Appendix A

Glossary of Key Terms

A reader's guide to the medical, philosophical, theological, and biblical-language vocabulary used throughout this book

Terms are arranged alphabetically. Cross-references appear in italics.

Throughout this book I use words drawn from medicine, philosophy, theology, biblical studies, and the modern NDE research literature. Many will be new to you, and some carry technical meanings different from everyday speech. This glossary gathers the most important terms so you can read any chapter and look up an unfamiliar word. I have aimed for definitions a thoughtful reader without seminary training can grasp on a first reading. For further reading, see Appendix E (Annotated Bibliography).¹

A

Annihilationism. The view that the unsaved, after the final judgment, will cease to exist rather than suffer endless conscious torment. Often paired with conditional immortality. Annihilationism affirms a real divine judgment but holds that the second death (Revelation 20:14) means the actual end of the person, not unending pain.

Anthropomorphism. The use of human language and imagery to describe God (for example, God's "arm," "eyes," or "anger"). Some critics argue that NDE descriptions of God are merely anthropomorphic projections, but I argue throughout this book that the consistency, depth, and veridical content of NDE God-encounters resists that reduction.

Apologetics. The reasoned defense of the Christian faith. NDE research provides what I call experiential apologetics—evidence drawn from dying patients that supports the reality of God, the soul, and the afterlife.

AWARE Study (AWARE I and AWARE II). Two prospective hospital studies led by critical-care physician Sam Parnia (the AWAreness during REsuscitation studies). They placed visual targets on high shelves to test whether out-of-body NDErs could later report what they saw from above. AWARE I (2014) and AWARE II (2023) confirmed the persistence of conscious mental activity during cardiac arrest.

B

Beatific Vision. The classical theological term for the direct, unmediated seeing of God enjoyed by the redeemed in glory. Some NDErs describe an experience that approaches—but does not equal—the beatific vision proper, since they are visiting the intermediate state, not the final new creation.

Being of Light. A figure of overwhelming radiance, love, and personal presence encountered by many NDErs. Some experiencers identify the being as Jesus; others describe simply "God" or "love itself." I argue that not every being of light is automatically Jesus (see discernment) but that the consistent attributes reported—holiness, omniscient love, total acceptance combined with moral seriousness—match the biblical portrait of the risen Christ.

Body. In biblical anthropology, the material part of the human person. Greek sōma (σῶμα), Hebrew basar (בָּשָׂר). Scripture treats the body as good (Genesis 1:31), as the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19), and as destined for resurrection. The body is not a prison from which the soul escapes; it is part of who we are and will be glorified.

Border or Barrier. A point in many NDEs at which the experiencer senses that crossing further would mean not returning to bodily life. The border may appear as a fence, a stream, a wall of light, or simply an inner certainty: "It is not your time."

Brain Death. The total and irreversible cessation of all brain activity, including the brainstem. Brain death is legally and medically recognized as death in most countries. It is distinct from cardiac arrest, which can be reversed by resuscitation.

C

Cardiac Arrest. The sudden stopping of the heart and effective circulation. Within 10–20 seconds, the brain loses enough blood flow that consciousness should cease. Yet many cardiac arrest survivors report vivid NDEs during this period.²

Cessationism. The theological view that certain miraculous gifts and forms of supernatural revelation ended with the apostolic age. Strict cessationism is sometimes used to dismiss NDEs as either fraud or demonic, since (the argument goes) God no longer reveals Himself this way. I respond to this view in chapters 30–32.

Chalcedonian Christology. The teaching of the Council of Chalcedon (AD 451) that Jesus Christ is one divine Person with two complete natures—truly God and truly man—united "without confusion, without change, without division, without separation." Christ's human nature includes a real human soul. This doctrine is decisive for the case against physicalism (see chapter 35).³

Christology. The branch of theology dealing with the person and work of Christ.

Clinical Death. The cessation of heartbeat and breathing. Unlike brain death, clinical death can sometimes be reversed by CPR or defibrillation. Many NDEs occur during clinical death.

Conditional Immortality. The view that immortality is not an inherent property of the human soul but a gift granted by God to those united to Christ. The unsaved, on this view, finally cease to exist rather than living forever in hell. I hold this position with openness to a careful, biblically grounded universalism (see chapter 23).

