Objective To summarize the lived experiences of cardiac arrest survivors and to provide reference for rehabilitation. Methods We searched electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library,CINAHL,CNKI,VIP and WanFang Data to collect qualitative studies on the experiences of cardiac arrest survivors from inception to August 2020. Quality of the literature was evaluated according to JBI Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research and then meta-synthesis was performed. Results Eleven studies were included and 59 research results were extracted. Three synthesized findings with 9 categories comprising 21 results were determined：physical and mental feelings of multiple changes and challenges; renewal of self-cognition and reconstruction of life; and desire and gratitude for external help and support. Conclusion Cardiac arrest survivors have multiple psychosocial problems and needs, so medical staff should pay attention to and provide targeted interventions to help them reconstruct social life and improve quality of life.