Otherworld Journeys: Accounts of Near-Death Experience in Medieval and Modern Times
- ISBN-10
- 0195363523
- ISBN-13
- 9780195363524
- Category
- Religion
- Pages
- 275
- Language
- English
- Published
- 1988-11-03
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Author
- Carol Zaleski
Description
Dozens of books, articles, television shows, and films relating "near-death" experiences have appeared in the past decade. People who have survived a close brush with death reveal their extraordinary visions and ecstatic feelings at the moment they died, describing journeys through a tunnel to a realm of light, visual reviews of their past deeds, encounters with a benevolent spirit, and permanent transformation after returning to life. Carol Zaleski's Otherworld Journeys offers the most comprehensive treatment to date of the evidence surrounding near-death experiences. The first to place researchers' findings, first-person accounts, and possible medical or psychological explanations in historical perspective, she discusses how these materials reflect the influence of contemporary culture. She demonstrates that modern near-death reports belong to a vast family of otherworld journey tales, with examples in nearly every religious heritage. She identifies universal as well as culturally specific features by comparing near-death narratives in two distinct periods of Western society: medieval Christendom and twentieth-century secular America. This comparison reveals profound similarities, such as the life-review and the transforming after-effects of the vision, as well as striking contrasts, such as the absence of hell or punishment scenes from modern accounts. Mediating between the "debunkers" and the near-death researchers, Zaleski considers current efforts to explain near-death experience scientifically. She concludes by emphasizing the importance of the otherworld vision for understanding imaginative and religious experience in general.
Get the book
Other editions
-
- 1988-11-03
- 288 pages
- Ebook
- Oxford University Press
-
- 1988
- 275 pages
- Paperback
- Oxford University Press on Demand
Similar books
-
An American Carpenter's Story: One baby boomers life changing spiritual journey
By William DarrochAfter just a year or so, my father saw several lots for sale in the small village of Timberlake, Ohio, just thirty minutes from Cleveland.
-
Fear of the Other: No Fear in Love
By Bishop William H. Willimon“Barack Obama,” “Hillary Clinton,” “Britney Spears,” and “Justin Timberlake” found their places somewhat to the left of the really, really good “Teresa” and ...
-
Running With The Horses: Living The Gospel
By William Mitchell... Gregory Pritchard, Robert Clarke and Donald Wester of philosophy; from the religion faculty, James Timberlake, Rowena Strickland, Dan Holcomb, ...
-
Darkness is as Light
By EDITH ADHIAMBO, ANDREA BAILEY, CHRISTINA BAKERwalked over the frost-brittled grass, my long skirt swishing it dryly. I'd come to weep below the willows, to let the sound of the stream carry my lament ...
-
Women in New Religions
By Laura VanceFrost, Gavin, and Yvonne Frost. The Good Witch's Bible. 7th ed. ... Gordon, Lynn D., ed. Gender and Higher Education in the Progressive Era.
-
The Making of a Mature Disciple
By Kenneth S. ToddKenneth S. Todd. Reasons. to. Obey. God. Let's discuss four reasons why we should obey God. The first two deal with how we personally deal with God.
-
Being God's Man by Pursuing Friendships
By Stephen Arterburn, Kenneth L. Luck, Todd WendorffGod's word is clear about the importance of godly friendships. This edition shows men how valuable those friendships are to spiritual growth.
-
English Ministry Crisis in Chinese Canadian Churches: Towards the Retention of English-Speaking Adults from Chinese Canadian Churches through Associated Parallel...
By Matthew Richard Sheldon ToddIn 2011, Thom S. Rainer published some research project results in a volume ... projecting the top challenging issue they deal with in bicultural settings ...
-
Mastering the Management Buckets: 20 Critical Competencies for Leading Your Business or Non-Profit
By John Pearson" Based on Pearson's 48-hour Management Buckets Workshop Experience, Mastering the Management Buckets offers detailed implementation tools, including 99 practical takeaways that a leader could implement immediately, plus nine management ...
-
Mastering the Management Buckets: 20 Critical Competencies for Leading Your Business or Non-Profit
By John Pearson" Based on Pearson's 48-hour Management Buckets Workshop Experience, Mastering the Management Buckets offers detailed implementation tools, including 99 practical takeaways that a leader could implement immediately, plus nine management ...