The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences : Thirty Years of Investigation

This volume is meant to be, as its title implies, a handbook for all those people—scholars, educators, researchers, health care workers, members of the clergy, the public at large, and, yes, of course, near-death experiencers, or NDErs, themselves—with a serious interest in near-death experiences. In short, this book is designed for anyone to use who wishes to know in depth and in searching detail what investigators have learned from 30 years of research into near-death experiences. As such, it is the only book of its kind that draws on the expertise of the world’s foremost scholars and researchers who collectively present the most up-to-date and informed summary of the field. Each contributor is an authority on his or her own area of specialization, and each, therefore, has something distinctive to offer the reader, who will come to see through these separate lenses a vision of the whole. From The Publisher: Experts From Around The World Share The History And Current State Of Near-death Experience (nde) Knowledge. They Explore Controversies In The Field, Offer Stories From Their Research, And Express Their Hopes For The Future Of Investigation Into This Fascinating Phenomenon. As Modern Medical Techniques For Resuscitation Advance, Ndes Are More Frequently Reported. These Include More Than The Popular Notions Of Moving Through A Tunnel Or Seeing A Light. They Also Include People, Once Revived, Knowing Things Their Knowledge Of Which Can't Currently Be Explained. As The Handbook Of Near-death Experiences: Thirty Years Of Investigation Makes Clear, Great Controversy Exists In The Medical And Psychological Fields Concerning Ndes. Are They Caused By Physiological Changes In The Brain, Or Are They Biological Reactions To Oxygen Loss Or Impending Death? Are They A Product Of Changing States Of Consciousness? Or Are They Caused By Something Else Altogether? All Of These Ideas And More Are Discussed In This Unique And Comprehensive Volume. The Field Of Near-death Studies : Past, Present, And Future / Janice Miner Holden, Bruce Greyson, And Debbie James -- Pleasurable Western Adult Near-death Experiences : Features, Circumstances, And Incidence / Nancy L. Zingrone And Carlos S. Alvarado -- Aftereffects Of Pleasurable Western Adult Near-death Experiences / Russell Noyes, Jr. ... [et Al.] -- Distressing Western Near-death Experiences : Finding A Way Through The Abyss / Nancy Evans Bush -- Trailing Clouds Of Glory : The Near-death Experiences Of Western Children And Teens / Cherie Sutherland -- Characteristics Of Western Near-death Experiencers / Janice Miner Holden, Jeffrey Long, And B. Jason Maclurg -- Census Of Non-western Near-death Experiences To 2005 : Observations And Critical Reflections / Allan Kellehear -- World Religions And Near-death Experiences / Farnaz Masumian -- Veridical Perception In Near-death Experiences / Janice Miner Holden -- Explanatory Models For Near-death Experiences / Bruce Greyson, Emily Williams Kelly, And Edward F. Kelly -- Practical Applications Of Research On Near-death Experiences / Ryan D. Foster, Debbie James, And Janice Miner Holden. Edited By Janice Miner Holden, Bruce Greyson, And Debbie James ; Foreword By Kenneth Ring. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 259-302) And Indexes. Foreword by Kenneth Ring vii Preface xiii 1 The Field of Near-Death Studies: Past, Present, and Future Janice Miner Holden, Bruce Greyson, and Debbie James 1 2 Pleasurable Western Adult Near-Death Experiences: Features, Circumstances, and Incidence Nancy L. Zingrone and Carlos S. Alvarado 17 3 Aftereffects of Pleasurable Western Adult Near-Death Experiences Russell Noyes, Jr., Peter Fenwick, Janice Miner Holden, and Sandra Rozan Christian 41 4 Distressing Western Near-Death Experiences: Finding a Way through the Abyss Nancy Evans Bush 63 5 “Trailing Clouds of Glory”: The Near-Death Experiences ofWestern Children and Teens Cherie Sutherland 87 6 Characteristics ofWestern Near-Death Experiencers Janice Miner Holden, Jeffrey Long, and B. Jason MacLurg 109 7 Census of Non-Western Near-Death Experiences to 2005: Observations and Critical Reflections Allan Kellehear 135 8 World Religions and Near-Death Experiences Farnaz Masumian 159 9 Veridical Perception in Near-Death Experiences Janice Miner Holden 185 10 Explanatory Models for Near-Death Experiences Bruce Greyson, Emily Williams Kelly, and Edward F. Kelly 213 11 Practical Applications ofResearch on Near-Death Experiences Ryan D. Foster, Debbie James, and Janice Miner Holden 235 References 259 Subject Index 303 Name Index 309 About the Editors and Contributors 313 A team of international experts presents the history, recent developments, and controversies in the intriguing study of near-death experience.Experts from around the world share the history and current state of near-death experience (NDE) knowledge. They explore controversies in the field, offer stories from their research, and express their hopes for the future of investigation into this fascinating phenomenon.As modern medical techniques for resuscitation advance, NDEs are more frequently reported. These include more than the popular notions of moving through a tunnel or seeing a light. They also include people, once revived, knowing things their knowledge of which can't currently be explained. As The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences: Thirty Years of Investigation makes clear, great controversy exists in the medical and psychological fields concerning NDEs. Are they caused by physiological changes in the brain, or are they biological reactions to oxygen loss or impending death? Are they a product of changing states of consciousness? Or are they caused by something else altogether? All of these ideas and more are discussed in this unique and comprehensive volume. The field of near-death studies : past, present, and future / Janice Miner Holden, Bruce Greyson, and Debbie James Pleasurable Western adult near-death experiences : features, circumstances, and incidence / Nancy L. Zingrone and Carlos Alvarado Aftereffects of pleasurable Western adult near-death experiences / Russell Noyes ... [et al.] Distressing Western near-death experiences : finding a way through the abyss / Nancy Evans Bush "Trailing clouds of glory" : the near-death experiences of Western children and teens / Cherie Sutherland Characteristics of Western near-death experiencers / Janice Miner Holden, Jeffrey Long, and B. Jason MacLurg Census of non-Western near-death experiences to 2005 : observations and critical reflections / Allan Kellehear World religions and near-death experiences / Farnáz Masúmián Veridical perception in near-death experiences / Janice Miner Holden Explanatory models for near-death experiences / Bruce Greyson, Emily Williams Kelly, and Edward F. Kelly Practical applications of research on near-death experiences / Ryan Foster, Debbie James, and Janice Miner Holden.