| Case Id | Source Type | Record Type | Source Citation | Source Url | Nde Year | Nde Date | Year Nde Submitted | Subject Age At Nde | Subject Gender | Text Summary | Clinical Death Type Id | Medical Setting | Medical Context Score | Veridical Quality Score | Total Score | Classification | Stated Verification Score | Narrative Quality Score | Medical Context Justification | Veridical Quality Justification | Corroboration Justification | Alternatives Justification | Doc Type | Eeg Documented | Cardiac Monitoring | Anesthesia Records | Eyes Taped | Ears Blocked | Deep Anesthesia | Other Barriers | Records Reviewed By | Review Date | Updated At | Observation Count | Corroboration Count | Primary Observation | Primary Obs Verified | Primary Witness | Biblical Compatibility | Tabatt Total Score | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5201 | qualitative | book | Shushan, Gregory, Near-Death Experience in Indigenous Religions, Oxford University Press, Chapter 4, Ka-ilio-hae, Pages Not Specified, 2018 | Near-Death Experience in Indigenous Religions, Ka-ilio-hae, Chapter 4, 2018 | 1850 | 2018 | M | Ka-ilio-hae, a man from Maui, experienced a near-death journey during a prolonged illness when his soul separated from his body through his left eye. Upon separation, he perceived his corpse as a great mountain with eyes like dark caves, a sight that frightened him along with the sounds of his family mourning. He flew from his rooftop toward the land of ghosts where he was met by his deceased sister who possessed the power to return spirits to their bodies. She guided him through the spirit world, warning him not to enter houses or eat food lest he be trapped forever. They proceeded to the court of Walia, the high chief of ghosts, passing three watchmen who posed ritual questions his sister helped him answer correctly. The final barrier was a gateway of two crushing heads which he pushed aside using proper incantations. Walia questioned him about his earthly lineage, and after receiving his full genealogical history, gave him a mission to return and warn his people about coming troubles, threatening to cast him to Milu's underworld if he refused. Despite reluctance and attempts to hide, his sister forced his return, ultimately pushing his spirit back through his foot into his physically repulsive body. After recovery, he shared his detailed journey with his family, providing them with an authoritative map of the afterlife. | 5 | Home | 5 | 10 | 15 | Suggestive Evidence | 0 | Prolonged illness causing near-death state, home setting | Detailed spirit world geography, ritual questions, specific entities named | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 3 | 0 | Own corpse appearance | 0.00 | Highly Compatible | 8 | ||||||||||
| 5202 | qualitative | book | Shushan, Gregory, Near-Death Experience in Indigenous Religions, Oxford University Press, Chapter 4, Kalima, Pages Not Specified, 2018 | Near-Death Experience in Indigenous Religions, Kalima, Chapter 4, 2018 | 1850 | 2018 | F | Kalima from Kona, Hawaii, died from an unspecified cause and was being prepared for funeral when she suddenly revived, startling mourners gathered around her rigid form and ashen face. She confirmed "I died, as you know" and described a classic out-of-body experience where she stood beside her body looking down at herself, aware of two distinct forms - her conscious self standing and her dead body on the bed. After observing her corpse, she walked away through her village to a neighboring area transformed into a vast spirit metropolis with hundreds of houses and thousands of spirits. She recognized some spirits who spoke to her, and the overwhelming atmosphere was pure bliss with joy on every face and happy laughter everywhere. Continuing through more villages of happy spirits, she felt such complete joy that her heart sang and she was glad to be dead. At Pele's volcano, spirits told her she must return as it wasn't her time, and despite begging to stay, they beat her and drove her back. Upon reaching home, she stood beside her body filled with revulsion at the horrid, loathsome thing compared to the beautiful creatures she had seen. Spirits forced her back through her big toe, and when she passed her waist, she surrendered and opened her eyes. She never varied her account and permanently regretted returning from perfect happiness. | 6 | Home | 2 | 10 | 15 | Suggestive Evidence | 3 | Death from unspecified cause, body prepared for funeral | Detailed OBE, transformed geography, specific entry point through toe | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 3 | 1 | Out-of-body view of self | 0.00 | Family and mourners | Moderately Compatible | 8 | |||||||||
