Life After Death: Is It Real?
By: Brian Hoeflinger, MD
May 10, 2026 | #86
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Disclaimer: Opinions are my own. Not medical advice.
Medical Trivia of the Week
Which organ in the human body can regenerate itself, even after up to 75% of it has been removed? (the correct answer is at the end of this email)
- A) The kidney
- B) The liver
- C) The pancreas
- D) The spleen
Is There Life After Death?
I cannot prove that there is life after death. But I have a strong sense that it exists, and what follows is the reason why.
After my 18-year-old son Brian died tragically and unexpectedly in a car accident, I questioned everything. Why this? Why him? Why do bad things happen to good people? Nothing made sense during that horrible stretch of my life. Then, one unexpected evening, everything changed for me.
It was six months after Brian died. A warm summer night, temperatures in the 70s, a gentle breeze in the air. My best friend Bill and I were at Cedar Point, the famous amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. Cedar Point has 18 roller coasters, and I kept a boat at the marina there. We had gone for dinner and were planning to stay overnight on the boat. You could hear the coasters in the distance, the mechanical roar and the screaming of riders carrying across the evening air. We decided to walk through the park for a while before calling it a night.
Bill had known Brian since he was a baby. He had been a fixture in his life right up until the end. Brian's death had left a mark on him too.
As we walked, we started talking about Brian. And then the conversation turned to the afterlife. If it were real, how would someone on the other side reach you? How would Brian reach us? We talked about Harry Houdini, who famously promised he would contact the living from beyond death if it were at all possible, and never did, as far as anyone knows. But if Brian could send a message, what form would it take? A vision? A voice? His initials appearing somewhere in plain sight? A red cardinal following me around? We were genuinely engrossed in the question, not expecting any real answer, but needing to ask it out loud.
We stopped first at the Top Thrill Dragster, which was at the time the tallest and fastest roller coaster in the world. The wait was over two hours, so we moved on. Next, we arrived at the Maverick, my favorite ride on the property. It was closed for maintenance. Disappointing, but we kept walking and talking. Finally, as we made our way back toward the marina entrance, we passed the Millennium Force, one of the park's most popular rides and a former record-holder for height. The line was too long. We decided to leave.
And here is where the evening took a turn.
The moment we walked through the exit gates toward the marina, a notification went off on my phone. It was a Facebook alert. A friend of Brian's, someone he had played junior golf with, had posted something, and somehow I was tagged in it. The message, from his girlfriend, read: "I want to go to Cedar Point tonight and ride the Dragster, Maverick and the Millennium."
Read that again slowly.
We had spent the entire night talking about whether Brian could contact us from the other side. We were at Cedar Point, a park with 18 roller coasters. Out of all of them, we had walked to exactly three: the Top Thrill Dragster, the Maverick, and the Millennium Force. And right as we exited the park, a message arrived on my phone from a friend of Brian's, listing those exact three rides, in the exact order we had visited them.
I know what the skeptic's response is: coincidence. And I understand it. But the odds of everything lining up that precisely, on that night, in that context, stretch the word coincidence past any reasonable breaking point. The place. The topic. The conversation. Three specific coasters out of eighteen. The correct order. A message from someone connected to Brian, arriving the moment we walked out of the park.
There is no clean logical explanation for what happened that night. But I have never stopped thinking about it.
I believe there is a purpose to everything that happens in this life. I don't think we are always meant to understand it. And I recognize that not everyone feels this way. Many people who haven't lived through a serious loss find it hard to relate to this kind of thinking. But those of you who have lost someone, who have sat in that particular silence after a tragedy, will know exactly what I mean. There are things in life we will never fully explain. That doesn't mean they aren't real.
I have tried to keep an open mind throughout my career in medicine. Science is essential. Data matters. But science also has edges, places where our instruments stop and our understanding runs out. What happens at those edges is still an open question. And I would rather stay curious about that question than pretend it doesn't exist.
If this story opens your mind to even one thing you had previously written off as impossible, then it has done its job.
Impactful Quote of the Week
"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science."
- Albert Einstein
Please let me know what you thought of this newsletter by replying to this email.
All my best,
Brian Hoeflinger
P.S. - if you enjoyed this newsletter, you may enjoy my book that details my life as a neurosurgeon and the loss of my oldest son, Brian (see below a synopsis) and/or my podcast where I explain topics in further detail.
Learn More About My Book
Life and Death . . . Two words with such opposite meaning and which inflict such contradictory emotions and yet are so closely intertwined in our lives. As parents, we bring meaning and life into this world through our children. Our lives become defined as a result. We learn the joy, hardship, and responsibility of shaping an innocent life. But a day will come when that life will be taken. For some, death will come too soon. This is the story of my son, Brian Nicholas Hoeflinger, who died unexpectedly at age 18.
https://doctorhoeflinger.com/products/the-night-he-died-the-harsh-reality-of-teenage-drinking
Check Out My Free Podcast
The Dr. Hoeflinger Podcast is about more than medicine, it’s about living a fuller, healthier, and more meaningful life. My son, Kevin, and I discuss medicine, health, fitness, lessons learned from personal tragedy, family, and purpose. Along the way, we invite inspiring guests to bring fresh insights and perspectives. Watch or listen to the podcast below.
YouTube: Click here
Apple Podcasts: Click here
Spotify: Click here
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Medical Trivia Answer:
The correct answer is B) The liver
*Disclaimer: This newsletter and blog is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this newsletter and blog or materials linked from this newsletter and blog is at the user’s own risk. The content of this newsletter and blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay seeking medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should consult their healthcare professionals for any such conditions.
