"He should stay in the grave": Cultural Patterns in the Interpretation of Near-Death Experiences in African Traditional Religions

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Abstract: A wide-ranging survey of ethnographic, explorer, and missionary literature demonstrates that although historical accounts of near-death experiences (NDEs) are attested in indigenous African societies, they are comparatively rare. Correspondingly, there is also a scarcity of mythological narratives of journeys to afterlife realms and a comparative lack of concern with afterlife speculation per se. Instead the literature reveals that many African peoples had marked concerns about potentially malevolent influences of ancestral spirits, shamanistic focus on spirit possession and sorcery, and precipitous burial practices limiting the occurrence of NDEs. NDEs were sometimes seen as aberrational, suggesting that individuals would have been … continued below

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185-213 p.

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Sushan, Gregory Summer 2017.

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This article is part of the collection entitled: Journal of Near-Death Studies and was provided by the UNT Libraries to the UNT Digital Library, a digital repository hosted by the UNT Libraries. It has been viewed 1097 times, with 19 in the last month. More information about this article can be viewed below.

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Abstract: A wide-ranging survey of ethnographic, explorer, and missionary literature demonstrates that although historical accounts of near-death experiences (NDEs) are attested in indigenous African societies, they are comparatively rare. Correspondingly, there is also a scarcity of mythological narratives of journeys to afterlife realms and a comparative lack of concern with afterlife speculation per se. Instead the literature reveals that many African peoples had marked concerns about potentially malevolent influences of ancestral spirits, shamanistic focus on spirit possession and sorcery, and precipitous burial practices limiting the occurrence of NDEs. NDEs were sometimes seen as aberrational, suggesting that individuals would have been reluctant to relate them. In such cultural environments, NDEs could scarcely have played a significant role in contributing to afterlife conceptions.

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185-213 p.

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"[The Journal of Near-Death Studies] is the only peer-reviewed scholarly journal (ISSN 0891-4494) devoted exclusively to the field of near-death studies. It is cross-disciplinary and published quarterly."

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  • Journal of Near-Death Studies, 35(4), International Association for Near-Death Studies, Summer 2017, pp. 185-213.

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  • Publication Title: Journal of Near-Death Studies
  • Volume: 35
  • Issue: 4
  • Page Start: 185
  • Page End: 213
  • Pages: 29

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Journal of Near-Death Studies

The Journal of Near-Death Studies is a scholarly peer-reviewed journal devoted to the field of near-death studies. It is published on a quarterly basis by the International Association for Near-Death Studies. The Journal began publication in 1982 under the name Anabiosis which was changed to its current title in 1986 with the start of Volume 6.

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  • Summer 2017

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  • June 12, 2019, 9:01 p.m.

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  • Dec. 7, 2021, 12:38 a.m.

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Thumbnail image of item number 1 in: '"He should stay in the grave": Cultural Patterns in the Interpretation of Near-Death Experiences in African Traditional Religions'.
Thumbnail image of item number 2 in: '"He should stay in the grave": Cultural Patterns in the Interpretation of Near-Death Experiences in African Traditional Religions'.
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Sushan, Gregory. "He should stay in the grave": Cultural Patterns in the Interpretation of Near-Death Experiences in African Traditional Religions, article, Summer 2017; Durham, North Carolina. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1505490/: accessed January 19, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .

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