6. What Is There After Death?

For millennia, humanity has wondered what awaits us beyond our final breath. Is it the end of all existence, or the beginning of a new journey?

For me, this question goes beyond mere intellectual curiosity. It marks the starting point of my search for meaning and truth — the first step on a path that, I hope, will bring me closer to God. By examining the accounts of thousands of people who claim to have come close to death, I seek to better grasp the meaning of our existence… and to discern what God expects of me, of us.

This chapter explores these fascinating accounts from the frontiers of consciousness:

• The Near-Death Experiences (NDEs), lived by people who were declared clinically dead before returning to life, often permanently transformed;

• The Shared Death Experiences (NDEs), in which loved ones present at the death of someone close report perceiving phenomena similar to those experienced in NDEs;

• The Negative NDEs, less well known but equally striking, describing experiences of fear, emptiness, or suffering, sometimes followed by a profound awakening;

• The Post-mortem stages identified in the book “La vie après la mort – Pourquoi il faut y croire” (i.e. Life After Death – Why It Should Be Believed) (Olivier Chambon & Marie-Odile Riffard, 2020), based on NDE testimonies, mediumistic communications, spiritual hypnosis, and other experiences at the boundaries of consciousness.

Finally, this chapter examines what these individuals report having learned about God and about the meaning of life through these extraordinary experiences ( Lessons Received).