The In-Between: Unforgettable Encounters During Life's Final Moments

The main themes of this book revolve around the moments before, during, and after death. The author experiences several instances of what she concludes is communication between the living and the dead. These experiences of hers and her coworkers are so frequent that she says, “I couldn’t ignore the evidence of something more beyond death. To me, that was no longer rational” (231).

Many religions teach that human existence continues in some form after death, whether that entails an afterlife or reincarnation in the material world. In the memoir’s US context, Christianity is the predominant religion and often influences the ideas of even those who do not explicitly adhere to Christian teachings. Christian beliefs regarding the afterlife differ by sect, but many churches teach that immediately following the death of the body, the soul goes to a place of either reward (Heaven), punishment (Hell), or purification (as in the Catholic doctrine of Purgatory). Raised strictly Episcopalian, Vlahos grew up believing in an all-powerful God, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and the existence of Heaven and Hell. Vlahos experienced confusion and doubt regarding these beliefs as she matured, but a sermon convinced her not to go to an abortion clinic.