In 1988, legendary country singer Johnny Cash had a brush with death—and a glimpse of life after life. Following heart surgery, he contracted double pneumonia. Even though he was hooked up to a respirator, his oxygen level dropped. As he started to fade, he heard the doctors shouting. Then everything went black.
Years later, in his book Cash: The Autobiography, he described the experience. In the darkness, the first thing he felt was a tremendous sense of peace. “Then a light grew around me, and soon it enveloped me, and it was more than light: it was the essence of light, a safe, warm, joyous brilliance growing brighter and more beautiful every moment,” he wrote. “I was unbelievably happy. I’ve never felt such utter joy.”
Suddenly, Johnny awoke in the…