NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCES IN CHRISTIAN ENVIRONMENTS FROM THE 19TH TO THE 20TH CENTURY

Abstract

In this article we summarize the scientific, philosophical and religious views on the near-death experiences of the last two centuries. These situations, which in terms of form and intensity vary, can be either visions or extracorporeal experiences. While Parapsychology and some eastern religions accept that they are either reincarnations or contacts with the souls of the dead, the Orthodox Christian Church insists that this is not a real round trip to the other world, but a death trance (suspended animation). In any case, we need other systematic investigations to respond to such phenomena.