Thirty-seven years ago I was an oncologist resident, learning about how best to treat cancer using radiation. One day, I was flipping through a large volume of the Journal of the American Medical Association when I came across an article describing near-death experiences. It stopped me in my tracks. All my medical training told me you were either alive or dead. There was no in-between. But suddenly, I was reading from a cardiologist describing patients who had died and then came back to life, reporting very distinct, almost unbelievable experiences. When I finished my residency, I started the Near-Death Experience Research Foundation. I started collecting stories from people who had NDEs and evaluating them with the mind of a scientist and doctor. But in the face of overwhelming evidence, I've come to believe there's certainly an afterlife. No two NDEs are the same. But as I studied thousands of them, I saw a consistent pattern of events emerging in a predictable order. About 45% of people who have an NDE report an out-of-body experience. When this happens, their consciousness separates from their physical body, usually hovering above the body. I'm a medical doctor. I've read brain research and considered every possible explanation for NDEs. The bottom line is that none of them hold water. There isn't even a remotely plausible physical explanation for this phenomenon. And yet, my work with NDEs has made me a more compassionate and loving doctor.