Abstract
The field of near-death studies shares a number of interesting, often compelling, similarities with the ancient spiritual tradition known as shamanism. Not least among these similarities is the fact that a near-death experience (NDE) is a time-honored form of shamanic initiation. I present a case example illustrating how a deep NDE can propel a person who had no prior knowledge or interest in shamanism into spontaneous, often classic, shamanic experiences, while living an apparently normal life in the midst of modern Western society.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Atwater, P. (1988). Coming back to life: The aftereffects of the near-death experience. New York, NY: Dodd, Mead.
Cowan, T. (1996). Shamanism as a spiritual practice for daily life. Freedom, CA: Crossing Press.
Doore, G. (1990). What survives? Contemporary explorations of life after death. Los Angeles, CA: Tarcher.
Eliade, M. (1964). Shamanism: Archaic techniques of ecstasy. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Green, J. (1998). Near-death experiences, shamanism, and the scientific method. Journal of Near-Death Studies, 16, 205–222.
Halifax, J. (1990). The shaman's initiation. Revision: The Journal of Consciousness and Change, 13(2), 53–58.
Harner, M. (1980). The way of the shaman. San Francisco, CA: Harper.
Harner, M. (1987). The ancient wisdom in shamanic cultures. In S. Nicholson, S. (Ed.), Shamanism (pp. 3–16). Wheaton, IL: Quest Books.
Ingerman, S. (1991). Soul retrieval: Mending the fragmented self. San Francisco, CA: Harper.
Kalweit, H. (1984). Dreamtime and inner space. Boston, MA: Shambhala.
Kalweit, H. (1987). Shamans, healers, and medicine men. Boston, MA: Shambhala.
Moody, R. A. (1975). Life after life. Covington, GA: Mockingbird Books.
Moody, R. A. (1977). Reflections on life after life. St. Simon's Island, GA: Mockingbird Books.
Moody, R. A. (1992). Family reunions: Visionary encounters with the departed in a modern-day psychomanteum. Journal of Near-Death Studies, 11, 83–121.
Moody, R. A., and Perry, P. (1993). Reunions: Visionary encounters with departed loved Ones. New York, NY: Villard.
Morse, M., and Perry, P. (1990). Closer to the light: Learning from the near-death experiences of children. New York, NY: Villard.
Morse, M., and Perry, P. (1992). Transformed by the light: The powerful effect of near-death experiences on people's lives. New York, NY: Villard.
Nicholson, S. (Ed.). (1987). Shamanism: An expanded view of reality. Wheaton, IL: Theosophical Publishing House.
Peters, L. (1990). Mystical experience in Tamang shamanism. Revision: The Journal of Consciousness and Change, 13(2), 71–85.
Ring, K. (1989). Near-death experiences and UFO encounters as shamanic initiations: Some conceptual and evolutionary implications. Revision: The Journal of Consciousness and Change, 11(3), 14–22.
Ring, K. (1990). Shamanic initiation, imaginal worlds, and life after death. In G. Doore (Ed.), What survives: Contemporary explorations of life after death. Los Angeles, CA: Tarcher.
Walsh, R. (1990). The spirit of shamanism. Los Angeles, CA: Tarcher.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Green, J.T. The Near-Death Experience as a Shamanic Initiation: A Case Study. Journal of Near-Death Studies 19, 209–225 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007859024038
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007859024038