“The sun told me I would be restored to life”: Native American near-death experiences, shamanism, and religious revitalization movements.

Near-death experiences (NDEs) are a central theme in Native American afterlife beliefs, and they also shaped Native Americans' responses to Christian missionaries. The article argues that NDEs, combined with socio-political factors, can explain Native American religious revitalization movements and beliefs more broadly. This account integrates historical, ethnographic, and psychological perspectives to show how personal experiences of the afterlife influenced indigenous religious change and resistance to colonial missions.

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Abstract

This article discusses near-death experiences as a central theme of Native American afterlife beliefs, and Native Americans' response to Christian missionaries. It argues that NDEs and socio-political factors can explain Native American religious revitalization movements and beliefs in general.