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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.

Will You See Loved Ones After You Die? | Unveiled

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