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5204
qualitative
book
Shushan, Gregory, Near-Death Experience in Indigenous Religions, Oxford University Press, Chapter 4, Kukia and Toihau, Pages Not Specified, 2018
Near-Death Experience in Indigenous Religions, Kukia and Toihau, Chapter 4, 2018
1900
2018
M
Kukia and Toihau from the Ngati-Awa tribe experienced a rare shared near-death experience where both men died from unspecified causes and journeyed to the spirit world together before reviving. Their souls traveled together after leaving their bodies, climbing down a cliff and over a wall to enter the spirit realm. They witnessed numberless spirits in a vast assembly and eventually found their own people, including their deceased parents. At this pivotal reunion, their parents did not welcome them but instead sent them back to their bodies with absolute authority. In some versions, Toihau was explicitly warned by an ancestor not to eat the underworld food as it would prevent return, then was driven back violently before re-entering his body after three days dead. The men reported that the spirit world was a very good sort of place, not shrouded in darkness but light like the earthly world. Their joint testimony provided exceptional corroboration, making their claims highly credible to their community. The narrative was used as direct evidence to demonstrate traditional Maori beliefs in a subterranean spirit world (Po) were correct, contrary to missionary teachings of heavenly ascent. Their shared NDE became a tool of cultural affirmation and proof-text validating indigenous beliefs against foreign religious influence.
6
Unknown
2
8
10
Weak Evidence
0
Both men died, no medical details, Toihau dead for three days
Shared experience with matching details, specific geography described
written_account
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
8/9/2025
2
0
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