In the ongoing debate over the reality of God, heaven, and life after death, there is one element that everyone agrees on – all questions are answered at the moment of death.

It is the moment of that last heartbeat that reveals the truth. Either there is nothingness, or the spirit is released from the body that has held it captive and allows it to reunite with those who have passed before or continue to exist in a state of perpetual bliss or perpetual torment. Either way, with one notable exception, that moment of passage appears to be a one-way journey.

Or is it?

From time to time, a story surfaces of someone who claims to have died, passed into the afterlife and returned, usually with a message of hope. Some claim that they were told that it was not yet their time.

The naysayers, many within the scientific community, will propose various chemical/electrical reactions within a dying brain that cause a hallucination. They would have us believe that such an experience is more likely the last gasp dream of a dying brain.

If we apply our logic filter to this theory, it comes up short.

It is not uncommon for any of us to have a vivid or frightening dream. While the residual effects of such a dream may linger when we awaken, ultimately, we recognize that it was merely a dream. In our conscious state, we don’t cling to the thought that it was an actual experience.

Most of us quickly lose any memory of the details of a dream within minutes of awakening.

Those who claim to have journeyed beyond death’s veil and returned, however, are usually adamant that their experience was no fantasy. They are usually able to recount their experience in vivid detail, even to the point of describing accurate details of unknown siblings or deceased relatives they never met in life.

Perhaps the greatest proof of existence beyond the moment of physical death is the change in the mindset of those who have experienced a return trip.

Many find themselves dedicated to a new path in their lives. Many feel the urge to speak of their experience and bring hope to others. Many find the stress of life has diminished.

More importantly, they no longer fear death.

If we apply our logic and understanding of scientific principles to this question, we will recognize that there is ample evidence of the existence of a spiritual realm beyond the reach of our five senses. And while the Bible does not explicitly acknowledge the existence of a spiritual realm as we might now describe it, neither does the Bible mention planets in orbit around distant stars or the structure of the atom.

The fact that something was not mentioned in the Bible does not exclude it from existence. The Bible is, after all, an operating manual, not an encyclopedia.

As for those who, in their arrogance, deny the possibility that God does exist, there is still hope for discovery of the truth.

And that truth is only a heartbeat away.