“He should stay in the grave”: Cultural patterns in the interpretation of near-death experiences in African traditional religions.
The Journal of near-death studies January 1, 2017 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.17514/jnds-2017-35-4-p185-213. via OpenAlex
Summary
Historical accounts of near-death experiences (NDEs) exist in indigenous African societies but are rare. There is also a lack of mythological narratives about afterlife journeys and limited focus on afterlife speculation. Instead, many African cultures emphasize concerns about ancestral spirits, spirit possession, and burial practices that reduce NDE occurrences. NDEs may be viewed as abnormal, leading individuals to hesitate in sharing such experiences, thus limiting their influence on afterlife beliefs.
Study at a glance
| Population | indigenous African societies |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Near-death experiences are rare in indigenous African societies and have little influence on afterlife conceptions. |
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.