For those that don’t know Sam Kinison, he’s this guy:

Pentecostal preacher turned raucous, mega-star comedian in the 80’s, Sam Kinison was what could not possibly be described better than the “Bright Light.”

With his signature high-decibel delivery, brutal honesty and approachable warmth, Kinison, love his style or hate it, was something unique, and more importantly, someone who was loved dearly by both fans and friends alike.

Kinison’s death was shocking,

not so much because he died (with his many prior drug addictions and reckless style of living many seemed to be sort of expecting it), but because of how he died.

He was basically clean at the time, having made a big life change after seeing the effects of a life of excess on his career prior, had married a beautiful Las Vegas dancer who was also recovering, and was heading to play a sold out show in Laughlin, Nevada. Just outside of Needles, California, he was struck by a drunk teenage driver, and died on the scene, succumbing to his injuries just minutes after the collision.

Sam’s last words.

His brother and the others begged him to lie down and he did with his best friend, Carl LaBove, who had been in the following van, holding his head in his hands. At first it looked like Kinison had suffered no serious injuries, but within minutes he suddenly said to no one in particular, "I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die." LaBove later said, "it was as if he was having a conversation, talking to someone else, some unseen person." Then there was a pause as if Kinison was listening to the other person speak. Then he asked "But why?" and after another pause LaBove heard him clearly say: "Okay, okay, okay.’ LaBove said, "The last ‘okay’ was so soft and at peace ... Whatever voice was talking to him gave him the right answer and he just relaxed with it. He said it so sweet, like he was talking to someone he loved."

Wikipedia.

Who was Sam talking to? A hallucination? Some entity or being from “out there”? Does consciousness go on after death?

Scientists are finally starting to do some focused studies in this difficult yet extremely interesting area. Of course, anecdotal stories mean nothing in and of themselves as far as science is concerned. But listen to what one medical professional, namely, Dr. Sam Parnia, director of critical care and resuscitation research, at NYU Langone School of Medicine, has to say:

“We know the brain can’t function when the heart has stopped beating,” Dr. Parnia told National Post. “But in this case conscious awareness appears to have continued for up to three minutes into the period when the heart wasn’t beating, even though the brain typically shuts down within 20-30 seconds after the heart has stopped.”

Source.

Could this be from remnants of brain activity lasting long after official “brain death,” as some have suggested?

Or is there something...else?

As for me, I am comforted by Sam Kinison’s story and the graceful way he died. At the very least, it was an exit—though premature—fitting for one of our best modern day prophets, known as the stand-up comedians.

Rest in peace, Sam. Maybe I’ll get to meet ya someday, somewhere out there. Who knows. Either way, you were indeed a bright light that has brought joy to my life, even though you’ve been gone now from this place for years.

~KafkA

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Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist, creator, and peaceful parent residing in Niigata City, Japan. Graham runs the "Voluntary Japan" online initiative with a presence here on Steem, as well as DTube and Twitter. (Hit me up so I can stop talking about myself in the third person!)