Interpretations, Implications, and Conclusions

An analytical comparison is made of the near-death experiences (NDEs), afterlife beliefs, and myths in the three regions, in relation to their shamanic practices, funerary rituals, revitalization movements, and attitudes toward death and the dead. In order to explain the cross-cultural similarities and differences in all their manifestations, a comprehensive interdisciplinary theory is put forth. The experiential source hypothesis is combined with elements from the psychological, cognitive, social, and historical sciences. Beyond the three regions, despite general thematic similarities worldwide, certain NDE themes occur only in indigenous societies, while some occur in seemingly random unrelated pairs of cultures. Philosophical implications for beliefs in life after death are explored in light of the cross-cultural evidence, and models of the nature of a possible afterlife are discussed. The implications of the study for contemporary historiographical and epistemological issues are also put forth.