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4579
qualitative
journal
Tassell-Matamua, Natasha. "Phenomenology of Near-Death Experiences: An Analysis of a Māori Case Study." Journal of Near-Death Studies 32, no. 2 (Winter 2013): 107-117. Case: Nga (pseudonym)
Journal of Near-Death Studies Vol. 32 No. 2 Winter 2013
1960
2013
F
Nga, an indigenous Māori woman, became seriously ill for the only time in her life in the early 1960s. Her illness was severe enough that her breathing stopped and her family believed she had died. They took her body to the marae (traditional gathering place) and began preparing for her tangi (funeral). During this time, Nga reported that her spirit left her body and she experienced a profound near-death experience deeply rooted in Māori spiritual beliefs.
She described hovering over her head initially, then leaving the room and traveling northwards toward Te Hiku-o-te-Ika, the "Tail of the Fish" - the northernmost part of New Zealand's North Island in Māori mythology. Her spirit journey took her over specific tribal regions in the exact geographical sequence one would travel northward: passing over the Waikato River, across Manukau, over the territories of Ngāti Whatua, Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, and Te Aupouri tribes, until she reached Te Rerenga Wairua, the sacred Leaping-Off Place of Spirits. At Te Rerenga Wairua, Nga cleansed herself in the weeping spring (likely Te Waiora ā Tāne), then descended to a ledge where Te Aka hung - the ancient pohutukawa root that spirits use to descend to the underworld. She crouched at the entrance to Maurianuku, the gateway to the underworld covered by seaweed. She began a kāranga (traditional call) to announce her arrival to her tūpuna (ancestors), preparing to grasp the root and enter. However, a voice stopped her - it was Mahuta (likely Tāne Māhuta, god of the forest). He questioned her, and when she said she had come to be with her ancestors, Mahuta told her "They are not here. They do not want you yet. Eat nothing and go back where you came from until they are ready." Following this directive, Nga did not complete the descent. Instead, she rose and returned to her body, passing back over all the places she had seen on her outward journey. When she breathed again and sat up, her family and those assembled for the tangi were amazed. She lived on, believing the spirits of her ancestors would not claim her until they were ready. This experience demonstrates remarkable consistency with traditional Māori beliefs about the soul's journey after death.
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Home
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Suggestive Evidence
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Serious illness with breathing cessation witnessed by family
Detailed journey over specific geographic locations in correct sequence, culturally specific elements
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7/24/2025
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