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00:00 Death is an inevitable part of the human experience, yet remains one of the greatest mysteries
00:06 that we grapple with.
00:07 According to the World Health Organization, approximately 60 million people die every
00:12 year and the global average life expectancy hovers around 73 years old.
00:17 But these figures, while daunting, only scratch the surface of the complex and varied nature
00:22 of how death is viewed and felt.
00:25 And for many, the great unknown of what happens after death is one of our most profound and
00:30 unanswered questions.
00:31 In this video, we're taking a closer look at one particularly emotive aspect.
00:37 This is Unveiled, and today we're answering the extraordinary question; Will you see loved
00:42 ones after you die?
00:45 Do you need the big questions answered?
00:47 Are you constantly curious?
00:48 Then why not subscribe to Unveiled for more clips like this one?
00:51 And ring the bell for more thought-provoking content.
00:55 Throughout history, human beings all over the globe have pondered what happens after
00:59 we take our final breath.
01:01 And one especially prevalent belief that transcends cultural and religious boundaries is the idea
01:06 of being reunited with friends and family, with your loved ones.
01:10 Rightly or wrongly, it's a concept that has been woven into the fabric of our species'
01:15 thought for centuries, stemming from religious doctrines, legend and folklore, and spiritual
01:21 traditions.
01:22 From today's most followed religion, Christianity, to the core beliefs in ancient Egyptian mythology,
01:28 it's said, and has been said, that the deceased will meet again with whomever they've lost.
01:33 Assuming, of course, that you don't end up in whichever version of hell or the underworld
01:38 that your culture threatens.
01:40 In general, however, we know that so much of what we tell ourselves about death is deeply
01:44 rooted in the human psyche.
01:47 At its simplest, mortality is a very difficult thing to come to terms with, and some argue
01:52 that actually we never fully accept or understand it.
01:55 Terror-management theory says that really everything we do is in some way influenced
02:00 by our underlying realisation that we will one day die.
02:04 And the curious balance between the inevitability but also unpredictability of our own looming
02:09 demise is what guides all of our thoughts and decisions.
02:13 In this case, it's specifically why it's so widely said that we will be reunited with
02:18 loved ones in the ever-after.
02:20 It's a thought that offers comfort and hope in the face of mortality, no matter which
02:25 religion, story, or theory is presenting it.
02:28 It's an idea that provides solace, and assures everyone that the bonds forged in life will
02:33 persist beyond the physical realm.
02:36 But of course, as everyone alive right now is, well, alive, the classic sticking point
02:41 in all life-after-death conversations is that no one has empirical, testable proof of what
02:46 awaits.
02:47 As obvious as it is to say, no one alive right now is dead.
02:52 And while there are many who've survived major scares, including long periods of time
02:57 when their heartbeat has flatlined, it's a plain fact that anyone offering any kind
03:01 of theory, recollection, or depiction of the afterlife has first and foremost lived to
03:07 tell the tale.
03:09 Religions preach the need for faith.
03:11 Many legends depend on the acceptance of otherworldly or spiritual conditions.
03:16 But in the cold, hard light of the scientific day, the afterlife is incredibly, inescapably
03:21 hazy.
03:22 It's little wonder, then, that society has come to be so fascinated by near-death
03:27 experiences, or NDEs.
03:29 These are profound, often transformative episodes that occur when individuals are on the brink
03:34 of death, or have clinically died before being resuscitated.
03:38 And while the scientific community remains divided on the interpretation of NDEs, they
03:43 undeniably offer intriguing insights.
03:46 And in some cases, they seemingly add a great deal to this overriding notion of reuniting
03:51 with those you love.
03:52 One of the most well-known cases of an NDE that seemingly involved just such a reunion
03:57 was that of Betty J. Eady.
04:00 In her 1992 book, Embraced by the Light, Eady recounts her experience of dying during surgery,
04:06 only to be, somewhat miraculously, brought back around a short while afterwards.
04:12 In the intervening period, however, Eady claims to have had a profound experience that would
04:17 remain imprinted in her mind from that point forward.
