Stories of ghosts, near-death experiences and encounters with the afterlife continue to capture public attention, but author and near-death experience researcher Randy Kay says Christians should approach such claims with biblical discernment rather than curiosity alone.
Speaking with Bishop Alan DiDio, Kay argued that while genuine near-death experiences can occur, believers should reject the idea that deceased loved ones remain on Earth as ghosts and instead evaluate every supernatural claim against the truth of Scripture.
Ghosts or spiritual deception?
Kay acknowledged that many people who experience clinical death report briefly seeing their own bodies from above. However, he said those moments are temporary and should not be confused with departed loved ones lingering among the living.
“God did not intend anyone to stay here as a ghost,” Kay said.
He pointed to Scripture’s teaching that there is a fixed separation between this life and the next, adding that attempts to communicate with the dead through séances, Ouija boards or similar practices are not interactions with deceased believers.
“Those are demonic entities,” Kay said. “These deceptions that we’re seeing today in a probably unprecedented way are now intended to deceive the individual to draw their attention away from these true experiences which reveal the reality of Jesus Christ, the reality of heaven, and the reality of hell.”
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How Kay evaluates near-death experiences
Having interviewed more than 1,000 people who claim to have had near-death or afterlife experiences, Kay said he does not accept every account at face value.
Instead, he said he looks for several key indicators before considering an account credible:
- A documented clinical event — whether the experience occurred in a hospital, ambulance or other medical setting where clinical death or severe trauma can be verified.
- Corroborating evidence — confirmation from family members, medical personnel or others who can verify the circumstances surrounding the event.
- Biblical consistency — whether the experience aligns with Scripture rather than contradicting it.
- Patterns across other testimonies — whether the account shares consistent details found in numerous other credible Christian near-death experiences.
- The person’s motivation — whether they are sharing the experience to glorify God or seeking attention or personal recognition, which Kay called “a red flag.”
“We’re looking for what is consistent with Scripture, because anything that is not we take those out,” he said.
Jesus is the defining test
Kay cautioned that supernatural experiences alone are not proof that someone encountered heaven.
“We know that Satan can be an angel of light,” he said. “The light in and of itself is not an indicator of whether they’re meeting God or having what we would call a heaven experience.”
Likewise, he said feelings of peace or joy are not enough to validate an encounter.
“The indicator of heaven is if they meet Jesus Christ,” Kay said. “That’s the indicator.”
As reports of supernatural experiences continue to circulate online, Kay encouraged Christians to exercise biblical discernment, testing every claim against Scripture and keeping Jesus Christ—not extraordinary experiences—as the foundation of their faith.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
