In My Time of Dying: How I Came Face to Face with the Idea of an Afterlife

Sebastian Junger is an American journalist, author, and documentarian known for his in-depth reporting on dangerous and extreme situations. Born in 1962 in Boston, Massachusetts, Junger grew up in a unique household that significantly influenced his worldview and later work.

Junger’s father, Miguel, was born in Europe to a Jewish father and a Christian mother. Miguel immigrated to the United States at age 18, fleeing the Nazi invasion of France. He became a physicist, embodying a staunchly rationalist worldview that rejected anything that couldn’t be measured or tested scientifically. In contrast, Junger’s mother adhered to more spiritual and holistic beliefs, embracing Eastern wisdom, energies, and alternative medicine. This tension between rationalism and spirituality in his parents’ perspectives would later play a crucial role in Junger’s exploration of his near-death experience.

Junger’s early exposure to both scientific rigor and spiritual openness contributed to his ability to approach complex topics from multiple angles. He graduated from Wesleyan University in 1984 with a degree in cultural anthropology, a field that bridges the gap between scientific observation and cultural understanding.

Junger’s career as a writer began with freelance work for various magazines. He gained significant recognition with his 1997 book The Perfect Storm, a nonfiction account of a fishing boat lost at sea during a severe storm. This work demonstrated Junger’s ability to combine meticulous research with compelling storytelling, a skill that would become a hallmark of his writing.

Throughout his career, Junger has consistently engaged with themes of danger, mortality, and human resilience. He has reported from conflict zones around the world, including Afghanistan, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. His experiences in these areas led to books such as War and Tribe, which explore the psychological and social impacts of combat and crisis.

In 2020, at the age of 58, Junger experienced a life-threatening medical emergency that forms the central narrative of In My Time of Dying. While at his property on Cape Cod during the COVID-19 pandemic, Junger suffered a severe abdominal hemorrhage. He was rushed to the hospital, where he experienced a near-death state, including visions of his deceased father and a sense of being pulled into darkness. This brush with death, combined with the complex medical interventions required to save his life, provided Junger with a personal perspective on mortality and the nature of consciousness.

Junger’s near-death experience challenged his understanding of reality and existence, prompting him to explore the intersections between scientific, spiritual, and philosophical understandings of life and death. In In My Time of Dying, he draws on his multifaceted background as a storyteller and a reporter, as well as the influence of his parents’ contrasting worldviews, to interweave his personal narrative with broader scientific and philosophical inquiry. This personal experience, combined with Junger’s journalistic approach and his background in anthropology, allows him to approach the subject of mortality and consciousness from multiple angles in In My Time of Dying, creating a unique, multidimensional exploration of these complex topics.