Pushing Near-Death Experiences (III)
Oxford Scholarship Online September 20, 2018 DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780190888848.003.0015 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Citations | 3 |
| Key points | Argues that the consumption of hallucinogenic drugs in the 1960s and 1970s was a major component or 'push factor' in the emerging discourse on near-death experiences. |
Abstract
The similarities between the experiences near death and drug experiences have often been stressed. This chapter goes a step further in providing evidence that the consumption of morphine, hashish, and especially more potent hallucinogens such as LSD in the 1960s and 1970s are to be identified as a major component, or “push factor,” of the emerging discourse on near-death. Not only were several near-death experiences triggered by drugs—in addition, this chapter observes shared beliefs of “psychedelics” and Gnostic–Esoteric “near-death experiencers.”