Predating all organized religion, the belief in an afterlife is fundamental to the human experience and dates back at least to the Neanderthals.

By the mid-19th century, however, spurred by the progress of science, many people began to question the existence of an afterlife, and the doctrine of materialism—which believes that consciousness is a creation of the brain—began to spread. Now, armed with scientific evidence, Chris Carter challenges materialist arguments against consciousness surviving death and shows how near-death experiences (NDEs) may truly provide a glimpse of an awaiting afterlife.

See Science and the Near-Death Experience for more information.