Surviving a Near-Death Experience

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This chapter narrates a harrowing experience of a burst aneurysm in the speaker's pancreatic artery, detailing the initial denial of symptoms, remote location during the crisis, and the life-saving medical intervention. It delves into the speaker's reflection on survival, guilt, and the philosophical implications of narrowly escaping death, leading to a transition away from frontline reporting. The intense physical and emotional journey is explored, contrasting the surreal visions during the crisis with the meticulous process of reconstructing the near-death experience through medical records and introspection.

On a June night several years ago, Sebastian Junger, bestselling author of "The Perfect Storm" and co-director of the Oscar-nominated documentary "Restrepo," lay on an operating table, dying. An undiagnosed aneurysm in his pancreatic artery had ruptured, flooding his abdominal cavity with blood. His odds of survival were between 10 and 20 percent. "I said, 'Doc, you got to hurry. You're losing me right now. I'm going.'" This near-death experience inspired him to embark on a scientific, philosophical, and profoundly personal exploration of what happens after we die. His new book is "In My Time of Dying: How I Came Face to Face with the Idea of an Afterlife."

Host: Caleb Bissinger

Guest: Sebastian Junger

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