As a child growing up, religion just wasn't a topic of conversation around our house. My father came from a Catholic background, but I never knew him to attend church. My mother was raised as a Protestant. This was back in the days when Protestants and Catholics just didn't mix, so I had ZERO religious upbringing.

Back in my early work-a-day life, I was a branch manager for a national financial services firm. One of my representatives was very active in the Baptist church, and at one time had hosted one of the first religious radio shows in the area. Also, one of my very active clients was a Deacon at a local Lutheran church. They each engaged me in many philosophical/religious discussions, and I slowly began to awaken spiritually.

About that time, my father-in-law was hospitalized with emphysema. He was having a very difficult time, and we knew he might not survive.

One morning, I was in the shower, and he was on my mind as I worried about his prognosis, how my wife would deal with his death, etc. etc. Suddenly a voice came to me. This was not me having a conversation with myself. This was not my imagination. This was like 220 volts of pure power zapping my brain. If you ever hear this voice, you will KNOW it is real, and where it comes from.

The VOICE said, with infinite love and infinite power: "IF YOU CARE FOR HIM, PRAY FOR HIM." I was astounded. In reply I mentally spluttered: "...but...but...who would listen to ME? I'm not religious. Why me? Besides, here I am, naked in the shower....isn't that kind of blasphemous or sacrilegious or something?"

The VOICE immediately replied, still filled with infinite love and power, but this time with a bit of an "edge" to it, saying: "YOU ARE ALL NAKED BEFORE ME. PRAY FOR HIM".

So, right there in the shower, with the water running, naked as a jaybird, I got down on my knees, confessed my sins, baptized myself (I had never been baptized), and prayed for the healing of my father-in-law.

To make a long story short, he was released from the hospital a few days later and continued to live a fairly normal life for seven more years.

So what does all this have to do with the original question, you ask? The above incident had a profound change in my "spiritual outlook", and I began my own quest to find some answers. I no longer question the existence of "God" or "the Creator" or "the Source"....or whatever you choose to call the intelligence which created our universe. On the other hand, I DO question SOME of the religious teachings put forth by various religions. I kept feeling, deep inside my head, that there were better answers SOMEWHERE.

Enter Dr Eben Alexander, with his book "Proof of Heaven", which chronicles his personal NDE experience. There have been thousands of well-documented NDE's, but his was unique. I'm not sure he proved the existence of "Heaven" so much as he proved (at least to my satisfaction) that a type of conscienceness is not dependent on brain activity, since his NDE occurred while he was neurologically flatlined.

So, if "I am" doesn't come from the brain, where does it come from?

This question led me to the works of Drs. Brian Weiss ( Many Lives, Many Masters) and Dr Michael Newton (Journey of Souls ). Weiss deals with reincarnation, and how its part of the natural order, thru a case study. Newton deals with life in the spirit world, carefully compiled from hundreds of his personal case studies. It's eye opening and awe inspiring. Read these three books and you will be forever changed.

OK, so I'm definitely over 55 and I think of dying....but not the same way I used to. Read the books. I promise you will thank the authors.