Journal of Near-Death Studies, volume 13, issue 3
Variations from the Prototypical Near-Death Experience: The 'Individually Tailored' Hypothesis
Serdahely, W. J.
A nonrandom sample of firsthand accounts of near-death experience (NDEs) revealed a number of variations from the prototypic NDE description, including feeling judged during a life review, seeing a non-deceased friend in the tunnel, experiencing no pain upon returning to the physical body, and crossing a barrier before being sent back. The prototypic NDE model is useful in giving an overview of NDEs, but ultimately the theoretical framework of near-death studies will have to accommodate these and other variations from the prototype. The "individually tailored" hypothesis, put forth to account for many of these variations, states that each NDEr receives what he or she needs during the NDE in a way that NDEr is able to accept.
