Paper published: 9 November 2026. Added to UKPX: 13 November. Worldwide research literature.
Changes in purpose and relationships after a near-death experience are the focus of a new review by Paul McQuillan and Carolyn Drinkwater, published on 9 November in the Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of Australia.
Life after the experience
The authors bring together earlier research describing altered priorities, less fear of death and increased concern for others. They also discuss confusion, strained relationships and distress: a powerful experience does not necessarily make everyday life easier.
Their emphasis is on how people understand and integrate what happened. They argue that this deserves closer attention in counselling and future research.
A review, with questions still open
This is a scoping review of existing literature, rather than a new experiment or treatment trial. Small studies, uneven demographic information and the predominance of Western accounts limit generalisation.
The paper does not establish why near-death experiences occur or demonstrate survival after death. Its contribution is a closer look at reported after-effects and the questions researchers still need to test.
Sources and reporting date
Publisher: open article, methods and discussion.
Sources checked 13 November 2026. Added during UKPX’s one-off review of missed recent news. Related reposts are not treated as independent confirmation.