In My Time of Dying: How I Came Face to Face with the Idea of an Afterlife

by Sebastian Junger

Another recurring theme in many near-death experiences is encountering dead loved ones and other spirits. Not only have researchers documented this from around the world, but virtually every society believes that when you die, you will be reunited with loved ones who have already passed. This belief exists in the entire spectrum of human society, from small-band hunter-gatherers to mass industrialists, and forms a core part of almost all religions, including Christianity. In fact, to be Christian is to take the resurrection of Christ literally. From 1 Corinthians 15: “If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, then… your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins.”