Commentary on Allan Kellehear's ?Near-death experiences and the pursuit of the ideal society?

Abstract

Allan Kellehear's article raised four questions for me: (1) whether the near-death experience (NDE) presents enough data about the nature of a transcendent society for it to be a useful model for earthly societies; (2) the degree to which transcendent societies have to address the practical considerations of a material society; (3) whether NDEs are projections of experiencers' cultural concepts about the nature of the transcendent realm(s); and (4) the kind of hope offered by the growing awareness of the features of Western NDEs. I address these questions by referring to transcendent realm concepts and NDEs in the anthropological literature, particularly that of the North American Indian Prophet Movement.In his article "Near-Death Experiences and the Pursuit of the Ideal Society" Allan Kellehear compared various Western concepts of utopia with the social order experienced in a transcendent realm by modern, mostly Western people who have come near death and had a near death experience (NDE). He concluded that the social order portrayed in near-death experiences offers a glimmer of hope for establishing a better society on earth.I would like to comment on a number of questions that Kellehear's paper raised: first, the extent to which NDEs give a clear concept of a transcendent society (with the emphasis on society); second, the rela

Western Scientific Approaches to Near-Death Experiences

“…Social movements stimulated by rapid and disruptive social changes that had their beginnings in the Industrial Revolution have fragmented and disoriented Western society, which has become a driving force for the recurring pursuit of a morally re-invigorated society. This persistent hope for better world may find added inspiration in near-death experiencers' accounts of the quality of social relationships, the feelings of calm and well-being, and the striking diminution fear of death associated with their experiences [157]. In the context of the cynicism of the past century in Western society, punctuated by two world wars and innumerable domestic and international conflicts and divisions, the increasing cultural interest in NDEs may play a role in rebuilding a shared view of a better society [156].…”