When thirty-four-year-old Chris Larson's sleep is disturbed by extraterrestrial apparitions, he seeks the help of Dr. Marlene Martindale, a UFO-encounter therapist in Chicago. During a group therapy session, Chris learns he is not the only person who has these experiences. He also realizes he would like to get to know Dr. Martindale on a more personal level. On a whim to help her, Chris invites Marlene to accompany him on a camping trip to New Mexico. The first evening while asleep under the stars, Chris can only watch as a mysterious cloud appears and focuses a bright beam of light on Marlene's head. Two days later, they are at a storied mesa where they join a religious group gathered for the expected Second Coming of Jesus. The experience becomes life threatening when a disgruntled member starts shooting at the group. Marlene suffers a mortal head wound, and a helicopter whisks her away to a nearby oil facility, where Chris is directed to join her. Chris soon realizes he's not dealing with an ordinary infirmary, or first-aid caregivers. The entire ordeal leads Chris and Marlene to question their innermost beliefs, and to investigate alternative spirituality. The First Second Coming will leave readers wondering about the meaning of life on Earth-and beyond.