The motif of death plays an important role the human psyche in connection with archetypal and karmic material.

The materialistic paradigm of Western science has been a major obstacle for any objective evaluation of the data describing the events occurring at the time of death.

The knowledge of the realm of death makes it possible for the shaman to move freely back and forth and mediate these journeys for other people.

The experiences associated with death were seen as visits to important dimensions of reality that deserved to be experienced, studied, and carefully mapped.

The elimination of the fear of death transforms the individual's way of being in the world.