On Defining ‘Near-Death Experience’, ‘Near-Death Memory’ and ‘Near-Death Report’
Stefan H. Gugerell, Gloria Maria Schneeweiss
International Journal of Philosophy 2019 DOI: 10.11648/j.ijp.20190703.13 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Key points | Argues that the term 'near-death experience' is used ambiguously and vaguely in the literature, hindering philosophical and ontological interpretation. Proposes distinguishing between a near-death experience, a near-death memory, and a near-death report, and offers precise definitions of each as a linguistic foundation for ontological discussion. |
Abstract
In 1975, the physician Raymond Moody published the bestseller Life after Life. Moody introduced the term ‘near-death experience’ in his book to describe specific experiences of people who have survived a life-threatening situation. Meanwhile, measuring instruments for the operationalization of near-death experiences have been developed and numerous, partly prospective, clinical studies have been conducted to investigate these experiences. While empirical research is already conducted on a high scientific level, there is still room for a systematic foundation for a philosophical and ontological interpretation of near-death experiences. Difficulties associated with the interpretation of near-death experiences are partly caused by the fact that the term ‘near-death experience’ is not used consistently in literature, but ambiguously and vaguely. Following the tradition of Analytic Philosophy, the aim of this work is to lay the linguistic foundations for a philosophical and ontological discussion of near-death experiences. In this context, we will distinguish between a near-death experience, a near-death memory and a near-death report, and present precise definitions of these terms. Finally, different ontological positions that can be formulated with the provided definitions will be presented.
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 22
- Near-death experience in survivors of cardiac arrest: a prospective study in the Netherlands The Lancet December 1, 2001
- Characteristics of Near-Death Experiences Memories as Compared to Real and Imagined Events Memories PLoS One March 27, 2013
- Qualitative thematic analysis of the phenomenology of near-death experiences PLoS One February 14, 2018
- Near‐death experiences: the experience of the self as real and not as an illusion Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences October 1, 2011
- Neurochemical models of near-death experiences: A large-scale study based on the semantic similarity of written reports. Consciousness and Cognition March 1, 2019
and 17 more in the library