Otherworld Journeys: Accounts of Near-death Experience in Medieval & Modern Times

Many publications, tv shows & films relating near-death experiences have appeared. People who've survived brushes with death reveal their extraordinary visions & ecstatic feelings at the moment they died, describing journeys thru a tunnel to a realm of light, visual reviews of past deeds, encounters with benevolent spirits & lasting transformation upon returning to life. Zaleski's Otherworld Journeys offers the a comprehensive treatment of the evidence surrounding near-death experiences. The 1st to place researchers' findings, 1st-person accounts & possible medical or psychological explanations in historical perspective, she discusses how these materials reflect contemporary culture. She demonstrates that modern near-death reports belong to a vast family of otherworld journey tales, with examples in most religious heritages. She identifies universal as well as culturally specific features by comparing near-death narratives in two distinct periods of Western society: medieval Christendom & contemporary secular America. This comparison reveals profound similarities, such as life-review & transforming aftereffects of the vision, as well as striking contrasts, such as the absence of hell or punishment from modern accounts. Mediating between debunkers & near-death researchers, she considers current efforts to explain near-death experience scientifically. She concludes by emphasizing the importance of otherworld visions for understanding imaginative & religious experience in general.