Echoes from the Veil: A Warning About Spiritual Deception in Near-Death Encounters

What Two Modern testimonies reveal about the narrow path, counterfeit comfort, and testing every spirit.

Jul 05, 2025

Welcome friend,

I’m Mark, and this space is for the wanderers, the worn out, and the ones still wrestling with God at 2 a.m. I don’t have all the answers, but I know the One who does—and I’m learning to trust Him more.

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"…Test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." – 1 John 4:1

The Seduction of Light: When Death Feels Too Easy

Two very different men, two very different near-death experiences—yet both stories echo the same terrifying reality: not everything that feels peaceful is from God.

Sebastian Junger's Subtle Snare

On Joe Rogan’s podcast (#2172), journalist and author Sebastian Junger described a brush with death so surreal it defied logic. After rupturing an aneurysm in 2020, Junger says he felt himself drifting toward death. He described the sensation as passing through a veil and watching a pit open up beneath him.

Then came a comforting image: his late father. His father told him, "I’ll take care of you." It sounded warm. Familiar. Safe. But here’s the thing—Junger didn’t go. He came back.

Was that really his dad? Or something else entirely?

Howard Pittman's Frightening Clarity

In a very different corner of the internet, retired Mississippi police officer and Christian preacher Howard Pittman shared his 1979 near-death experience. Unlike Junger’s subtle snare, Pittman's encounter was a bold trap wrapped in gentle words.

After suffering a massive internal hemorrhage, Pittman said he entered a dark, endless spiritual veil where he couldn’t see anything—just oppressive blackness. As he prayed, a spirit appeared.

"Just let go," it said. "Stop struggling. I will give you peace and security."

But Pittman didn’t surrender. He discerned the voice as Satan himself, masquerading as a spirit of light.

And that, dear reader, is the heart of this article.

What If That Voice Isn't God?

These aren’t isolated cases. YouTube and social media are flooded with similar stories: people nearing death, seeing light, hearing soothing voices, or being offered peace. Some come back with warnings. Others return preaching universalism or spiritual neutrality.

But scripture paints a sharper picture.

"Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light." – 2 Corinthians 11:14
"Enter through the narrow gate... small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." – Matthew 7:13-14

We must ask hard questions:

What if that comforting figure was never our loved one?
What if the light isn’t Jesus, but a counterfeit?
What if these experiences are tests, not truths?

The narrow path is hard. And Satan knows how to dress a trap in kindness and nostalgia.

The Call to Discernment

Howard Pittman lived to warn the Church. His story has five direct warnings (which I encourage you to look into), but they all echo this: spiritual warfare is real, and it doesn’t end at death’s door.

Sebastian Junger’s testimony doesn’t draw spiritual conclusions, but the similarities are chilling. He saw a pit. He felt peace. He heard comfort. But he returned.

As believers, we can't be naive. The enemy doesn’t only tempt us in sin—he tempts us in crisis, in tragedy, and even in death.

We must learn to pray like Pittman did:

"Lord, help me see the truth, even in the dark."

Reflective Questions:

Have you ever accepted a "spiritual" experience without testing it against Scripture?
What would you do if a comforting voice told you to give up? Would you know if it was from God?
Are you walking the narrow path or just assuming you're safe because things feel peaceful?

Conclusion

Not every light is holy. Not every vision is from heaven. If you’re chasing experiences instead of Christ, you might be following a spirit that doesn’t lead home.

Know God. Know His Word. Know His voice.

The veil is thin, but the Word is strong. Stay grounded and above all, test every spirit.

Call to Repentance:
If you’ve been trying to earn your way into heaven, it’s time to stop striving and start surrendering. Today can be the day everything changes. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 6:2, “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” Don’t wait for a better moment. Turn from your sin, believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, and receive the gift of eternal life. He is calling—respond to Him today.