Conscious Intermediate State. The condition of the soul between bodily death and the future resurrection, during which the person is fully aware—not asleep, not unconscious. Scripture supports this in Luke 16:19–31; 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:6–8; Philippians 1:21–23; Revelation 6:9–11. NDEs provide remarkable empirical support for this biblical teaching.⁴

D

DBE (Deathbed Experience). An experience reported by a dying person, usually in the hours, days, or weeks before death, in which they see deceased loved ones, angels, heavenly landscapes, or Jesus. Unlike NDEs, DBE experiencers typically do not recover. DBEs have been documented for centuries across cultures.

DBV (Deathbed Vision). A synonym for DBE, used especially in the older research literature (e.g., Osis and Haraldsson's At the Hour of Death).

Demonic Hijacking. The corruption of an otherwise genuine spiritual experience by demonic deception. Following Shaun Tabatt, I argue that Satan tries to take what God means for good and twist it. Hijacking helps explain why some NDEs include clearly unbiblical content (such as messages of reincarnation or pantheism) without forcing us to dismiss every NDE wholesale.⁵

Distressing NDE. An NDE marked by darkness, fear, isolation, void-like emptiness, or hellish imagery. Researchers Nancy Evans Bush and Barbara Rommer have classified several subtypes. I argue that distressing NDEs correspond to Hades, not Gehenna, and that some include demonic interference.

E

Ecumenical Councils. The seven church councils (Nicaea I, Constantinople I, Ephesus, Chalcedon, Constantinople II, Constantinople III, Nicaea II) whose doctrinal decisions are accepted as binding by the great majority of historic Christian traditions. Their teachings on the Trinity, the incarnation, and human nature shape this book's theological framework.

Emergentism. The philosophical view that the mind "emerges" from sufficiently complex brain activity but is not identical to it. A common position among Christian physicalists. I argue that emergentism cannot adequately explain the survival of consciousness during cardiac arrest, when the underlying physical complexity has shut down.

Eschatology. The doctrine of "last things"—death, judgment, the intermediate state, the resurrection, the return of Christ, and the new creation.

Eternal Conscious Torment (ECT). The traditional view that the unsaved suffer endless, conscious punishment in hell. I reject ECT in favor of conditional immortality with openness to universal reconciliation, but I take ECT defenders seriously and engage their arguments fairly.

F

Flatline EEG (Isoelectric EEG). A flat reading on the electroencephalogram, indicating no measurable electrical activity in the cortex. Pam Reynolds famously had a flatline EEG (along with no brainstem response and no blood in her brain) at the moment she was reporting a vivid out-of-body experience—the kind of data point physicalism cannot easily absorb.

G

Gehenna. Greek Geenna (γέεννα). The final place of judgment for the irredeemably wicked, often translated "hell" in English Bibles. Gehenna is distinct from Hades; the two are sometimes conflated in popular Christian speech but consistently distinguished in the Greek New Testament.

Greyson NDE Scale. The most widely used research instrument for identifying and quantifying NDEs, developed by psychiatrist Bruce Greyson in 1983. Sixteen items measure cognitive, affective, paranormal, and transcendental features of the experience. A score of 7 or higher counts as a "true" NDE for research purposes.⁶

H

Hades. Greek Hadēs (ᾅδης). The intermediate state of the unsaved dead before final judgment—a place of conscious awareness and varying degrees of distress (Luke 16:19–31). Hades is real but temporary. At the final judgment, Hades itself is "thrown into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:14).

Hard Problem of Consciousness. Philosopher David Chalmers's term for the puzzle of why and how subjective experience (the felt quality of seeing red, tasting coffee, feeling pain) arises at all from physical processes. Physicalism has no convincing answer; substance dualism explains it naturally.

Holistic Dualism. The view, defended by John W. Cooper, that the human person is a unity of body and soul in normal life, yet the soul can survive bodily death until reunited with the body at the resurrection. Holistic dualism affirms ontological dualism without Platonic body-hostility. I adopt this position throughout the book.⁷

Hypostatic Union. The doctrine that the divine and human natures of Christ are united in one Person (Greek hypostasis, ὑπόστασις) without mixing or separation. The union preserves both natures and requires that Christ's humanity include a genuine human soul.

I

Image of God (Imago Dei). The biblical teaching that human beings are created in God's image (Genesis 1:26–27), which grounds human dignity, relational capacity, moral responsibility, and the value of every life from conception to death.

Intermediate State. The period and condition between bodily death and the future bodily resurrection. The biblical writers consistently treat this as a real, conscious state—not nonexistence, not soul sleep.