| 5203 | qualitative | book | Shushan, Gregory, Near-Death Experience in Indigenous Religions, Oxford University Press, Chapter 4, Kuala Man, Pages Not Specified, 2018 | Near-Death Experience in Indigenous Religions, Kuala Man, Chapter 4, 2018 | 1833 | 2018 | M | A man from Kuala, Hawaii fell into a death-like state that lasted an extraordinary eight days, viewed by his family and community as completed and irreversible death. His soul journeyed to the spirit land, which he described as flat, fruitful, tolerably well lighted, and a really delightful place rather than a gloomy underworld. He observed that the underworld deity Milu sometimes chose the most beautiful female ghosts as consorts when they arrived. Significantly, he reported that spirits maintained exactly the same state in which they left their bodies - those who died young or in battle remained strong and healthy, while those who died of illness remained ill, and those who died of old age continued frail and weak. This concept provided a direct link between one's physical state at death and condition in the afterlife. After eight days absorbing these details, he was sent back to life. Upon revival, considered a profound miracle after more than a week dead, he reported everything to his family and community. His account became the primary source of knowledge about the afterlife, described as the best account of the spirit land known to the people of Kuala, confirming a pleasant destination while offering specific understanding of post-mortem existence. | 6 | Unknown | 2 | 8 | 10 | Weak Evidence | 0 | Eight-day death state, no medical details | Detailed spirit world description, specific deity mentioned, continuity concept | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 2 | 0 | Spirit land characteristics | 0.00 | Low Compatibility | 6 | ||||||||||
| 5204 | qualitative | book | Shushan, Gregory, Near-Death Experience in Indigenous Religions, Oxford University Press, Chapter 4, Kukia and Toihau, Pages Not Specified, 2018 | Near-Death Experience in Indigenous Religions, Kukia and Toihau, Chapter 4, 2018 | 1900 | 2018 | M | Kukia and Toihau from the Ngati-Awa tribe experienced a rare shared near-death experience where both men died from unspecified causes and journeyed to the spirit world together before reviving. Their souls traveled together after leaving their bodies, climbing down a cliff and over a wall to enter the spirit realm. They witnessed numberless spirits in a vast assembly and eventually found their own people, including their deceased parents. At this pivotal reunion, their parents did not welcome them but instead sent them back to their bodies with absolute authority. In some versions, Toihau was explicitly warned by an ancestor not to eat the underworld food as it would prevent return, then was driven back violently before re-entering his body after three days dead. The men reported that the spirit world was a very good sort of place, not shrouded in darkness but light like the earthly world. Their joint testimony provided exceptional corroboration, making their claims highly credible to their community. The narrative was used as direct evidence to demonstrate traditional Maori beliefs in a subterranean spirit world (Po) were correct, contrary to missionary teachings of heavenly ascent. Their shared NDE became a tool of cultural affirmation and proof-text validating indigenous beliefs against foreign religious influence. | 6 | Unknown | 2 | 8 | 10 | Weak Evidence | 0 | Both men died, no medical details, Toihau dead for three days | Shared experience with matching details, specific geography described | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 2 | 0 | Spirit world entry | 0.00 | Highly Compatible | 6 | ||||||||||
| 5205 | qualitative | book | Shushan, Gregory, Near-Death Experience in Indigenous Religions, Oxford University Press, Chapter 4, Manarmakeri, Pages Not Specified, 2018 | Near-Death Experience in Indigenous Religions, Manarmakeri, Chapter 4, 2018 | 1850 | 2018 | M | Manarmakeri of Biak Island experienced a profound visionary journey that became the foundation for the Koreri religious movements across New Guinea. While hunting, he followed a pig into a cave that served as a portal to the spirit world, experiencing what was understood as temporary death or spirit journey. Inside the cave, he heard voices laughing and rejoicing. The spirits recognized him as "Not-real-man" due to his living status and asked his purpose. Though instructed to leave by walking backward, he was first permitted to see his deceased kinfolk. He suddenly found himself in a large, beautiful village where his people, restored to the prime of youth, were singing and dancing. Overwhelmed by the beauty and joy, Manarmakeri wished to stay, but the spiritual authority denied his request, saying his time had not come as he was still "in the husk" (alive in physical body). In some versions, he received the secret of life and death from the Morning Star. Upon return to Earth, he experienced listless depression common to NDErs who glimpsed perfect reality. He began preaching about resurrection of the dead, personal immortality, and the coming Koreri golden age paradise. His NDE became the sacred charter for religious movements lasting over a century, with nearly all 72 documented movements through 1967 beginning with similar reports of visions and persons risen from the dead. | 5 | Other | 2 | 8 | 10 | Weak Evidence | 0 | Visionary journey through cave portal, understood as temporary death | Beautiful village, deceased relatives rejuvenated, secret knowledge received | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 2 | 0 | Spirit voices | 0.00 | Moderately Compatible | 8 | ||||||||||
