Mystical Experiences of the Dying: Multi-Cultural Perspectives

Abstract

Mystical experiences at end-of-life — such as deathbed visions, out-of-body journeys and near-death experiences — have been recorded since the beginning of human history. These accounts appear in sacred texts across cultures and religions, but did not enter the realm of contemporary academic research until the 1970s, when Dr. Raymond Moody and Dr. Melvin Morse published their findings on near-death experience. Since then, the topic has been widely studied, and reports from resuscitated patients have entered the medical mainstream through the work of contemporary researchers, most notably, Dr. Sam Parnia and Dr. Pim Van Lommel. In this presentation we will explore:1. Types of EOL spiritual experiences 2. Historical, religious and cultural influences 3. Current research 4. How to support patients having these experiences 5. Promoting acceptance of these experiences in clinical settings.

Presenter Bio

Terri Daniel, DMin, CT,CCTP is an interfaith clinical chaplain, trauma specialist and end-of-life educator certified in death, dying and bereavement by the Association of Death Education and Counseling and in trauma support by the International Association of Trauma Professionals. Her work focuses on assisting dying and grieving individuals to discover a more spiritually-spacious understanding of death and beyond.

Terri conducts workshops throughout the U.S. to help the dying and the bereaved find healing through meditative, ritual and therapeutic processes that focus on inner transformation rather than external events. Her books and workshops are acclaimed by physicians, hospice workers, grief counselors, religious scholars and the bereaved for their pinpoint clarity on loss and bereavement.

Terri’s interest in the journey of the soul through birth and death began at age 12 when she began having mystical visions that sparked a lifelong interest in spirituality. But it wasn’t until the death of her 16 year-old son in 2006 that she immersed herself in studying multi-cultural religious traditions and metaphysical practices that help the dying and the living find healing through meditative and ritual processes that open a conduit to other dimensions. Her unique form of “radical mysticism” incorporates elements of Buddhism, Shamanism, ancient pagan practices, gnostic Christianity and other spiritual traditions to break down limiting beliefs about forgiveness, divine judgment and negative experience. Terri is the author of four books on death and the afterlife:

• A Swan in Heaven: Conversations Between Two Worlds (2007)
• Embracing Death: A New Look at Grief, Gratitude and God (2010)
• Turning the Corner on Grief Street: Loss and Trauma as a Journey to Awakening (2014)
• Grief and God: When Religion Does More Harm Than Healing (2019)

She is also the founder of the annual Conference on Death and Afterlife Studies. Her academic credentials include a B.A. in Religious Studies from Marylhurst University, an M.A. in Pastoral Care from Fordham University, and a DMin from the San Francisco Theological Seminary.