Mystic South

The paper presents an interdisciplinary look at a shared aspect undergirding many of our common beliefs surrounding interactions with the Otherworld: that of death, our final transition into realms yet unknown. Primary focuses include connections between near-death experiences, psychopomps, worldwide fairy belief, anomalous lights, shamanism, ancient monuments, and ley lines and other "death roads" found across the globe. Special attention is given to the remarkable abilities claimed by experiencers of these phenomenaaabilities that, in a context outside of the secularized modern West, would have been understood as in service to the greater community as spiritual leaders and intercessors with the divine. Through a comparative study of these various contact modalities, a consistency of belief across time and culture is revealed a consistency born not out of any ancient worldwide civilization, but rather from humanity's collective interaction with the spirit world and the objective reality it represents. The conclusion addresses the current Western obsession with UFOs/UAP and how, despite the modern veneer of the discussion, these contemporary accounts are nothing more than reinventions of ancient archetypesaarchetypes we have long known to be true, from eons of lived experience. For example, the contemporary depiction of UAP as "interstellar vehicles" appears to be a modern reinvention of the psychopomp's boat, and, although it may run contrary to popular sensibilities, it might in reality serve the exact same purpose: transporting our souls to their final destination. By embracing the ontology of the more-than-human world, we, as a species, stand to learn just as much about ourselves as we do about these phenomena.