Can you experience hell and come back?

Email Received: A friend was reading "23 Minutes in Hell" by Bill Wiese. The book was described the book by saying the author was allowed by God to be in Hell for 23 minutes and to witness the agony of those condemned there and was later 'saved' by Jesus Christ. Based on an Amazon search, this does not seem to be the only book that claims actual visits to either Hell or Heaven.

My first reaction was skepticism about an actual journey to Hell or Heaven that ultimately was temporary. Primarily these smacks of 'prophetic' actions where God shows a chosen person certain things that are later revealed to the general (and ignorant) public. But I guess I'm unsure of this since you don't hear about it very much - but then again is that confirmation that certain things will pass away (speaking tongues and prophecy) or post-modern denial? Moreover, I couldn't help but think of Jesus's words to his apostles about being divided. As long as this guy's message is the redeeming resurrection of Jesus Christ then why should I object?

Just curious about your thoughts.

My Response: Great question. Interesting book. Without having read the book, it strikes me as well as a bit strange and a little off. In general, I tend to hope that people make a decision of faith so that they will live for something rather than avoiding something. Tasting and seeing that the Lord is good seems to me to be a healthier response that avoiding hell. Certainly though as you point out there may be something to be said for someone who is helping people have a relationship with Christ and point to the resurrection as our hope as Christians. I am a bit skeptical and would not likely recommend the book to someone based on a brief look at the Amazon page. Thanks for pointing it out...

What do you think?