
Dr. Gregory Shushan | Near Death Experience in Indigenous Religion, Afterlife Journeys, & Resurrection
Sleep Paralysis and the Experiential Source Hypothesis
Dr. Shushan references David Hufford’s research on sleep paralysis to illustrate the "experiential source hypothesis," where a biological experience leads to supernatural beliefs. While the physiological state of paralysis and chest pressure is universal, cultures interpret the experience through their own lenses, such as the "Old Hag" in Newfoundland or specific ghosts in Japan. This serves as a model for how the core NDE experience is filtered through different cultural symbols.