L

Life Review. A common NDE feature in which the experiencer relives scenes from their life, often from the perspective of those affected by their actions. The life review is not condemnation but moral illumination—a seeing of one's own life through eyes of love and truth. Many NDErs describe it as the most life-changing element of their experience.

M

Mediumship. The practice of attempting to contact the spirits of the dead. Scripture forbids mediumship as a form of necromancy (Leviticus 19:31; 20:6, 27; Deuteronomy 18:10–12). Some NDErs are drawn into mediumship after their experiences; I treat this as a misinterpretation and a spiritually dangerous turn (chapter 28).

Mind-Body Problem. The philosophical question of how mind and body relate. Substance dualism, property dualism, physicalism, and panpsychism are all proposed answers.

Monism. Any view that holds the human person consists of only one kind of substance. Materialist monism (physicalism) is the most common modern form; some Christian theologians defend a Christian materialism that affirms only the body and its emergent properties.

N

NDE (Near-Death Experience). A profound experience reported by a person who is medically near death, clinically dead, or in a life-threatening situation, typically including features such as out-of-body perception, a sense of moving through a tunnel or passage, encountering a being of light, meeting deceased loved ones, a life review, and an experience of overwhelming love.⁸

NDERF (Near-Death Experience Research Foundation). The research database founded in 1998 by radiation oncologist Jeffrey Long. It now contains thousands of self-reported NDE accounts, making it the largest such collection in the world. NDERF data forms the empirical backbone of much recent NDE research, including J. Steve Miller's analyses of Jesus encounters and biblical compatibility.⁹

Necromancy. Attempting to contact or summon the dead. Forbidden by Scripture. Distinct from genuine NDEs, in which a living person passively encounters deceased loved ones during their own near-death event without trying to summon them.

Nephesh. Hebrew nephesh (נֶפֶשׁ), often translated "soul," "life," or "person." A flexible term for the living self. The Old Testament use of nephesh is one major battleground in the dualism-vs-physicalism debate.

New Heavens and New Earth. The final, glorified creation that follows the bodily resurrection and final judgment (Isaiah 65:17; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21–22). This is not what NDErs visit; they visit the intermediate paradise. The new creation has not yet been revealed.

O

OBE (Out-of-Body Experience). The experience of perceiving the world from a location outside one's physical body. Most NDEs include an OBE phase. Veridical OBEs—where the experiencer reports accurate, verifiable perceptions during cardiac arrest or general anesthesia—are the most evidentially powerful NDE feature.

P

Paradise. Greek paradeisos (παράδεισος). The blessed intermediate dwelling where the righteous dead are with Christ (Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 12:4). Sometimes called "Abraham's bosom" (Luke 16:22) or "the third heaven" (2 Corinthians 12:2). Heaven in this intermediate sense is vast—large enough that two NDErs can describe quite different landscapes without contradiction.

Past-Life Memory (in NDEs). Apparent memories of "previous lives" reported in some NDEs. I reject reincarnation as incompatible with Hebrews 9:27. Such reports likely stem from demonic deception, the experiencer's prior beliefs, or misinterpretation of vivid imagery (see chapter 24).

Person and Nature (theological). In classical Christology, nature refers to what someone is (e.g., human, divine), while person refers to who someone is. Christ has two natures (divine and human) but is one Person. The distinction is also vital for understanding the soul as the bearer of personal identity.

Physicalism (Reductive). The strong view that mental states are nothing more than brain states—reducible to neurochemistry without remainder. On reductive physicalism, "you" are your brain, full stop.

Physicalism (Nonreductive / Christian Materialism). The view that the human person is purely material, but that mental activity (thought, emotion, will) cannot be wholly reduced to neuroscience. Defenders include Nancey Murphy and Joel Green. Although these scholars affirm the resurrection, they deny a soul that survives between death and resurrection. The veridical NDE evidence in this book directly challenges nonreductive physicalism.

Pneuma. Greek pneuma (πνεῦμα), "spirit" or "breath." Used of God's Spirit, of the human spirit, and of created spiritual beings.

Postmortem Opportunity. The view that God offers some opportunity for repentance and saving faith after bodily death—at minimum, at or during the final judgment. I hold this view alongside conditional immortality. It is distinct from a guaranteed universal salvation: not every postmortem encounter ends in faith.

Property Dualism. The view that mental properties are non-physical but that there is only one kind of substance (the body). I treat property dualism as inadequate to support a conscious intermediate state, since when the body fails, the mental properties have nothing to attach to.

