The Presence of Religious Metacultures in Near-Death Discourse (1580–1975)
Oxford Scholarship Online September 20, 2018 DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780190888848.003.0021 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that Christian reports of deathbed experiences did not broadly decline in the early modern centuries but continued, later joined by Spiritualist–Occult and Gnostic–Esoteric accounts from the 18th century onward. Common features include a paradisiacal realm, tranquility, and peace, while elements such as the life review, out-of-body experiences, and the "tunnel" emerged and changed meaning over time. |
Abstract
The conclusion of the discursive history outlines that in contrast to studies that argue for a broad decline of Christian narratives of deathbed experiences in the early modern centuries, there is ample evidence of a continuous stream of Christian reports. These reports are, from the 18th century onward, seconded by a broad current of Spiritualist–Occult and Gnostic–Esoteric reports. Transmitters of these reports were mostly religiously interested individuals—preeminently spokespersons of non-mainstream churches and denominations such as Pietists, Theosophists, Occultists, and Spiritualists, joined, in the early 20th century, by parapsychologists. Most common are descriptions of a paradisiacal realm, tranquility, quietness, and feelings of peace or mental clarity. Handed down in religious contexts were descriptions of a border, God, or angels. However, other elements such as the life review (absent in premodern narratives), autoscopic out-of-body experiences, or the “tunnel” clearly developed over time and assumed new meanings.