Are Near-Death Experiences Real?

Question:

Are near-death experiences real?

Answer:

There is a lot of curiosity and fascination with the idea of an afterlife and communicating with those who have died. In movies, television shows, and numerous books, people make claims about their ability to communicate with the dead, or having had a near-death experience. There is no objective way to verify any of this. While details about people and events can be surprisingly accurate, it is just circumstantial evidence that might be explained in other ways.

On the other hand, when people have unusual experiences, sometimes called near-death or out-of-body, it is real to them. They react with the emotions and thoughts that one would expect. At times, they report details they could not have known any other way, such as bits of conversation, or meeting people they had never known in this life. So certainly, to the person, they experience something. We believe in a life after death, we believe in the communion of saints. These things are not a contradiction to faith, but we should not base our faith on them, nor change our beliefs. They are unexplained and will likely remain so.

©LPi