Psyche. Greek psychē (ψυχή), "soul" or "life." In the New Testament, psychē can refer to physical life, to the inner self, or to the part of the person that survives bodily death (Matthew 10:28; Revelation 6:9).

Psychopannychism (Soul Sleep). The view that the soul "sleeps" unconsciously between bodily death and resurrection. Held by some seventh-day groups and a minority of evangelical theologians. I reject soul sleep as inconsistent with Luke 23:43, Philippians 1:21–23, 2 Corinthians 5:6–8, Revelation 6:9–11, and the cumulative weight of NDE evidence for a conscious intermediate state.

Q

Qualia. The felt, subjective qualities of experience—the redness of red, the painfulness of pain, the loveliness of a melody. Qualia are notoriously difficult to explain on physicalist assumptions, which is why the hard problem of consciousness is "hard."

R

Reincarnation. The teaching that a soul passes through multiple successive lives in different bodies. Incompatible with Hebrews 9:27 ("it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment") and with the biblical framework of one life, one death, one judgment, and an eternal state.

Resurrection (Bodily). The future raising of the dead in glorified bodies (1 Corinthians 15; Philippians 3:21). The intermediate state ends, and embodied life resumes. The Christian hope is not a permanent disembodied existence in heaven but resurrection life in a renewed creation.

Ruach. Hebrew ruach (רוּחַ), "spirit," "wind," or "breath." Used of God's Spirit, of the human spirit, and of the breath of life.

S

Shared-Death Experience (SDE). An NDE-like experience reported by someone who is not dying but is in close emotional or physical proximity to a dying person—a spouse at a bedside, a clinician at a code, a relative in another room. SDEs include features such as seeing the dying person leave the body, encountering a being of light, or sharing a life review. They are powerful evidence against the "dying brain" hypothesis, since the SDE-experiencer's brain is healthy.

Sheol. Hebrew Sheol (שְׁאוֹל). The Old Testament term often translated "the grave," "the pit," or "the realm of the dead." Sheol is the rough Hebrew counterpart to Hades—the place of the dead before final judgment.

Soul. The immaterial part of the human person, capable of thought, will, emotion, and personal relation, and capable—by God's design—of surviving the death of the body until the resurrection. I follow Cooper and Farris in defending a holistic dualist account of the soul.¹⁰

Spirit. In Scripture, sometimes a synonym for soul (Matthew 10:28 contrasts body and soul; Hebrews 12:23 speaks of "the spirits of the righteous made perfect"); sometimes more narrowly the God-ward dimension of the soul. I treat soul and spirit as referring to the same single immaterial reality with different functional emphases, against trichotomy.

Substance. In classical philosophy, a fundamental kind of being that exists in itself rather than as a property of something else. The body is one substance; the soul is another. Together they form the integrated unity that is a human person.

Substance Dualism. The view that a human being is composed of two distinct substances—a material body and an immaterial soul—each capable of existing independently of the other. The soul is not merely a function of the brain; it bears personal identity through bodily death and into the resurrection.¹¹

T

Terminal Lucidity. The unexpected return of clear, coherent mental functioning shortly before death in patients whose brains are severely impaired by dementia, tumor, or stroke. Documented in the medical literature for over a century. Treated at length in chapter 34.

Triduum Mortis. Latin, "the three days of death." The classical theological term for the period between Christ's death on Good Friday and His resurrection on Easter Sunday. The triduum requires that Christ's human soul be capable of separated existence from His body, since His body lay in the tomb while His soul "descended" (1 Peter 3:18–19; cf. the Apostles' Creed). The triduum is therefore a Christological argument for substance dualism.¹²

Tunnel Experience. A common NDE feature in which the experiencer perceives moving rapidly through a tunnel, passage, or corridor toward a light. Reported across cultures and ages, though more frequently in adult Western accounts than in children's NDEs.

U

Universalism. The view that all persons will ultimately be saved through Christ. Conservative biblical universalism (sometimes called "evangelical universalism" or "ultimate reconciliation") holds that final salvation comes only through Christ and may include genuine postmortem judgment, but that God's redemptive love finally wins. I treat conservative universalism as a serious option (chapter 23) without yet fully embracing it.

V

Veridical NDE. An NDE in which the experiencer reports verified, accurate information they could not have obtained through normal sensory channels given their medical condition. Veridical cases—Pam Reynolds, the AWARE study denture case, Maria's tennis shoe, blind NDErs reporting visual content—are the strongest single category of evidence in this book and the central reason a thoughtful Christian should take NDEs seriously.