There is probably nothing more universal in human experience than the fear of death. It is a fear that knows no boundaries, no language, no nationalities, no political labels. It is a fear of something that is inevitable. It is also a fear of the unknown. Ultimately, we struggle with the persistent feeling that all that we are, all of our memories, all of our accumulated knowledge cannot simply cease to be. There must be more. There must be an afterlife where our consciousness continues to exist.

So, what is the truth?

It is safe to say that the bedrock foundation of our fear of death is fear of the unknown. Adding to our anxiety, we struggle with the question that only serves to amplify our fears – is the belief of an afterlife a result of wishful thinking or is it a sign of some basic instinct or memory?

One roadblock to peace of mind is that organized religion promotes the concept that there are stringent conditions for admittance to the heavenly afterlife. Some believe that any communication with the afterlife must be a work of evil. Some believe that death is the end of existence – like turning off a light switch.

Yet, the evidence, however tenuous, clearly supports the idea that our existence is something more than our physical being.

So, what is this evidence that gives us hope?

It is a gift of the age we live in, that we are able to access tremendous amounts of information. An additional gift is that alternate views are not easily silenced. Consequently, we are able to access many voices who claim to have temporarily transitioned into the afterlife and returned. The sheer volume of these reports, and the similarities between those reports, are strong evidence of the reality they represent. Perhaps the strongest evidence is those rare reports that come from children who talk of meeting relatives who passed before the child was born.

In addition to contemporary accounts, there is a history of tales of ghosts, spirits, and angelic visitors, including mentions in the Bible itself. We must conclude that, even if we don’t understand it, there is another realm of existence.

Our logic filter comes in handy when judging the likelihood of the afterlife. Through our science, we have learned that there are so many elements of our universe that we don’t understand, that virtually anything is possible. Armed with that knowledge, and an awareness of our human limitations, we can calm our fears by accepting that there truly is existence after physical death.

As much as we might see faith and logic in conflict, this is one case where we can use logic to support our faith. As evidence accumulates supporting the reality of an afterlife, it serves to strengthen our faith. Now, we can recognize, that death is merely a transition from one realm to a higher realm – like walking through a doorway into another room.

For those who fear that death means “missing out” on some of life’s experiences, there is comfort in some of the narratives of those who have passed through that door and returned. Many of those accounts relate that they believed they had returned to their true home and they felt at peace and surrounded by love.

Perhaps we need to embrace the understanding that death is a release from the struggles and pain of earthly existence and a return to a loving home.