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4576
qualitative
journal
Shushan, Gregory, "My heart sang within me, and I was glad to be dead": The Reception of Near-Death Experiences Across the Cultures of Oceania, Journal of Near-Death Studies, 36(3), Spring 2018, pp. 135-160. Te Atarahi (Maori, New Zealand), Case 4
Journal of Near-Death Studies, Volume 36, Number 3, Page 144, 2018
2018
M
Te Atarahi died and traveled to Reigna (the Maori underworld) where he met deceased relatives who told him not to eat anything. This NDE was reported by various scholars and missionaries including Shortland (1882), Taylor (1855), and Tregear (1890), demonstrating consistency over time and lasting local significance.
Te Atarahi's soul journeyed to the spirit world where he encountered his deceased family members. They instructed him specifically not to consume any food if he wished to return to the world of the living - a common motif in Maori afterlife beliefs where eating spirit food would trap one permanently in the otherworld. After spending five days in Reigna, his relatives sent him back to Earth. Upon his return to his body, Te Atarahi was able to describe his visit to what he called a wonderful otherworld. His account became well-known in Maori culture and was cited by multiple researchers over decades, indicating its cultural importance and the consistency of the narrative. The multiple scholarly citations of this case across different time periods suggest it was considered a significant and authentic account within Maori tradition. The prohibition against eating in the spirit world aligns with widespread Polynesian beliefs about the danger of consuming food in the realm of the dead.
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Unknown
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5
13
Weak Evidence
6
Death and revival reported, cited by multiple scholars over time
Met deceased relatives in Reigna, warned not to eat, spent 5 days there
written_account
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7/24/2025
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