Did St Jerome Have a Near-death Experience?

Abstract

This article is concerned with a remarkable experience recounted by St Jerome, which has a number of features associated with reports of `near-death experiences' (NDEs). Curiously, commentators who have explored patristic and mediaeval accounts of NDEs have hitherto neglected this account. The aetiology and significance of NDEs is disputed; however, it is likely that the negative aspects of St Jerome's vision were influential on subsequent Christian reflections on judgement and the afterlife.