y creencias y percepciones del niño con relación a la experiencia abusiva antes, durante y posterior a la intervención. Los resultados fueron analizados por medio de pruebas estadísticas para medidas repetidas. Fue realizado un análisis comparativo de los resultados de la pre-evaluación entre los grupos que recibieron atención psicológica en grupo inmediato posterior a la denuncia del abuso y aquellas que aguardaron por atención. RESULTADOS: El análisis del impacto de la intervención reveló que la terapia de grupo cognitivo-comportamental redujo significativamente síntomas de depresión, ansiedad, estrés infantil y trastorno del estrés post-traumático. Adicionalmente, la intervención contribuyó para la reestructuración de creencias de culpa, baja confianza y credibilidad, siendo efectivo para la reducción de síntomas psicológicos y alteración de creencias y percepciones distorsionadas sobre el abuso. CONCLUSIONES: La terapia de grupo cognitivo-comportamental mostró ser efectiva para la reducción de síntomas psicológicos de niños y adolescentes víctimas de abuso sexual.OBJETIVO: Avaliar os efeitos do modelo de grupoterapia cognitivo-comportamental para crianças e adolescentes do sexo feminino vítimas de abuso sexual. MÉTODOS: Foi utilizado delineamento não-randomizado intragrupos de séries temporais. Crianças e adolescentes do sexo feminino com idade entre nove e 16 anos (N=40) da região metropolitana de Porto Alegre (RS), foram clinicamente avaliadas em três encontros individuais, de 2006 a 2008. A grupoterapia consistiu de 16 sessões semi-estruturadas. Instrumentos psicológicos investigaram sintomas de ansiedade, depressão, transtorno do estresse pós-traumático, stress infantil e crenças e percepções da criança em relação à experiência abusiva antes, durante e após a intervenção. Os resultados foram analisados por meio de testes estatísticos para medidas repetidas. Foi realizada uma análise comparativa dos resultados do pré-teste entre os grupos que receberam atendimento psicológico em grupo imediato após a denúncia do abuso e aquelas que aguardaram por atendimento. RESULTADOS: A análise do impacto da intervenção revelou que a grupoterapia cognitivo-comportamental reduziu significativamente sintomas de depressão, ansiedade, stress infantil e transtorno do estresse pós-traumático. Além disso, a intervenção contribuiu para a reestruturação de crenças de culpa, baixa confiança e credibilidade, sendo efetivo para a redução de sintomas psicológicos e alteração de crenças e percepções distorcidas sobre o abuso. CONCLUSÕES: A grupoterapia cognitivo-comportamental mostrou ser efetiva para a redução de sintomas psicológicos de crianças e adolescentes vítimas de abuso sexual

Characterization of near death experiences using text mining analyses: A preliminary study

The notion that death represents a passing to an afterlife, where we are reunited with loved ones and live eternally in a utopian paradise, is common in the reports of people who have encountered a “Near-Death Experience” (NDE). NDEs are thoroughly portrayed by the media but empirical studies are rather recent. The definition of the phenomenon as well as the identification of NDE experiencers is still a matter of debate. To date, NDEs’ identification and description in studies have mostly derived from answered items in questionnaires. However, questionnaires’ content could be restricting and subject to personal interpretation. We believe that in addition to their use, user-independent statistical text examination of freely expressed NDEs narratives is of prior importance to help capture the phenomenology of such a subjective and complex phenomenon. Towards that aim, we included 158 participants with a firsthand retrospective narrative of their self-reported NDE that we analyzed using an automated text-mining method. The output revealed the top words expressed by experiencers. In a second step, a hierarchical clustering analysis was conducted to visualize the relationships between these words. It revealed three main clusters of features: visual perceptions, emotions and spatial components. We believe the user-independent and data-driven text mining approach used in this study is promising by contributing to the building a rigorous description and definition of NDEs

Conscience et états de conscience altérée

peer reviewe

COGNITION AND MOOD/BEHAVIOR IN HOME CARE ELDERLY

Objectives: to identify the sociodemographic characteristics; and to analyze the association of sociodemographic variables with functional systems related to cognition and mood/behavior of elderly people linked to Home Care.Method: cross-sectional, descriptive research, carried out with the participation of 108 elderly people linked to Home Care in the city of Santa Maria - RS - Brazil. We used a questionnaire of sociodemographic data and the Clinical and Functional Vulnerability Index IVCF-20. The association of the variables was analyzed using the chi-square test and independent samples test.Results: predominance of elderly females; mean age 78.7 ± 9.3 years; and low education and family income between 1 and 2 minimum wages. The most frequent morbidity was systemic arterial hypertension. No associations were found between the sociodemographic variables and the functional systems regarding cognition and mood/behavior.Conclusion: the importance of planning and interventions in the home environment is highlighted

Analyse qualitative thématique de la phénoménologie des expériences de mort imminente

peer reviewedNear-death experiences (NDEs) refer to profound psychological events that can have an important impact on the experiencers’ (NDErs) lives. Previous studies have shown that NDEs memories are phenomenologically rich. In the present study, we therefore aimed to extract the common themes (referred to as “features” in the NDE literature) reported by NDErs by analyzing all the concepts stored in the narratives of their experiences. A qualitative thematic analysis has been carried out on 34 cardiac arrest survivors’ NDE narratives. Our results shed the light on the structure of the narratives by identifying 10 “time-bounded” themes which refer to isolated events encountered during the NDE and 1 “transversal” theme which characterizes the whole narrative and generally appears as a retrospective comment of self-reflection on the experience. The division of narratives into themes provides us with detailed information about the vocabulary used by NDErs to describe their experience. This established thematic method enables a rigorous description of the phenomenon, ensuring the inclusion of all self-reported manifestations of themes in narratives

SUpporting well-being through PEeR-Befriending (SUPERB) trial: an exploration of fidelity in peer-befriending for people with aphasia

Assessing the evolution of severely brain-injured patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC) with current tools like the Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended (GOS-E) remains a challenge. At the bedside, the most reliable diagnostic tool is currently the Coma Recovery Scale-Revised. The CRS-R distinguishes patients with unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) from patients in minimally conscious state (MCS) and patients who have emerged from MCS (EMCS). This international multi-centric study aims to validate a phone outcome questionnaire (POQ) based on the CRS-R and compare it to the CRS-R performed at the bedside and to the GOS-E which evaluates the level of disability and assigns patient’s in outcomes categories. The POQ will allow clinicians to probe the evolution of patient’s state of consciousness based on caregivers feedback. This research project is part of the International Brain Injury Association, Disorders of Consciousness-Special Interest Group (DOCSIG) and DOCMA consortium