The Enigmatic Lineaments betwixt Life and Death: Posttraumatic Growth in Thomas Pierce’s The Afterlives (2018)
Lobna Mohammed Shaddad
Al-Mağallah Al-ʿilmiyyaẗ Li Kulliyyaẗ Al-Adāb - Ǧāmiʿaẗ Asyūṭ May 26, 2026 DOI: 10.21608/aakj.2021.211329 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Near-death experience |
| Keywords | The afterlives Thomas pierce Ptgi Life Ghosts |
| Key points | Argues that applying the PTGI to Jim Byrd's near-death experience in *The Afterlives* can estimate positive outcomes of his trauma and question his understanding of life and death. |
Abstract
Thomas Pierce’s poignant debut novel The Afterlives (2018) premises that God sometimes reincarnates someone in order to give them a second chance – a second chance to ponder life, explore and connect with other people, and question why they exist. The novel tells the story of every man Jim Byrd, a loan officer who suffers a heart attack at age thirty-three. During his fatal cardiac arrest, Jim sees neither tunnels nor white lights—thus begins his journey of exploring and delving into the unknown. Jim’s near-death experience allows him to sense the existence of the paranormal, such as ghosts and messages from the afterlife. This study analyses Jim’s near-death experience and its after-effects via the five factors of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI). The inventory is a measuring scale of how successful traumatised persons cope with their crisis. The aim of applying this scale is to estimate the positive outcomes of Jim’s involvement in trauma and question whether Jim was able to understand the true meaning of life and death.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on near-death experience, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Otherworld Journeys: Accounts of Near-Death Experience in Medieval and Modern Times | 1987 | Historical analysis | |
| Neuroscience and the Near-Death Experience: Roles for the NMSA-PCP receptor, the sigma receptor and the endopsychosins | 1990 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Implications of near-death experiences for a postmaterialist psychology. | 2010 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Near-Death Experience as a Probe to Explore (Disconnected) Consciousness | 2020 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Near-death experiences between science and prejudice | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |