[Special Feature] What Happens After Death? – What You Need to Know to Live Peacefully and to the Fullest　Everyone has a limited life. What happens to a person after death? This timeless theme, explored throughout history and across cultures, is the subject of a must-read dialogue between nonfiction writer Miyoko Kudo and pediatrician Mitsutoshi Tsuruta, director of the Japan Society for Psychic Science. We also interviewed individuals who have established their own views on the afterlife through research and experience, offering a multifaceted exploration of the topic. We hope that contemplating the afterlife will help you “live better in order to have a better death.”

After various experiences and research, they arrived at a new perspective:

The afterlife as envisioned by prominent Japanese figures and intellectuals.

What kind of better way of living in this world can be derived from believing in and imagining an afterlife? We asked a doctor, a physicist, and a nun—each with their unique perspectives on life and death.

“A world of eternal bliss” confirmed through a near-death experience:
Sister Hideko Suzuki

I am convinced that death is not something to be feared, but rather something full of hope.

I regained consciousness in a hospital bed. Fortunately, I had no serious injuries, my mind was clear, and my heart was filled with pure bliss. After that, miraculous things happened to me, such as my chronic collagen disease being completely cured. Eventually, I learned that there were others who had similar experiences, and I realized that what I had experienced was a “near-death experience.” After this experience, one unwavering conviction was born within me: “After death, people are enveloped in God’s boundless love and live an eternal new life in bliss and joy that cannot be experienced in this world.” When I encounter people who are dying, I can sincerely tell them, “Death is not something to be feared, but something full of hope.” I strongly believe that in order to reach such a blessed world, we must cherish and live each and every day to the fullest.

The happiness of the deceased lies in helping those who are still alive.

Those who have passed away enter a new world and build close relationships with people in this world that are different from before. They encourage us, who are living and overcoming suffering, to continue to grow as human beings.

What we should keep in mind in this world is to “be grateful for everything, focus on the beautiful things, and find joy in the small things of everyday life. In particular, see the good in others, and wholeheartedly do what we can for those around us now.” It is the accumulation of these things that leads to growth. What would I want to do when I go to heaven? No, nothing. The happiness of a fulfilled person comes from giving, and they become even more fulfilled by helping those who are still alive.

Right now I am thinking of my nephew who passed away last year from an illness. He was 61 years old and in the prime of his working life. Looking at the relatives surrounding his bed, he said, “It’s peaceful and fun.” Soon after, he passed away peacefully in his sleep. Now I feel that he is sending us strength from heaven, in rhythm with the breathing that God gives us. And I continue to give thanks every day.

Hideko Suzuki, born in 1932. External Researcher at the Institute for Christian Culture, Sacred Heart University; Member of the Society of the Sacred Heart. Doctor of Literature. Completed graduate studies at the University of Tokyo. After studying in France and Italy, she taught at the University of Hawaii and Stanford University. She is currently a professor at Sacred Heart University.

Editor’s Comments: (Note – I do this to make a clear separation or boundary between the original article as published, and my comments. I wish to remove my personal bias from the material, and I want the reader to know – “now I’m listening to Don’s voice.” I find this to be a very effective way of removing or eliminating editorial bias. You’re smart, and you can think for yourself. This is what I think. Take it or leave it. Comments follow…)

One thing in this account jumps right off the page for me. She said her chronic collagen disease had been “completely cured.” That’s an important and very interesting sub-category of information that appears frequently in the NDE data. Many people will include some sort of chronic disease as part of their life plan before they start this life as their most recent reincarnation. It makes sense to face some sort of physical challenge, because you learn things while dealing with those situations and obstacles. I’ve seen accounts in which that particular element of a life plan can simply be removed during an NDE, just like pulling a circuit breaker from a power panel. “Poof” and it’s gone. The medical recovery after the NDE is described as a “miracle” modern medicine can’t even begin to explain. It’s actually sort of common in the NDE data.

Another element that makes Sister Hideko Suzuki’s account particularly interesting is that it contains another of the most common and transformative aftereffects reported by near-death experiencers worldwide: the complete loss of the fear of death. Although this article focuses primarily on the lessons she drew from her experience rather than the experience itself, the pattern is instantly recognizable. She describes awakening with an overwhelming sense of peace, profound joy, and an unshakable conviction that death is not an ending but a transition into a larger reality. Similar conclusions are reported by experiencers in North America, Europe, South America, Africa, and elsewhere, despite vast differences in culture, language, and religious background.

An additional notable feature is her description of the continuing relationship between the living and the dead. Many near-death experiencers report returning with the belief that deceased loved ones remain aware of events in this world and continue to influence, guide, or encourage those who are still living. Sister Hideko expresses this idea through her belief that those who have passed on help support the growth and development of people on Earth. While she frames these concepts through a Christian perspective, the underlying themes closely parallel reports from experiencers representing many different faiths and spiritual traditions.

What I find most significant is not the theology, but the outcome. After reviewing thousands of near-death experiences, one recurring pattern stands above almost all others: experiencers tend to become less materialistic, more compassionate, more grateful, and more focused on relationships and service to others. Sister Hideko’s emphasis on gratitude, kindness, helping those around us, and finding joy in ordinary moments mirrors this pattern almost perfectly. Whether one interprets these changes as evidence of a genuine glimpse beyond death or as the result of a profound psychological transformation, the effect is unmistakable. The experience appears to have fundamentally changed the way she viewed both life and death, and that may be the most universal near-death experience aftereffect of all.

Link to the original post in Japanese: https://www.kateigaho.com/culture/hobby/176554