Content analysis of a predominately African-American near-death experience collection: Evaluating the ritual healing theory.
Journal of Near-Death Studies January 1, 2005 J. Mcclenon
Analysis of 28 near-death experience (NDE) narratives from a predominantly African-American sample in northeastern North Carolina found a lower incidence of core NDE features than in a prior sample of International Association for Near-Death Studies members, but similar to rates in British and American samples. No significant differences in feature frequency appeared between crisis and non-crisis accounts. Content analysis revealed different frequencies of NDE type and more negative emotion than earlier studies. Accounts included elements linked to shamanism and illuminated how NDEs shape folk religious belief. Findings supported hypotheses from the ritual healing theory.