An account was once published where it was alleged a man partly died, and then came back to life, and his soul was observed trying to leave the body, but was reclaimed. Ministers made use of this to prove their point.
Here is another case, illustrating the other side. This man was skating, and broke through the ice. He says he died, and when found was unconscious, and that his heart and lungs had ceased their action. He gives his experience as passing through all the horrors of death, describes his feelings, and tells us all he can of his soul. He says:—
I call it absurd to speak of my condition meanwhile as one of "suspended animation." The phrase is unscientific. I was dead, and nothing else. I did not doubt it at the time; I have never since doubted. Mere theological theorists may talk about something they call the soul not having yet left the body. I know nothing of that, though I don't see how they can tell so confidently whether in such a case as mine the soul, if any, does not leave the body at once, and then come back again. For all I know to the contrary, it may have gone meanwhile to the hypothetical place of departed spirits—always unconscious. And the knowledge that I have thus once experienced in my own person exactly what death is, and tried it fully, has had a great deal to do, I think, with my utter physical indifference to it. I know how it feels; and, though it is momentarily uncomfortable, it isn't half so bad as breaking your arm, or having a tooth drawn. In fact, the actual dying itself, as dying, is quite painless—as painless as falling asleep. It is only the previous struggle—the sense of its approach—that is at all uncomfortable.
Human testimony is contradictory. God's word always speaks the same thing. But this last man's testimony accords with inspiration. He says his thoughts perished. If his soul passed to "hypothetical" regions, it was unconscious. It is said of Jesus that his "soul was not left in hell" (hades, grave). It is evident, then, that his righteous soul passed into the grave, or there would be no necessity of saying it was "not left" there.