I don’t need for science to tell me there is life after death, but for those of you who do, check out this article in Express. In a study of more than 2,000 people, British researchers verified that thoughts carry on after the heart stops and that a whopping 40% of participants had recall of some thought awareness after being reported clinically dead. But don’t get too excited. Almost half of these respondents said the experience was not of awareness, but rather fear.
One study participant, a 57-year-old man, had a confirmed outer body experience where he was able to recall with accuracy what was going on around him after he had died, and his detailed recollections of visual awareness was consistent with verified events. Interestingly the Bible recounts an outer body experience in 2 Corinthians 12: 2-4. Paul tells us, “I know a man in Christ who 14 years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows—was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things, things that man is not permitted to tell.”
As a Christian, I don’t fear death. I do fear the process of death, because like most people, I don’t like pain. I don’t want to suffer. I don’t want to die in some weird inexplicable way that makes other people cringe. But the crossing over of my soul is something I long for. “Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling.” (2 Corinthians 5:2).
The body is just a receptacle that holds our spirit, mind, and soul. Genesis 3:19 makes this clear: “By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”
Be very careful, then, how you live–not as unwise but as wise. (Ephesians 5:15) And not to put too fine a point on it, we would all do well to take heed to remember: “As man is appointed to die once, and after that to face judgment. (Hebrews 9:27)