Feasibility of the Mechanistic Explanation in the Case of Near-Death Experiences: Nothing but a Reductionism?
Michał Oleksowicz
Synthese Library 2026 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-032-19252-3_9 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Philosophy of mind Near-death experience |
| Keywords | Nothing Context archaeology Metaphysics Mechanism biology Philosophy of science Epistemology Cognitive science |
| Key points | Argues that mechanistic explanation, as conceived by NMP, can be applied to near-death experiences but has limits compared to alternative explanatory models. |
Abstract
The new mechanistic philosophy (NMP) seeks to identify and explain the mechanisms of various phenomena, including their overall organization and the interactions between the individualized components. I argue that mechanistic explanation focuses on mechanisms conceived of as organized complex systems and should not be considered as merely a form of metaphysical reductionism. I discuss that among the phenomena that can be approached within the new mechanistic framework are near-death experiences (NDEs), which can be included within the vast range of experiences that are grouped under the category of religious experience. Since studying such experiences is far from methodologically simple, I show the feasibility of applying the mechanistic explanation to NDEs. While some scholars, such as Egil Asprem and Ann Taves, argue that mechanistic explanation can shed new light on the explanation of religion, I emphasize the limits of such an explanation in this context as well as the epistemic-methodological advantages in comparison with alternative explanatory models, especially the models proposed by Michael Marsh, Frederick Barrett and Roland Griffiths.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on near-death experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otherworld Journeys: Accounts of Near-Death Experience in Medieval and Modern Times | 1987 | Historical analysis | |
| Neuroscience and the Near-Death Experience: Roles for the NMSA-PCP receptor, the sigma receptor and the endopsychosins | 1990 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Implications of near-death experiences for a postmaterialist psychology. | 2010 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Near-Death Experience as a Probe to Explore (Disconnected) Consciousness | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Near-death experiences between science and prejudice | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cites 15
- Psilocybin can occasion mystical-type experiences having substantial and sustained personal meaning and spiritual significance Psychopharmacology July 7, 2006
- Psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences: immediate and persisting dose-related effects. Psychopharmacology December 1, 2011
- Mystical-type experiences occasioned by psilocybin mediate the attribution of personal meaning and spiritual significance 14 months later Journal of Psychopharmacology May 30, 2008
- Near-death experience in survivors of cardiac arrest: a prospective study in the Netherlands The Lancet December 1, 2001
- Classic Hallucinogens and Mystical Experiences: Phenomenology and Neural Correlates. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences 2018
and 10 more in the library