| 5206 | qualitative | book | Shushan, Gregory, Near-Death Experience in Indigenous Religions, Oxford University Press, Chapter 4, Te Atarahi, Pages Not Specified, 2018 | Near-Death Experience in Indigenous Religions, Te Atarahi, Chapter 4, 2018 | 1850 | 2018 | M | Te Atarahi, a Maori man, died from an unspecified cause and remained lifeless for five full days before unexpectedly reviving, an extended death period that removed all doubt he had truly been among the dead. Upon revival, he was physically altered, having lost all his hair and being extremely emaciated, though he eventually recovered his health. Once well enough to speak, he recounted how he had been in the Reinga (underworld) where he was met by his deceased relatives. These ancestral spirits immediately intervened, gathering around him and explicitly bidding him not to touch the food of the afterlife, then authoritatively sending him back to the land of Light. His return was not his choice but a direct command from family in the spirit world. He spoke of the excellence of the state in which the people of the Reinga dwelt. His story became a key piece of evidence for Maori understanding of the afterlife, with its consistency over decades across different tellings indicating its authoritative status. Nearly forty years later, an almost identical version was recorded, confirming that Maori beliefs about the afterlife were directly informed by such experiences. Te Atarahi's NDE served as living testament to a pleasant afterlife, the active role of ancestors, and the possibility of being sent back from death. | 6 | Unknown | 2 | 5 | 7 | Weak Evidence | 0 | Five days dead, physical changes upon return (hair loss, emaciation) | General description of excellent afterlife state, ancestral meeting | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 1 | 0 | Afterlife conditions | 0.00 | Highly Compatible | 7 | ||||||||||
| 5207 | qualitative | book | Shushan, Gregory, Near-Death Experience in Indigenous Religions, Oxford University Press, Chapter 4, Te Wharewera's Aunt, Pages Not Specified, 2018 | Near-Death Experience in Indigenous Religions, Te Wharewera's Aunt, Chapter 4, 2018 | 1850 | 2018 | F | Te Wharewera's aunt died and lay in state for a day or two before miraculously reappearing alive but weak on the shore near her village. After recovery, she described leaving her body and traveling north to Te Rerenga Wairua, the sacred Maori departure point for souls at New Zealand's northernmost tip. She descended on a vine to a river where a gigantic bird flew menacingly toward her. Fleeing in terror, she was rescued by an old man who ferried her across in his canoe. On the other side, she found a world strikingly similar to Earth and was welcomed in a village by her deceased father and relatives. Her father inquired about living family members then commanded her return, saying "You must go back to earth, for there is no one now to take care of my grandchild." Her return was mandated by familial duty to her son. Her father warned her not to eat any food in Reinga or she would be unable to return, then rushed her back across the river, giving her two large kumara (sweet potato) roots to plant for her son as proof of her journey. During her perilous return up the cliffside, two infant spirits tried to drag her back down. She threw the kumara at them, and while they scrambled for the otherworldly food, she escaped and flew back to her body. Those who heard her tale firmly believed its truth, with the kumara roots providing physical proof from the land of the dead. | 6 | Unknown | 2 | 10 | 15 | Suggestive Evidence | 3 | Dead for one to two days, found alive on shore | Specific journey details, kumara as physical proof, geographic specificity | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 3 | 1 | Sacred departure point journey | 0.00 | Te Wharewera (nephew) and community | Highly Compatible | 7 | |||||||||
