Pascal Immanuel Michael

The relationship between near-death experiences (NDEs) and death/dying is obvious.

The connection between the psychedelic DMT and the alien encounter likewise shares certain tropes. The resonance between NDEs and aliens seems less obvious and yet there are distinct similarities. What could account for the interlacing of NDEs, ETs, UFOs and DMT encounters?

Some may be surprised to hear of a phenomenological space-sharing between the experience of dying and that of alien abduction and other ufology motifs. The sometimes reported presence of the deceased during such ET encounter events, and the generally understated, but frequently reported spiritual nature of ‘alien’ beings. This echoes such controversial topics as ancient astronaut theory, divinisation of star beings (the Aliens as Angels analogy) as well as indigenous, shamanic, entheogen-assisted communiqués with such entities. But the most pivotal question in this context remains – Do what we refer to as aliens have something to do with human death?

Pascal Immanuel Michael BSc, MSc is a Psychology PhD candidate at the
University of Greenwich, comparing the DMT experience and the near-deathexperience (NDE), with a view to establish the NDE as a psychedelic episode –indicated by their phenomenology and neural correlates, as well as their
transformative and parapsychological effects.

His interests lie in death and dying as
an entangled continuum – existing at the levels of the molecular, humanistic, and transpersonal.

He has presented at Breaking Convention and the Oxford University Psychedelic Society, and published in journals such as Frontiers.

He is a coordinator for the ALEF Trust’s certificate in Psychedelics, ASCs and TP, and the 2020
recipient of the Schmeidler Outstanding Student Award