30 Million Near-Death Experiences: Eye-Opening Truths

Has anyone truly seen the afterlife with their own eyes and returned to tell the tale? It turns out, with the advancements in hospitals and communication over the last century, a wealth of astonishing testimonies of out-of-body experiences have come to light.

Scientifically, one might expect that in a state of losing pulse and breath, the human brain would disconnect and shut down, much like an electrical device losing power. However, many people who reached the brink of death and were revived have described floating above their bodies, seeing a lit tunnel leading to the next world, and hearing an all-encompassing presence asking if they wish to return to their bodies. This vivid experience occurred while their bodies were clinically "dead", with no pulse, breath, or brain activity—a phenomenon known as a "near-death experience".

Dr. Jeffrey Long's research identified 835 individuals who reported out-of-body experiences and heightened awareness while their brains showed no electrical activity (Long Jeffrey, Missouri Medicine, PMC 6172100).

This isn't a cultural issue, since over 30 million people from all around the world have reported similar out-of-body experiences, regardless of their prior beliefs. Astonishingly, even young children, who hadn't heard much about souls or death, have described their experiences with the same innocence and accuracy as adults. Dr. Melvin Morse documented hundreds of such cases and published them in his book, "Closer to the Light".

Attempts to dismiss near-death experiences have been unfounded: it is implausible that millions are lying or have coordinated their testimonies, let alone experiencing an identical "hallucination" when their brains were inactive. Medical experiments with substances like ketamine have caused patients to feel dizzy or as if they were floating, but never replicated the clear experience of a full or partial out-of-body experience. It would be absurd to suggest the brain is designed to deceive humans into thinking they possess a soul departing to another realm...

The medical world remains utterly bewildered by this global phenomenon. Esteemed neurologists and psychiatrists like Dr. Raymond Moody and Dr. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross have studied countless such testimonies and have been convinced of their truth.

These accounts reveal that humans are spiritual beings with a purpose beyond this world, as the sages said: "This world is like a corridor to the world to come. Prepare yourself in the corridor, so you may enter the banquet hall" (Avot 4:16).