His first novel · Yogi Impressions
When You Die
A provocative, compelling novel about life as much as death — drawn not from doctrine, but from one clairvoyant’s two decades spent at the threshold. Seven years in the writing.
The one certainty
The one thing that is absolutely certain in life is that you will die.
So it makes sense to be aware of what you might expect. There is a direct correlation, Lourens has found, between what a person believes will happen when they die — and what actually happens. This book is the awareness he has gathered, set down to come in handy one day, when you really need it.
Why you should read this book
As an extrasensory therapist, the author has had many opportunities to experience what happens when someone dies — and discovered that what happens to you after death depends, mostly, on how you are living your daily life right now.
His exposure to death in all its forms — natural and sudden, from children to the elderly — lets the reader learn from the death experiences of others. Yet he found that one should not ponder death for too long, because pondering life is far more important. This book is therefore equally about life, karma, knowing yourself, and loving who you are. It explains, in a refreshingly real way, the sense behind life.
Hemkund Lake, Himalaya From the author
I have wanted to share the message captured in this book for a very, very long time — perhaps even across lifetimes. As an extrasensory therapist, I have spent time with people before and after they have died, many times, and clairvoyantly observed the after-death experience of those who died peacefully, traumatically, by suicide, and by assisted dying.
I could see the beauty in the last phase of life as we know it, but noticed how my clients could not. I realised that if they could only see what I see, knew what I know about death, they would no longer fear that inevitable moment.
What happens after death is beyond the physical realm. I thus chose to write the book as a novel.
Writing a book is a mammoth task. The narrative changed constantly, until I realised it had taken on a life of its own and was creating itself. I relied on nothing but my own practical experiences and observations, and rewrote the work many times — bringing forth deeper levels of understanding in layers upon layers.
The result is an easy read with many layers of wisdom in its pages. Every time you re-read it, you will discover a deeper meaning you could have sworn was not there before. Although it took me seven years to complete the journey, it was well worth it in the end.
— Lourens Coetzer
Synopsis
A clairvoyant who has worked with the dying and the deceased — and the novel he drew from it.
When You Die is packed with lessons about life and death, its often-fraught sensitivities expressed lucidly, with one notion at its core: if only people could appreciate the wonders of death, they would no longer be fearful of it.
Set in pre- and post-apartheid South Africa and leaning on some of the teachings of Nelson Mandela — reconciler supreme — the novel follows Joshua, who discovers he can guide the soul of the deceased into the afterlife. Born with extrasensory abilities, Joshua loses his gift young and grows into an arrogant man dismissive of the unseen — until paranormal events begin to intrude on his busy life and force him to reconsider all he believes.
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Reluctantly at first, he begins digging into the unknown. While coming to terms with startling revelations about his own abilities, he discovers an entirely new existence that transforms him, the sceptic, into a humble seeker of truth — gaining access to wisdom about why you live and what happens when you die.
Joshua’s adventures bring startling clarity to the existence, or not, of ghosts, spirits, God, the devil, heaven and hell. We come to explore the reasoning around stillbirths, abortions and why children die. Joshua lifts the veil on what happens to those who commit suicide, those who choose assisted dying, and even what happens to pets when they die. He finds why some people endure protracted deaths, and suggests a protocol to follow at a deathbed. The purpose and process of grief is explored with compassion — showing how its pain can be acknowledged, understood and soothed.
With a light, often humorous touch, evocative imagery that lingers, and numerous fascinating anecdotes, When You Die speaks directly to the reader — addressing profoundly complex matters in a simple, accessible way. More than a novel, it serves as a handy reference to be read and consulted again.
Joshua’s tale might transform your life as much as it did his.
How to order
Find When You Die wherever you read.
Available in paperback and e-book, worldwide.
The man behind the novel.
The book grew out of a life’s work. Read how Lourens came to see what he sees — or begin a conversation of your own.