| 5208 | qualitative | book | Shushan, Gregory, Near-Death Experience in Indigenous Religions, Oxford University Press, Chapter 4, Tui Liku, Pages Not Specified, 2018 | Near-Death Experience in Indigenous Religions, Tui Liku, Chapter 4, 2018 | 1910 | 2018 | M | Tui Liku from the Lau Islands of Fiji experienced his soul being taken from his body by a divine being while his lifeless body washed up on shore, indicating clinical death or profound trance. Being harassed by demons, he was saved by Ligadua, one of the Lords of Burotu (the Fijian spirit world), who he begged to accompany back to the divine realm. Despite Ligadua's warning that no world-man had ever returned from Burotu, Tui Liku was allowed to go with strict instructions. His soul rode a red wave to Burotu and was taken to the Council House of the gods for a welcoming feast. He requested and received permission from the King of Burotu to take special red coconuts back to Earth, with the condition he not enter any house despite invitations from beautiful maidens. Obeying these instructions, he successfully returned with the otherworldly coconuts. He made three subsequent journeys, each time returning with gifts: more coconuts, a small bird, and seeds from a special almond tree. On his final return, he was dismayed to find a sandpiper had pecked out one of his eyes from his corpse. Despite refusing to re-enter his disfigured body, Ligadua forced him back. He became known as Matadua (the one-eyed one), with his story explaining why sandpipers make the sound "tui liku, tui liku" and providing tangible proof of his journeys through the otherworldly items. | 6 | Other | 2 | 10 | 12 | Weak Evidence | 0 | Soul taken by divine being, lifeless body found on shore | Multiple journeys with specific gifts, permanent physical alteration | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 3 | 0 | Journey to Burotu | 0.00 | Low Compatibility | 8 | ||||||||||
| 5209 | qualitative | book | Shushan, Gregory, Near-Death Experience in Indigenous Religions, Oxford University Press, Chapter 4, Ua Halai, Pages Not Specified, 2018 | Near-Death Experience in Indigenous Religions, Ua Halai, Chapter 4, 2018 | 1919 | 2018 | M | Ua Halai from Arihava village at Orokolo Bay experienced death during an illness, but anticipating this, instructed his community not to dig a grave and to avoid approaching his body too closely, saying to "wait and see what they would see." He died and remained dead for three days while his people stood guard, a period echoing Christian resurrection narratives. After three days, he dramatically revived and began preaching loudly in German, a language he presumably did not know before, signifying supernatural transformation. He claimed to have been to the other world where he received divine instructions. His message was a syncretic blend of Christian morality and indigenous practice, delivering warnings against stealing and adultery while bringing back plans to build offering temples to the spirits called ahea uvi ("hot houses") where movement leaders would mediate between living and dead. His revival established him as a key leader in the Vailala cargo cult movement. The local people wholly believed the incident, pointing to compelling physical evidence: Ua Halai was so dead that rats had gnawed his ears. This gruesome detail served as irrefutable proof of genuine death rather than trance. Though some suspected a hoax, for followers it was a foundational miracle. He further cemented his status by being carried in a litter claiming it was the steamer of Lavara, a legendary ancestress returned. | 5 | Home | 5 | 8 | 16 | Suggestive Evidence | 3 | Illness leading to three-day death, rats gnawed ears as proof | Speaking unknown language (German), specific temple instructions | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 2 | 1 | Speaking unknown language | 1.00 | Village community | Low Compatibility | 7 | |||||||||
| 5210 | qualitative | book | Shushan, Gregory, Near-Death Experience in Indigenous Religions, Oxford University Press, Chapter 4, Vanua Lava Woman, Pages Not Specified, 2018 | Near-Death Experience in Indigenous Religions, Vanua Lava Woman, Chapter 4, 2018 | 1890 | 2018 | F | A woman from Vanua Lava island in Vanuatu appeared to die immediately following her husband's death, falling into unconsciousness or clinical death directly linked to grief and trauma. Her soul followed her husband's spirit to a nearby hill, a liminal space between the world of living and dead. There she witnessed her husband bound hand and foot as punishment because he had not paid his debts during life, with ghosts explaining this bondage. The ghosts then recognized she was not meant to stay and gave her a specific mission to return and teach her people two fundamental moral laws: "Pay your debts, don't kill one another." She was sent back not just to live but to be a teacher of divinely sanctioned moral code, with her husband's punishment demonstrating the truth. Upon revival, she conveyed this message to her community. Her NDE served as powerful social regulation grounded in spirit world authority. The vision of her bound husband would have been an unforgettable warning about fulfilling social and economic obligations. The prohibition against killing was fundamental for social harmony. Her personal transcendent experience was directly translated into communal ethical principles, demonstrating how NDEs can reinforce and give divine weight to core moral values necessary for functioning society. | 6 | Unknown | 2 | 8 | 10 | Weak Evidence | 0 | Death following husband's death from grief/trauma | Specific moral teachings, husband's punishment witnessed | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 2 | 0 | Husband bound as punishment | 0.00 | Highly Compatible | 7 | ||||||||||
