Researchers from Western University in Ontario, Canada and the University of Liège in Belgium have published new findings on near-death experiences.
Combining artificial intelligence and text mining, the researchers have been able to create a clearer, “unbiased” image of what near-death experiences are like.
158 participants who had been through near-death experiences took part in the study. The researchers asked each of them to write down their experience. Using text mining and AI to extract keywords, the researchers developed visual maps, demonstrating the frequency of positive and negative experiences.
The study revealed positive words appeared more than negative in the participants’ descriptions.
“Light”, “well”, “see”, “body” and “felt” were the top five words participants wrote down. On the other hand, negative words such as “black”, “dead” and “fear” featured much less.
Researchers conclude “despite their circumstances of occurrence, NDEs are generally experienced as extremely pleasant and can induce life-changing consequences on the experiencers’ set of values and attitudes towards death.”
