In My Time of Dying: How I Came Face to Face with the Idea of an Afterlife

This is a condition of increased acidity in the blood and body tissues. In In My Time of Dying, acidosis is described as part of the trauma triad of death that can occur during severe blood loss. The book explains how acidosis can impair heart function and contribute to the body’s inability to recover from massive hemorrhage.

This theory, proposed by Robert Lanza, suggests that consciousness is a fundamental aspect of the universe, similar to gravity or electromagnetism. In the book, Junger explores this concept as a potential explanation for both quantum phenomena and subjective experiences of life.

This refers to a condition where the blood’s ability to clot is impaired. In My Time of Dying explains coagulopathy as a dangerous complication of massive blood loss. The narrative details how this condition can create a vicious cycle, where the inability to clot leads to further blood loss, which in turn worsens the coagulopathy.

This is a quantum physics experiment described in In My Time of Dying. Scientists focus a beam of light through an opaque surface in which there are two parallel slits to allow light to pass through. The light is projected onto a surface, creating interference patterns that render individual photons detectable. If a photon appears as if it arrived through a single slit, then it must have entered the experiment as a particle. If it appears to have traveled through both slits at once, then it must have been a wave. If the device is altered while the photon is in flight, the observed light matches the position of the slits, suggesting that the act of observation in the present alters events (the light passing through the slits as either a particle or a wave) in the past. Junger uses this concept to challenge conventional understandings of time and causality.

The dying brain hypothesis, as presented in In My Time of Dying, is a scientific explanation for near-death experiences that attributes these phenomena to the physiological changes occurring in the brain as it experiences severe stress or begins to shut down, suggesting that the vivid experiences reported during NDEs are hallucinations produced by a brain under extreme duress rather than evidence of an afterlife.

Endogenous DMT is a naturally occurring psychedelic compound in the human body. It is thought to be released in significant quantities during extreme stress or near-death experiences, potentially contributing to the vivid, hallucinatory aspects of these events.

This principle, formulated by German theoretical physicist Werner Heisenberg and explained in In My Time of Dying, states that it’s impossible to simultaneously know both the exact position and momentum of a particle. Junger discusses this principle as part of his exploration of quantum mechanics and its implications for the understanding of reality.

This is a life-threatening condition resulting from severe blood loss, leading to inadequate oxygen in vital organs. Junger experiences and describes this condition in detail in In My Time of Dying.

This refers to a dangerous drop in body temperature. In In My Time of Dying, hypothermia is described as both a symptom and a contributing factor in severe blood loss. The narrative explains how the body’s attempts to conserve energy during blood loss can lead to a drop in temperature, which in turn can worsen the body’s ability to clot blood.

In the context of In My Time of Dying, a life review is a common element of near-death experiences. Individuals report reliving or re-experiencing their entire lives in a rapid, often non-linear fashion, often accompanied by a sense of profound understanding and emotional intensity.

Limbic lobe syndrome, as discussed in Junger’s book, refers to stress reactions associated with the flood of neurochemicals in the brain’s limbic system during life-threatening situations. It is presented as a potential physiological explanation for the euphoric or transcendent aspects of near-death experiences.

MALS is presented in In My Time of Dying as a rare condition where the median arcuate ligament—a ligament under the diaphragm—compresses the celiac artery, restricting blood flow to the digestive organs. This condition was the underlying cause of Junger’s life-threatening aneurysm.

This concept suggests that all possibilities in one’s life are realized across an infinite number of parallel universes. Junger discusses this theory as one of several potential explanations for the nature of reality and consciousness.

A near-death experience, as explored in In My Time of Dying, is a profound psychological event that may occur when a person is close to death or in a situation of intense physical or emotional danger, often characterized by out-of-body sensations, encounters with deceased loved ones, feelings of peace or euphoria, and a sense of moving through a tunnel toward a bright light.

This is a principle of quantum mechanics stating that a physical system exists in all its possible states simultaneously until observed. Junger relates this concept to his state between life and death. The book uses this principle to explore the nature of consciousness and the boundary between life and death.

This refers to a famous thought experiment in quantum mechanics in which a cat is trapped in a closed box with a vial of poison that may or may not have broken, killing the cat. Until the box is opened, Schrödinger suggests, the cat is both alive and dead. Junger uses this thought experiment to illustrate his own experience of being between life and death. The book draws parallels between the uncertain state of Schrödinger’s cat and Junger’s own precarious existence during his medical crisis.