A new film in theaters this week asks audiences to consider the age-old question, "What happens after we die?"
In Angel Studios' "After Death," survivors of near-death experiences share what they experienced when they were clinically dead, before being resuscitated. But the film also interviews numerous scientists and medical doctors who've researched what happens to the body and mind in these unique situations.
Jens Jacob, who produced the film directed by Stephen Grey and Chris Radtke, said it pokes holes in what we think about when life begins and ends.
"I grew up most of my life knowing and believing that like it just happened at a certain point and there's not really much you can see or measure after that. And what was very fascinating in our research going through this, is that death isn't as black and white as I think we've been told, and that there is more of a spectrum," Jacob told Fox News Digital.
While researching for the film, Jacob said he would ask doctors about their experiences with patients whose heart had stopped beating and brain activity ceased, before they recovered.
"It was kind of crazy," he remarked. "I would ask doctors and they would describe these kinds of experiences as happening all the time. And now we're starting to see and hear, particularly with the advance of medicine and research, that sometimes that's more of a spectrum than a definite line. Sometimes even like 30 minutes to two hours after that happens, some of these people are coming back to life."
"This part is proven, they are coming back after this point. So then it's do you find that their story is credible or not, or do you believe what they are saying?" he reflected.
Jacob pointed out how these questions also relate to some of our culture's most contentious issues about when life begins.
"And I just thought it was so interesting going through this documentary that we cannot pinpoint the actual start of life or death. And so what does that mean for how little we actually know?" he remarked.
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Jacob said his own interest and unanswered questions about the afterlife prompted him to take part in the film. Despite growing up in a religious household, he still wasn't convinced about Heaven and Hell.
"So this is a question I've asked most of my life. I've struggled with it… It wasn't concrete to me to just believe. And so, yeah, I selfishly wanted to know and I wanted to ask the questions for myself," he confessed.
Jacob hopes audiences come away from the film being able to think about these issues and process their ideas about death in a new way.
He described being moved by the reaction to the film so far from audiences at screenings, who've said the film has helped them grieve loved ones and be less afraid of dying.
"It is very cathartic and therapeutic to be able to process death in this way, to be able to maybe see some of your questions on the screen and get some of them answered, or at least to ask the right questions," he said. "I found that that was something that's been beautiful [to watch] as we've screened this now with hundreds of people, we hear that a lot."
"I had a friend recently that just watched the film and she says that she's now less afraid of dying. And I thought that was so profound to hear," he said.
Jacob said the goal of the film wasn't necessarily to convince nonbelievers that there is an afterlife. However, he hopes the film will have a positive impact on their life, here and now.
"It doesn't matter if you come out of the film believing in an afterlife or not. That wasn't necessarily all that we're hoping for it. But what does it do for even life now? Could it help somebody that's processing grief or death? Could it help you with a little less anxiety about going through life? Could it give you purpose? Could it help make life more meaningful now?" he asked.
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