| 5211 | qualitative | book | Shushan, Gregory. Near-Death Experience in Ancient Civilizations: The Origins of the World's Afterlife Beliefs. Inner Traditions, 2025, Chapter 7, "An Aztec Woman of Tenochtitlan," p. 160. | Near-Death Experience in Ancient Civilizations, "An Aztec Woman of Tenochtitlan," Chapter 7, p. 160, 2025. | 1510 | 2025 | F |
This near-death experience of an unnamed "woman of quality" from Tenochtitlan was recorded by Bernardino de Sahagún from Nahua oral history and dates to the reign of Motecuhzoma II (1502-1520 CE). The medical circumstances involved the woman succumbing to a fatal illness. Her death was accepted by her community, and she was buried with traditional rites, including having stones piled upon her grave. She remained interred for four days. On the fourth night, she dramatically "came to life," and her grave "burst open," allowing her to emerge. The woman's core experience was a guided journey to witness her emperor's spiritual torment. Her guide was a youth "of our race," dressed in a white, resplendent robe and shining with radiant light. He led her along the bank of a great river. On the other side, she saw King Motecuhzoma II in profound distress, bound hand and foot, surrounded by "white and bearded" men who were tormenting him and threatening to kill him. This vision was a clear premonition of the arrival of Spanish conquistadors and the eventual capture and death of Motecuhzoma. The being of light revealed the prophecy explicitly, telling her she was witnessing the coming destruction of the Aztec kingdom and commanding her to "make known to Motecuhzoma what you have seen." The primary veridical element was the specific prophecy about the destruction of the Aztec kingdoms, which was historically fulfilled with the Spanish conquest (1519-1521). She also received a permanent physical mark on her wrist from the otherworldly being's staff, which served as immediate physical evidence to corroborate her story to King Motecuhzoma. Upon her return, she was brought before Motecuhzoma to deliver her divine message. The emperor's reaction was one of profound shock and validation. He confirmed that the gods had been sending him similar visions and omens, and that her experience directly corroborated his own deepest fears. This royal confirmation served as the ultimate verification of her NDE. |
6 | Home | 2 | 17 | 22 | Suggestive Evidence | 3 | The woman "died of an illness" and was buried for four days. The cause is not specified, so this is classified as "Unknown" (ID 6), scoring 2 points. | The case contains a major, historically fulfilled prophecy about the destruction of the Aztec kingdoms, scoring 10 points for Type. The prophecy was specific enough to be understood as a warning of total collapse, scoring 5 points for Specificity. The permanent physical mark left on her wrist is a unique veridical claim, adding 2 points. Total score is 17. | The story was presented to King Motecuhzoma, a credible witness. However, the account is an oral tradition recorded decades later. Like the previous case, the original witnesses were family and community. This scores 3 points for Witness Quality. Documentation is "Later," scoring 0. Total is 3. | As with Quetzalpetlatl, this could be a post-conquest legend created to frame the Aztec defeat as a fated event foretold by the gods. A woman could have recovered from a coma, and the story of the prophecy and the mark on her wrist could have been added later to create a powerful myth of a divine omen. | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 2 | 0 | Received a prophecy of the destruction of the Aztec kingdoms. | 1.00 | Highly Compatible | 7 | ||||||||
| 5212 | qualitative | book | Shushan, Gregory. Near-Death Experience in Ancient Civilizations: The Origins of the World's Afterlife Beliefs. Inner Traditions, 2025, Chapter 4, "The Near-Death Experience of a Sumerian King," pp. 82-84. | Near-Death Experience in Ancient Civilizations, "The NDE of Bilgames," Chapter 4, pp. 82-84, 2025. | -2700 | 2025 | M |
