The Scriptures are clear that the dead are “asleep” “in their graves” and “the dead know not anything,” “for there is neither wisdom, nor device, nor knowledge in the grave whither thou goest,” and that all will remain in this sleep of death until the awakening time, when “all who are in their graves shall come forth at the voice of the Son of Man,” we must conclude that the dying ones did not enter at once into heaven and then return.
There are some possible explanations for what people call “near death experiences,” frequently reporting a bright light and a feeling of complete peace and happiness. They include having the temporoparietal junction of the brain electrically stimulated; too much carbon dioxide in the system; lack of oxygen to the brain producing hallucinations; having endorphins and other chemicals released by the brain when the brain is under extreme stress; heightened sensory perception/brain activity; actually being aware while under anesthesia; having a distorted sense of time; having epileptic activity in the temporal lobes; and being confused by what one experiences because hallucinations and actual perceptions use the same brain systems.
Additional Resource:
Christian Questions Podcast
Episode #1206: “Is a Near-Death Experience a Glimpse of Heaven?”
Uncovering what a near death experience is and what it is not
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes
Episode #1227: “Where Do the Human Soul and Spirit Go When We Die? (Part I)”
Defining what the human soul is and is not, and its destiny at death
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes
For children, parents and Bible class teachers: CQ Kids Video: “What happens when we die?”
