Death is an unfortunate but inevitable part of life. But once they are dead, have our dearly departed really left us? As long as humans have lived and died, people have wondered about the possibility of life after death. Many believe in ghostsapparitions that appear to the living. Others believe in good or evil spiritsunseen forces in nature. There are mediums and others with psychic abilities who claim to communicate with or have a spiritual connection with the dead. And then, there are people who believe they have experienced near deathoften described as seeing a bright light, feeling secure, serene, warm, or the sensation of rising out of their bodies.