04:20 And one of the key aspects of what she says happened to her is that she met deceased family
04:25 members in a setting variously described as being "bathed in a radiant, loving light".
04:30 Her vivid descriptions of the afterlife and the emotional reunion with loved ones resonated
04:35 with many readers back in the early 90s, and Eady's story is still widely cited as one
04:41 of the most convincing of its type to date.
04:44 Next, and to the neurosurgeon, Eben Alexander, who chronicled another compelling NDE case
04:49 in his 2012 book, Proof of Heaven.
04:52 Here, while Alexander claims to have always been a man of science, he says that his views
04:57 were wholly changed after he contracted a rare form of meningitis, was placed into a
05:02 days-long coma with seemingly little chance of survival, but was ultimately able to pull
05:08 through.
05:09 Whilst in the coma and heavily monitored by doctors, Alexander says that he journeyed
05:14 to an angelic realm with music and light and euphoria all around.
05:19 What sets his story apart, however, is that he encountered one particular figure there,
05:24 a woman who reportedly "rode on the wings of a butterfly" and was a guardian for him
05:29 while he was in this other place.
05:31 What's strange, though, is that shortly after Alexander came out of this coma in the here
05:36 and now, he was sent a photograph from his estranged biological family, who he had been
05:41 trying to meet in the weeks and months before he was suddenly taken ill.
05:45 The photograph was of his biological sister, Betsy, who had died years beforehand and whom
05:50 Alexander had, as a result, never met.
05:53 Except, he had met her, because according to him, it was actually Betsy who he had seen
05:59 in the heaven he had visited, riding the butterfly and helping him through.
06:03 And finally, to the often cited story of one Pam Reynolds, whose NDE occurred while she
06:09 was having major brain surgery in 1991.
06:13 Reynolds had been admitted to a hospital following the discovery of a large aneurysm in an extremely
06:18 difficult location, close to her brain stem.
06:21 Her chances of survival were deemed to be very low, but she nevertheless underwent a
06:25 rare and radical operation which involved, among other things, dramatically reducing
06:30 her body temperature, putting her through an induced cardiac arrest, and draining the
06:35 blood from her head.
06:37 Ultimately, and as difficult a procedure as it was, it was a success.
06:41 But when Reynolds came around, she was able to recall certain aspects of what had happened
06:46 to her that astounded her doctors.
06:49 She claimed to have been taken out of her body during the hours-long operation, which
06:53 meant that she had been able to see the various instruments that were being used on her.
06:58 She also reported having heard conversations that were taking place around the operating
07:02 table, all while she was clinically dead, given the dramatic extent of her hospital
07:07 treatment.
07:08 Finally, though, and after some time, Reynolds claimed to have also seen people while she
07:12 was out, including her grandmother and uncle, with her uncle reportedly eventually leading
07:18 her back to her body to wake up.
07:21 So what's your verdict?
07:22 On the Pam Reynolds case, and also on those of Betty Eadie and Eben Alexander?
07:28 Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
07:30 All three have certainly come to be seen as key moments in the ever-lengthening history
07:34 of near-death experiences, not least because it's claimed within all of them that there
07:39 is some kind of post-death connection with those you know and love.
07:43 But of course, it's still true that, given the nature of mortality, science simply cannot
07:48 offer up any kind of empirical evidence.
07:51 It remains a hugely complex cultural matter.
07:55 Whether through shared narratives or personal experiences, ideas on the afterlife and of
08:00 a fated reunification clearly persist, offering a glimmer of hope in the face of the unknown.
08:06 But as science and spirituality continue to dance right along the edges of this one final
08:11 mystery, the question remains open.
08:14 Open to interpretation, to contemplation, to ongoing discussion, and all while humankind
08:20 continually strives for a deeper understanding of the true nature of life, death, and what
08:26 may lie beyond.
08:28 What do you think?
08:29 Is there anything we missed?
08:30 Let us know in the comments, check out these other clips from Unveiled, and make sure you
08:34 subscribe and ring the bell for our latest content.