"My heart sang within me, and I was glad to be dead": The Reception of Near-Death Experiences Across the Cultures of Oceania

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Abstract: A comparative survey of how near-death experiences (NDEs) intersected with afterlife myths and shamanic practices, as reported in the mid-19th to mid-20th century by missionaries, explorers, and ethnographers of Polynesia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Australia, reveals various culturally distinct patterns. In Polynesia and Melanesia, documentary accounts of NDEs are found alongside myths and beliefs that directly refer to the phenomenon. In contrast, in Australia and Micronesia NDEs are almost entirely absent, and afterlife journey myths instead typically have shamanic contexts. I argue that these dynamics can be explained by reference to certain religious and cultural particularities, including differences in burial … continued below

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135-160 p.

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Shushan, Gregory Spring 2018.

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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 353 times. More information about this article can be viewed below.

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Abstract: A comparative survey of how near-death experiences (NDEs) intersected with afterlife myths and shamanic practices, as reported in the mid-19th to mid-20th century by missionaries, explorers, and ethnographers of Polynesia, Melanesia, Micronesia, and Australia, reveals various culturally distinct patterns. In Polynesia and Melanesia, documentary accounts of NDEs are found alongside myths and beliefs that directly refer to the phenomenon. In contrast, in Australia and Micronesia NDEs are almost entirely absent, and afterlife journey myths instead typically have shamanic contexts. I argue that these dynamics can be explained by reference to certain religious and cultural particularities, including differences in burial practices, variations in attitudes towards the dead, and diversity of shamanic traditions.

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135-160 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, 36(3), International Association for Near-Death Studies, Spring 2018, pp. 135-160

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  • Publication Title: Journal of Near-Death Studies
  • Volume: 36
  • Issue: 3
  • Page Start: 135
  • Page End: 160
  • Pages: 26

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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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  • Spring 2018

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  • Oct. 28, 2020, 11:38 p.m.

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  • Dec. 7, 2021, 5:59 p.m.

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Thumbnail image of item number 1 in: '"My heart sang within me, and I was glad to be dead": The Reception of Near-Death Experiences Across the Cultures of Oceania'.
Thumbnail image of item number 2 in: '"My heart sang within me, and I was glad to be dead": The Reception of Near-Death Experiences Across the Cultures of Oceania'.
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Shushan, Gregory. "My heart sang within me, and I was glad to be dead": The Reception of Near-Death Experiences Across the Cultures of Oceania, article, Spring 2018; Durham, North Carolina. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1727988/: accessed June 14, 2026), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; .

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