- Economics
- Political Philosophy
- Answering Challenges to Advanced Economies
- Understanding the Effects of Technology on Economics and Governance
What does a lifelong atheist do when his dead father appears above him in the emergency room? Author and war reporter Sebastian Junger nearly bled to death in 2020 from a ruptured aneurysm, and what he saw in those moments sent him on a journey into physics, near-death experiences, and the nature of consciousness itself.
In his third appearance on EconTalk, Junger discusses his remarkable book In My Time of Dying with host Russ Roberts. He reflects on covering wars from Sarajevo to Afghanistan, the strange phenomenon of dying people seeing the dead, and why he's still an atheist. Along the way, Junger offers a powerful meditation on terror and reverence, blessing and wounding, and why understanding life's fragility might be the most sacred gift of all.
Listen to the episode here.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sebastian Junger is the #1 New York Times bestselling author, an award-winning journalist, and an Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker. Has covered major news stories around the world; his profile of Northern Alliance leader Ahmed Shah Massoud, who was assassinated just days before 9/11, became the subject of the National Geographic documentary “Into the Forbidden Zone,” and introduced Americans to the Afghan resistance fighting the Taliban. His bestselling books include The Perfect Storm, Fire, A Death in Belmont, War, Freedom, and most recently, In My Time of Dying.
RELATED SOURCES
- Junger, Sebastian. Sebastian Junger Official Website.
- Junger, Sebastian. In My Time of Dying: How I Came Face to Face with the Idea of an Afterlife. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2024.
- Junger, Sebastian. Sebastian Junger’s EconTalk Episodes. Interviews by Russ Roberts. EconTalk.
- Maclean-Jones, Aled. “Tom Cruise’s Body of Work (with Aled Maclean-Jones).” Interview by Russ Roberts. EconTalk, May 18, 2026.
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind. IMDb entry.
- Douthat, Ross. “Rational and Religious (with Ross Douthat).” EconTalk.
- Jacob's Ladder. IMDb entry.
- Jimmy Carr. “You Can’t Have an Easy Life and Great Character.” YouTube Short. December 14, 2025.
