Paper Short Abstract:

This paper explores the methodological, ethical, and communicative challenges researchers face when engaging with extraordinary experiences, such as near-death phenomena. It reflects on navigating ontologies imposed by participants, addressing these realities in non-academic contexts, and fostering respect and understanding.

Paper Abstract:

This paper examines the challenges of communicating profound experiences, such as near-death phenomena, across diverse contexts. For individuals who have undergone such transformative events, these experiences often fundamentally alter their worldview, as the reality perceived beyond the body feels more real than everyday existence. However, this does not always translate into immediate or easy integration of the experience into their lives. For many, the aftermath includes significant challenges such as depression, alienation, or an inability to share their stories openly, particularly in cultural contexts where societal ridicule or misunderstanding prevails. As a result, these experiences often remain private and unspoken.

The central question explored in this paper is: How can such experiences be effectively communicated across diverse contexts? This includes how researchers can discuss near-death experiences outside academia, while also addressing the dilemma of navigating communication with participants outside formal research settings. Within academic contexts, acknowledging these alternative ontologies is methodologically enriching and ethically crucial, as recognizing another’s ontology fosters reflexive and respectful engagement.

However, such acknowledgment becomes more complex in non-academic or informal settings. Even casual conversations with research participants can become spaces where conflicting worldviews are negotiated. Anthropologists may also face the additional challenge of maintaining their own ontological integrity while fostering openness and mutual understanding. This paper reflects on these tensions and proposes strategies for engaging with extraordinary experiences across contexts, emphasizing the ethical, methodological, and communicative responsibilities of the researcher in fostering respect and understanding beyond academia.