THE CONSIDERATION OF NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES IN SLOVENIAN ESOTERIC MAGAZINES

Osnovni namen diplomskega dela je bil sociološka obravnava pojavljanja vsebin v zvezi z obsmrtnimi doživetji v slovenskih množičnih medijih. V ta namen je bila izvedena analiza vsebine člankov v revijah Misteriji, Soutripanje in Aura v obdobju od leta 1995 do leta 2010. Kvalitativna in kvantitativna analiza vsebine člankov je za vsako leto temeljila na številu objavljenih člankov, pojavljanju tipično krščanskih vsebin, skladnosti z znanstvenimi teorijami in sklicevanju na znanstvene raziskave. Rezultati so pokazali občutno povečanje števila člankov o obsmrtnih doživetjih v raziskovalnem obdobju, vedno manj pogosto pojavljanje tipično krščanskih vsebin in pogostejše sklicevanje na znanstvene raziskave ter vedno višjo skladnost z znanstvenimi teorijami. Ti rezultati so interpretirani predvsem v okvirih naraščanja števila in hitrosti širjenja znanstvenih spoznanj o obsmrtnih doživetjih, novega zanimanje za duhovne teme v postsocialističnem obdobju ter v okvirih sekularizacijske teze.The main purpose of this diploma thesis was the sociological analysis of the occurrence of content relating to near-death experiences in Slovenian mass media. Qualitative and quantitative content analysis was made in of magazines Misteriji, Soutripanje and Aura for the period of 1995 to 2010. Article content was analyzed for each year and was based on the number of published articles, the occurrences of typical Christian content, compliances with scientific theories and on the references to scientific researches. The results showed a significant increase in the number of near-death experience articles, fewer incidences of typical Christian content, frequent references to scientific research and increasing compliance with scientific theories. The results are interpreted within the framework of growth in numbers and spreading speed of scientific knowledge about near-death experiences, of new interests in spiritual topics in the post-socialist period and within the limits of secularization thesis