'After Death' is a measured, meaningful examination of NDE (Near Death Experience) testimony

Produced by the same company as Sound of Freedom

In my book Fire In The Rabbit Hole I warn about the growing cultural obsession with NDEs, psychedelic drugs, sensory deprivation, and related “new science” that purportedly leads to “consciousness expansion” through physically-induced processes. This stuff is very closely tied to the New Age deception, which seeks to break away from the confines of logic, objectivity, and truth — opening up the door to false teachings and even demonic encounters. That’s why I was highly skeptical of After Death, directed by Stephen Gray and produced by Angel Studios.

Having just watched it, I can say that I would now recommend it.

Near Death Experiences occur when a person’s body is dying, but they can still be resuscitated. During the process of dying, those who come back from the brink have reported very similar sensations and experiences. This film collects and compares the testimony of those who tasted death. It offers nothing in the way of narration, editorial opinions, or “breakthrough discoveries”, but instead lets scientists and survivors tell their stories and give their theories.

What I found most interesting is how their stories can be triangulated to form a bigger picture of what might be happening in the spiritual world. You can “read between the lines” to reach your own conclusions. For example, one man described the typical out of body experience, but was then led by evil spirits away from his body into a vast gloomy realm of darkness, being abused and taunted by what would presumably be demons, only for him to become desperate and call out to Jesus as they attacked him. He gets rescued by Christ and taken up to a beautiful realm of light and love… but he then gets into an argument with Jesus about what he’s supposed to do when he goes back to earth, and more or less fumbles the instructions when he wakes up, leading to broken relationships instead of deepening his love for his wife and family. The film doesn’t dwell on this fact, but you can easily deduce that even an NDE and meeting with Jesus didn’t get this guy quite on the right track. Another one became a chaplain for the US military, which is also a dubious way to serve God. Others are sorrowful, feeling that this life is what’s really “fake” compared to the hyper-reality of the afterlife. Another is filled with joy and loves to make a positive difference in people’s lives.

After Death explores the evidence, but does not give time to naysayers and doubters. It absolutely picks a side when it comes to the question of whether NDEs are real and profound windows into the existence of a spiritual world beyond this one. You can see how it might be used by Oneness preachers due to the subtext of some of the testimony, but the film itself doesn’t go there. It also warns that drugs do not actually produce the same effects, but only a limited bastardization of them.

Teens have been known to play games with unconsciousness and oxygen-deprivation in order to induce a sense of euphoria, and my fear is that in the New Age we will see drugs, anesthesia, and chemical compounds as a prescription for “spirit journeys” to the “other side”. This is one way to rebel against modern materialism while still straying far from the True Shepherd, Jesus Christ, who is the only “gateway” by which anyone can enter the Kingdom of God.