Stories of Surviving Death

By: Andrew Honigman

“Does the soul survive the death of the body?”

This, along with “Why are we here?” is one of the great unanswered questions of human existence. And like that other question, it is one we mere mortals must have answered on faith, if at all. Science, religion, and philosophy have never been able to agree on whether anything like the soul exists (as a personality or consciousness separate from the body), let alone whether it survives bodily death.

Of course, most humans follow creeds of one sort or another which offer an explanation of what happens after death. Followers of the monotheistic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and their many offshoots) tend to believe in an afterlife existence in which individual souls are either rewarded or punished for their earthly actions. Followers of Eastern religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism) typically believe in a cycle of rebirth and reincarnation, in which each individual is destined to return to earthly existence countless times and in countless forms. Finally, some scientific materialists are quite certain that any talk of the soul or the afterlife is nonsense.

For these materialists, the soul is a nonsensical proposition because it is something for which no valid evidence exists. Is this true? If there were such a thing as an immortal soul, as it is commonly understood, what sort of indications might we expect to find? If immortal souls exist and have some capability of interacting with the living, we should certainly expect to find support for this. And in fact, such evidence does exist.

Millions of people, from the beginning of recorded history, have reported significant experiences that inspired or confirmed their belief in the existence of the soul and of its survival after death. Departed souls have contacted the living, bringing messages and information about the afterlife. Persons returned from the brink of death (or beyond) have given reports on what they saw and experienced. Prior incarnations have been recalled, and sometimes verified with surprising accuracy.

For more than fifty years, FATE magazine has provided a forum for the discussion of unexplained phenomena of all kinds, including UFOs, psychic abilities, mysterious creatures, historical mysteries, and life after death. Contributions from readers have always been featured prominently in FATE. Very early in the magazine's history, the editors added a feature called “My Proof of Survival,” a section dedicated to readers' reports bearing on the subject of life after death.

In the forty-nine years since the debut of “My Proof of Survival,” FATE has published more than two thousand stories of this nature. The FATE archives represent an unparalleled resource for anyone researching the question of afterlife survival.

I have worked as a FATE editor for the past four years. Though some of my more skeptical friends chuckle a bit at FATE's subject matter, nearly everyone I know (skeptics included) has shared with me an unusual story or two that they thought would be “good for FATE.” I am more and more convinced that strange and unexplainable experiences are not so uncommon.

About two years ago, my fellow former FATE intern Jennifer Spees compiled a book called True Mystic Experiences featuring stories found in the FATE department of that name. Following Jen's lead, I began to think about compiling a FATE book of my own. Nancy Mostad, Llewellyn's Acquisitions Director, suggested doing a book of stories from “My Proof of Survival.” I wrote up a proposal, Llewellyn's acquisitions committee accepted it, and my work was underway.

I began by reading hundreds of stories from FATE's archives. Fortunately, I had just purchased a huge collection of back issues from the daughter of a long-time FATE subscriber. My apartment became quite a mess as I got further and further into the process: hundreds of FATEs scattered about, along with all the tiny scraps of paper I used as bookmarks. (“Let's see, have I read January 1975 yet? And where did that laptop disappear to?”)

The book went through a first draft, then a second. Input from Llewellyn's editors and readers helped me decide which stories to keep and which to cut, and how to make the manuscript stronger. At last, nearly two years after the initial proposal, I turned in my final edit. I did not realize it took so long to get a book in print, but now those long production schedules make sense to me.

I am grateful for Jen's example and Nancy's encouragement, as well as for the support and input I received from many others: Nanette Peterson, Joanna Willis, and Tom Bilstad in the editorial department, Phyllis Galde and David Godwin at FATE, Megan Atwood in acquisitions, Amy Martin in marketing, and Carl and Sandra Weschcke. My Proof of Survival won't solve the question of life after death. I expect that will always remain a mystery for the living. But if you are looking for evidence of the afterlife, this book will give you plenty to think about.

True Hauntings: Spirits with a Purpose

Do spirits feel and think? Does death automatically promote them to a paradise-or as some believe, a hell? Real-life ghostbuster Dr. Hazel M. Denning reveals the answers through case histories of the friendly and hostile earthbound spirits she has encountered. Learn the reasons spirits remain entrapped in the vibrational force field of the earth: fear of going to the other side, desire to protect surviving loved ones, and revenge. Dr. Denning also shares fascinating case histories involving spirit possession, psychic attack, mediumship and spirit guides. Find out why spirits haunt us in True Hauntings , the only book of its kind written from the perspective of the spirits themselves.

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