The Sumerian poem "The Death of Bilgames" recounts what may be the world's earliest documented near-death experience, involving the historical king of Uruk, Bilgames (Gilgamesh), who reigned around 2700 BCE. The narrative describes a severe, life-threatening medical crisis where Bilgames falls gravely ill, "lying down, never to rise again." His condition is attributed to being "seized by Namtar, the footless and handless plague deity," indicating a catastrophic illness that rendered him completely incapacitated and on the verge of death. While on his deathbed, in this state of extreme physical distress, he experienced a profound vision. The text specifies a duration for this event, noting his return to his earthly body occurred after a "six-day absence," suggesting a prolonged period of unresponsiveness or coma that was perceived by others as death or near-death. As Bilgames lay on his deathbed, he received a visionary message from Enki, the god of wisdom, who instructed him on the proper disposition for entering the underworld. He was told not to descend "with heart knotted in anger" but to find peace before Utu, the sun-god and judge. His journey then transitioned to a divine assembly where his ultimate fate was to be deliberated by the Anuna, a council of divine judges who are described as beings of light, "surrounded by a blinding, awe-inspiring radiance." This assembly conducted a form of life review, examining Bilgames's dual nature as two-thirds god and one-third man to determine his destiny. They evaluated his entire career, including his heroic deeds, his devotion to religious customs and temple foundations, and his epic quest to find Ziusudra (the flood hero) to learn the secret of eternal life. Before the final judgment, Bilgames was taken to a funerary banquet in the "Great City," where he experienced a reunion with numerous deceased relatives, including his parents, grandparents, and siblings. The narrative of Bilgames is mythological and does not contain veridical observations in the modern sense. The experience is entirely otherworldly. However, the account does contain elements of special knowledge and prophecy that were thematically significant. The core of the experience is the reception of knowledge about his own posthumous fate—that he would not simply perish but would be deified and become a judge in the underworld. After an absence of six days, Bilgames returned to his body, profoundly changed by the knowledge he had gained. His immediate actions were to prepare for the death he now understood. He arranged for his own tomb and organized for his harem and entourage to be sacrificed to accompany him, ensuring his royal court would remain with him in the underworld. |
4 | Unknown | 5 | 0 | 8 | Weak Evidence | 3 | The case describes a severe, life-threatening "plague" that left the subject unresponsive for six days, consistent with a comatose state (ID 4). Score is 5 points for "Coma/unresponsive state." Sensory incapacitation and medical records are not mentioned in this ancient mythological account. | The narrative is entirely mythological and otherworldly. There are no claims of veridical perception of earthly events that could be independently verified. Therefore, the score is 0. | This is a mythological text recorded centuries after the supposed event. The "witnesses" are characters within the myth (the gods). The only human witnesses would be the people who observed his illness and return, which would be family/friends. The witness quality is therefore scored at 3 points. Documentation timing is thousands of years later, scoring 0 points. Total narrative quality score is 3. | The account is presented as a mythological poem. Alternative explanations are not investigated; the narrative is taken as a foundational story. The most plausible alternative is that it is a purely fictional or mythological creation meant to explain the divine status of a revered king in the afterlife, rather than a literal NDE. | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 0 | 0 | Low Compatibility | 8 | ||||||||||
| 5213 | qualitative | book | Shushan, Gregory. Near-Death Experience in Ancient Civilizations: The Origins of the World's Afterlife Beliefs. Inner Traditions, 2025, Chapter 6, "Sheng of Chao (Chao Tan)," pp. 135-136. | Near-Death Experience in Ancient Civilizations, "Sheng of Chao (Chao Tan)," Chapter 6, pp. 135-136, 2025. | -381 | 2025 | M |
The near-death experience of Chao Tan, also known as Sheng of Chao, is recorded in the Zuo Zhuan, a Chinese historical narrative, and is dated to the year 381 BCE. The account begins with a severe medical crisis in which Chao Tan "fell ill and lay unconscious for five days." This prolonged state of unresponsiveness was interpreted by his family and officials as death. Convinced he would not recover, they performed the customary preparations for his burial, a process known as "the dressing." On the third day of these preparations, while he was still comatose, Chao Tan suddenly awoke. His revival was so unexpected that it caused great fear and consternation among his family members, who were in the midst of his funeral rites. While his body lay inert, Chao