# What I Saw When I Was Dead by A. J. Ayer

4 Hacker News commenters recommended What I Saw When I Was Dead by A. J. Ayer and 4 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 1 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Ayer's account of a near-death experience argues that the evidence suggests dualism without a soul or deity; critics find it anecdotal and self-important.

## Why people recommend it

- Reasonable, honest conclusion (2 comments): "Clearly he wrote it as an intellectually honest response to something he experienced" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47829009)) "I think his conclusion is very reasonable." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47828855))
- Dualism without soul or deity (1 comments): "Ayer makes good points that evidence of dualism does not imply 'spirit' or soul dualism, or existence of a deity." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47827549))
- Message on kindness and compassion (1 comments): "To Consider the significance of kindness, compassion, love to and for each other, which world, at large, is missing" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47827589))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Tao Te Ching by Laozi](https://hackerapproved.com/p/tao-te-ching-translated.md): 32 recommend
- [Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig](https://hackerapproved.com/p/zen-and-the-art-of-motorcycle-maintenance.md): 24 recommend
- [Meditations by Marcus Aurelius](https://hackerapproved.com/p/meditations.md): 17 recommend
- [I Am a Strange Loop by Douglas Hofstadter](https://hackerapproved.com/p/i-am-a-strange-loop.md): 16 recommend
- [Simulacra and Simulation by Jean Baudrillard](https://hackerapproved.com/p/simulacra-and-simulation.md): 12 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=What+I+Saw+When+I+Was+Dead+by+A.+J.+Ayer&tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "What I Saw When I Was Dead by A. J. Ayer", https://hackerapproved.com/p/what-i-saw-when-i-was-dead/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).