Graduation Year
2003
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
M.A.
Degree Granting Department
Religious Studies
Major Professor
Darrell Fasching, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Paul Schneider, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Dell DeChant, M.A.
Keywords
NDE, survival hypothesis, veridical evidence, corroborative NDEs, OBE
Abstract
This thesis investigates current scientific literature on near-death experiences (NDE), focusing on two common types of models used to explain the NDE: biological models and spiritual models. Four biological models and two spiritual models are presented and evaluated. During the evaluation, particular emphasis is placed on how these models accommodate veridical evidence. I found that, of the biological models, only one could account for veridical evidence, whereas both of the spiritual models provided explanations of these strange occurrences. From this conclusion, the implications of NDE research on human survival are explored.
Scholar Commons Citation
Wallace, Holly, "Near-Death Experiences, Religion, and Life After Death" (2004). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/1288
