Now administering third-eyed drugs.

Welcome back to The Mind Meld, my friends.

Hope you're spectacular.

And I have to say of all the mysteries, all the curiosities,

all the wonderful terrifying, awesome milieu that add up to being the being that we call human.

There are a few, if any, as compelling as the knowledge that we're temporary,

that sooner or later, the micalling shall end.

The hassle-hoffing shall be unraveled.

The Montel Williams-ing shall be undone.

Or will it?

I mean, more precisely, what exactly is our essence?

Is our consciousness even dependent upon this meat?

Who knows?

That said, though, the liminal moments between life and death have actually been studied

quite extensively.

On top of that, it's actually been experienced by more people than you might think.

According to a survey by the International Association for Near Death Studies,

yes, that is a thing, somewhere between four and 15% of all people have had an NDE.

And I'm not talking about people almost getting hit by a truck or smushed by a piano,

or something.

I'm talking about people who actually began going through the death process,

but then through some medical intervention or grace were brought back from the brink.

...