Some of the most popular modern arguments to “prove” the theory of the natural immortality of the soul are “near-death experiences.” In his book, Life After Life: The Investigation of a Phenomenon — Survival of Bodily Death (Atlanta, GA: Mockingbird, 1975), Raymond A. Moody, Jr., presented the results of his five-year study of more than one hundred people who experienced “clinical death” and were revived. These individuals claimed to have seen a loving and warm being of light before coming back to life. This has been regarded as “exciting evidence of the survival of the human spirit beyond death” (back cover). Over the years, many other similar books have been published, promoting the same idea. (See lesson 2.)

 Read the resurrection accounts of 1 Kings 17:22-24, 2 Kings 4:34-37, Mark 5:41-43, Luke 7:14-17, and John 11:40-44. How many of them talk about any kind of conscious existence while the resurrected ones were dead, and why is that answer important?

 All near-death experiences reported in modern literature are of people considered clinically dead, but not really dead, in contrast to Lazarus, who was dead for four days and whose corpse was rotting (John 11:39). Neither Lazarus nor any of those raised from the dead in biblical times ever mentioned any afterlife experience, whether in Paradise, in purgatory, or in hell. This is, indeed, an argument from silence, but it is in full agreement with the biblical teachings on the unconscious state of the dead!

 But what about the “near-death” experiences so commonly recounted today? If we accept the biblical teaching of the unconsciousness of the dead (Job 3:11-13, Ps. 115:17, Ps. 146:4, Eccles. 9:10), then we are left with two main possibilities: either it is a natural psychochemical hallucination under extreme conditions, or it can be a supernatural satanic deceptive experience (2 Cor. 11:14). Satanic deception could indeed be the explanation, especially because in some cases these people claim to have talked to their dead relatives! But it could be a combination of both factors.

 With this deception prevalent, and so convincing to many, it is crucial that we stick firmly to the teaching of the Word of God, despite whatever experiences we or others might have that go against what the Bible teaches.