Beliefs about near-death experiences vary across cultures, but the stories often have striking similarities. For example, in Africa, there is a widespread belief that deceased ancestors continue to live on Earth. According to this belief, an individual in a coma should not be able to see the other world. Gregory Shushan, a researcher from the UK, wonders if these “adventures” could be real rather than taking place in the human brain.
The author engages in a self-dialogue and presents opposing arguments. For instance, in the 5th century BCE, Chinese ruler Kien-tsze allegedly predicted a series of political events upon returning from a near-death experience. Ten centuries later, the Italian boy Armentarius began speaking various languages after having a near-death experience. However, dozens of predictions from survivors have involved different scenarios of an Armageddon that should have already occurred but has not.
The positive impacts of near-death experiences on individuals and the fact that they become more spiritual are often cited as evidence for the reality of these experiences. However, there are also opposing stories: an extreme example is that of William Dudley Pelley, known as “America’s Hitler”: after a near-death experience, he declared that Jews and Africans are at the bottom of the spiritual hierarchy.
It is worth noting that near-death experiences can be one of the phase states. Interestingly, the author draws an analogy between near-death experiences and lucid dreaming: lucid dreamers realize they are sleeping, and people having a near-death experience often realize that they are “dead.” Moreover, like lucid dreams, out-of-body experiences are associated with increased clarity of consciousness and euphoria.
What would you consider a sign of a genuine near-death experience?
The article was published in October 2024 in the International Review of Psychiatry.
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