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4583
qualitative
journal
Kellehear, Allan. "An Hawaiian Near-Death Experience." Journal of Near-Death Studies 20, no. 1 (Fall 2001): 31-35. Kalima, Case 1.
Journal of Near-Death Studies Vol. 20 No. 1 Pages 31-35 2001
1900
2001
F
Kalima, a woman from Kona, Hawaii, experienced a profound near-death experience in the early 1900s after suffering from a severe illness for many weeks. Her apparent death was so convincing that her family and friends prepared her grave and laid her beside it for funeral rites. During these preparations, she unexpectedly sighed and opened her eyes, surprising everyone present.
After recovering her strength over several days, Kalima described leaving her body and observing it from above, noting that her conscious self appeared identical to her physical form but was alive while the body appeared dead. She then walked away from her house and village, traveling to neighboring villages where she encountered thousands of people, many of whom she recognized as deceased. These beings appeared extraordinarily happy, without care or trouble, filled with joy and loving words. She felt no fatigue as she traveled from village to village, drawn uncontrollably toward Pele's Pit, the volcano. Each place she visited was vastly larger than in physical reality, with hundreds of houses and thousands of inhabitants instead of the small villages she knew. Upon reaching the volcano, a small group of people stopped her and insisted she must return to her body, stating she was not meant to die yet. Despite her strong desire to remain with them, they threatened to force her return if she did not go willingly. She was then driven back over the sixty-mile journey, weeping as the previously joyous people now helped drive her away once they learned she was not permitted to stay. Eventually forced back into her body, Kalima made her recovery with considerable regret about having to return. Her experience included classic NDE elements such as out-of-body perception, encountering deceased individuals, experiencing otherworldly realms of joy, and being told to return against her wishes. The account notably lacks any tunnel sensation or life review, consistent with other Pacific area NDEs.
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Home
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15
35
Moderate Evidence
13
Prolonged illness leading to apparent death convincing enough for funeral preparations. No medical monitoring but clear life-threatening condition witnessed by multiple family members.
Clear out-of-body experience with specific observations of leaving body, traveling through multiple villages, encountering deceased individuals, and journey to volcano. Detailed perceptions of expanded villages and thousands of people.
Family members witnessed apparent death and unexpected revival. Multiple witnesses present during funeral preparations who observed her return to consciousness.
Account predates modern NDE research (early 1900s), reducing possibility of cultural contamination. Consistent with other Pacific NDEs lacking tunnel/life review elements.
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Allan Kellehear
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7/24/2025
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