Veridical Flashbacks and Dreams of a Pre-Christian Life in Norway, Following a Near-Death Experience in Adulthood
James G. Matlock
Journal of Scientific Exploration June 30, 2025 DOI: 10.31275/20253381 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Case study Case report Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 1 |
| Population | A woman living in southern Norway who reported a near-death experience and apparent past-life memories |
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Key findings | Argues that the woman's apparent past-life memories of a Viking Age vǫlva cannot be identified with any specific individual but generally conform with what archaeology and Old Norse epic poems indicate about Viking Age practices. Proposes that cuing is important in past-life memory retrieval and that near-death experiences may also play a role. |
Abstract
Following a near-death experience (NDE) at 28, a woman began to have visions of an apparent past life in the region of southern Norway where she lives presently but set toward the end of the pre-Christian era, in the 900s CE. Altogether, she had five flashbacks triggered by places or views, six memory dreams that may also have been triggered, and two related experiences, all pertaining to the life of a vǫlva, a Viking sorceress or witch. One of the dreams, depicting a stone circle ritual, repeated nightly for six weeks. Given the great time depth involved, it is impossible to identify the apparent memories with any specific individual, but their general tenor conforms with what is known about Viking Age practices from archeological investigations and readings of Old Norse epic poems. This unusual reincarnation case demonstrates the importance of cuing in past-life memory retrieval and suggests that NDEs may play a role in this as well.
Comparable studies
Other case reports and case series on near-death experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near-Death Experiences in India Individuals in India who reported near-death experiences | 1986 | Case study | n = 16 |
| The Near-Death Experience as a Focus of Clinical Attention Patients presenting with near-death experience-related problems | 1997 | Case study | n = 4 |
| A prospectively studied near-death experience with corroborated out-of-body perceptions and unexplained healing. A person who had a near-death experience | 2006 | Case report | n = 1 |
| Verified account of near-death experience in a physician who survived cardiac arrest. A 32-year-old female physician experiencing childbirth | 2020 | Case study | n = 1 |
| This is your brain on death: a comparative analysis of a near-death experience and subsequent 5-Methoxy-DMT experience. An individual who had a near-death experience during a coma caused by bacterial... | 2023 | Case study | n = 1 |