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Near-death utopias: Now or later?

  • Published:
Journal of Near-Death Studies

Abstract

By viewing near-death experiences (NDEs) in the context of the quest for an ideal society, Kellehear offered hope for positive social change and insight into the social, rather than purely personal, meanings of the NDE. However, his approach raised issues of the interpretive research process generally. As with any research, near-death studies are influenced by investigators' questions, interests, and assumptions. Despite the reasoning behind Kellehear's position, he grounded his analysis not in the data, but rather in his typology of ideal societies. I suggest we look first for indications of ideal social order in near-death narratives and only later compare them with types of utopias.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sociology, Sonoma State University, 1801 East Cotati Avenue, 94928, Rohnert Park, CA

    Kathy Charmaz Ph.D. (Chairperson)

Authors
  1. Kathy Charmaz Ph.D.
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Charmaz, K. Near-death utopias: Now or later?. J Near-Death Stud 10, 131–134 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01074045

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01074045

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