The near-death experience is often a positive phase state involving, for example, seeing a paradise garden, having encounters with deceased loved ones and angels, flying through a tunnel towards light, or having out-of-body experiences. After such experiences, a person ceases to fear death and becomes more spiritual. However, Agai Matthew Jock, a religious studies scholar from South Africa, is convinced that near-death experiences can also be horrifying.
Firstly, during a clinical death state, a patient may see not only paradise but also hell. Naturally, fear is a consequence of such an adventure. Even survivors who have a positive experience often feel alienated from society, lonely, lost, and helpless. Many cannot share their stories for fear of stigmatization.
The author does not claim that near-death experiences necessarily lead to post-traumatic stress disorder. Rather, he wanted to show a connection between them and draw attention to the importance of communicating with survivors of clinical death and understanding this issue.
What do you think? Do near-death experiences more often change a person for the better or cause psychological problems?
The article was published in January 2024 in Theologia Viatorum.
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