Scripture, Not Sensation: Why Theology Cannot Be Built on Visions
Healthy theology cannot be built on private visions. It must be grounded in the text—its language, its context, and its coherent witness. My conclusions do not arise from what someone claims to have seen in a vision, during a coma, or after a near-death episode, but from what the biblical authors actually wrote and meant within their Jewish worldview.
The foundation of doctrine is not personal experience. It is Scripture.
The Problem with Near-Death Experiences as Authority
Near-death experiences (NDEs) are often presented as compelling evidence for what awaits us beyond death. But there is a serious problem: they contradict one another.
Some describe a realm where all people appear healed, joyful, and at peace. Others recount scenes of terror, darkness, and torment. They cannot all be correct. When “experiences and “visions” compete with one another, they cancel each other out. They cannot function as final authority.
Scripture, however, does not contradict itself in this way. When Scripture speaks, it stands.
What Science Actually Suggests
Research indicates that in the moments before, during, and immediately after clinical death, the brain undergoes a massive surge of neurotransmitters—dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine among them. This chemical cascade, often part of a terminal spike in brain activity, is believed to contribute to intense experiences: feelings of peace, dread, heightened awareness, or vivid imagery.1,2
Researchers also note that the brain may remain active for at least thirty seconds after the cardiovascular system has ceased functioning. In such a state, it is not unreasonable to assume that pre-existing beliefs about the afterlife shape the structure of the experience itself.
In other words, if someone already expects light and angels, or flames and judgment, the mind under extreme neurological stress may supply imagery consistent with those expectations.
This does not mean people are lying. It means human consciousness is complex, especially at the edge of death. But it does mean such experiences are subjective and cannot serve as doctrinal authority.
Experience Is Not Revelation
As a theologian and Bible scholar, I am not interpreting dreams, visions, or subjective encounters. I am interpreting Scripture.
The Bible—not NDEs, not testimonies, not emotional stories—is the standard. Experiences may be meaningful to individuals, but they are not the measuring rod of truth.
Whenever someone shares a vivid dream or vision of the afterlife, I am reminded of Jeremiah’s warning:
“Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord…. I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’ How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds?”
So, bottom line, when it comes to doctrine, I believe it’s best to stick with Scripture rather than personal experience, including NDEs…
I invite you to reconsider the doctrine of hell from a thoroughly biblical and historically grounded perspective in my book HELL: A Jewish Perspective. In it, we carefully examine the relevant passages, explore their original linguistic and cultural context, and trace the historical development of the doctrine. The goal is not to provoke, but to return to the text itself and allow Scripture, rather than inherited tradition, to shape our understanding.
- Berit Brogaard, “What Really Happens When You Die, According to Science,” Psychology Today, November 2, 2024.
↩︎ - Jimo Borjigin et al., “Surge of Neurophysiological Coherence and Connectivity in the Dying Brain,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2023. ↩︎