Tan's consciousness traveled to a celestial realm, which he identified as the court of the "Emperor of Heaven" (Shangdi). He described the experience as extremely pleasant. During his time in this heavenly domain, he received a detailed and significant prophecy directly from the Emperor. The prophecy concerned the future of the state of Tsin, predicting a period of great instability. The Emperor foretold that Tsin would be "weakened and would not recover" and that the descendants of the current ruling line would suffer. The Emperor also informed him of a future natural disaster: a great famine would strike the land because the people had neglected their agricultural duties in favor of pursuing commercial interests. The Emperor then showed Chao Tan a vision of a strange, hybrid creature—a "wolf-boy" with a human head and a wolf's body, telling him this creature was a divine messenger. This ancient case contains strong claims of veridical perception in the form of prophecy. Chao Tan returned with two specific predictions: one political (the decline of Tsin) and one environmental (a great famine). According to the historical text that records the NDE, these prophecies were later fulfilled. Furthermore, three years after his NDE, Chao Tan was traveling when he encountered the very creature the Emperor had shown him in the vision. Recognizing it as the divine messenger, he chose not to kill the creature and made a public declaration, stating, "Now, I am sure that the words of the Emperor are true." Upon his dramatic awakening during his own funeral preparations, Chao Tan immediately shared the details of his experience and the prophecies with his official diviner. The aftermath was marked by severe and lasting physical disabilities. For three years, he had to be carried everywhere, suggesting paralysis. He also inflicted wounds upon himself, resulting in permanent scars, and for four years he was unable to eat "human food" and suffered from deafness. |
4 | Home | 5 | 17 | 28 | Suggestive Evidence | 6 | The subject lay "unconscious for five days," which is a clear description of a coma (ID 4), scoring 5 points. The setting was likely his home or palace. No other medical details or sensory barriers are mentioned. | The case includes a detailed prophecy about political decline and a famine, which was reportedly fulfilled. This is a form of special knowledge, scoring 10 points for Type. The specificity is high, mentioning a specific state and a specific cause for the famine, scoring 5 points for Specificity. Additionally, the vision of the "wolf-boy" later manifesting physically is a unique and specific claim, adding 2 points. Total score is 17. | The subject's family and officials witnessed his five-day coma and revival, qualifying as "Family/friends only" (3 points). His official diviner documented the account. The fulfillment of the prophecies is a retrospective confirmation by the historian. The timing of the documentation was immediate (he told the diviner right away), but the verification of the prophecies took years. This averages to a "Later documentation" score of 1 point. The witness quality is family (3 points). The total narrative quality score is 3 + 3 = 6. | The account is presented as a historical event. Alternatives could include a coma-induced dream or hallucination. The fulfillment of the prophecies could be a coincidence or a later embellishment by the historian to lend divine weight to known historical outcomes. The story of the "wolf-boy" could be a legendary addition to a real coma and recovery event. | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 2 | 1 | Received a prophecy about political decline and a great famine. | 1.00 | Family and officials | Mixed Compatibility | 7 | |||||||
| 5214 | qualitative | book | Shushan, Gregory. Near-Death Experience in Ancient Civilizations: The Origins of the World's Afterlife Beliefs. Inner Traditions, 2025, Chapter 6. | Near-Death Experience in Ancient Civilizations, "Dan, Son of the Duke of Chu," Chapter 6, 2025. | -547 | 2025 | M |
The case of Dan, son of the Duke of Chu, represents one of the most extreme near-death experiences recorded in ancient history. Documented in the Zuo Zhuan, a historical narrative from the 4th century BCE, the event is dated to 547 BCE. Unlike many NDEs that occur over minutes, hours, or days, Dan's apparent death and subsequent revival spanned an astonishing three years. The medical context is stark: Dan "died" and was formally interred in a coffin. Three years after his burial, he spontaneously revived, an event so shocking it was meticulously recorded. Upon his revival, his body bore deep scars and wounds from the ropes that had bound him inside the coffin, and his four limbs were rendered "useless" from being confined for such a prolonged period. Dan's core experience in the underworld was not one of celestial wandering but of practical learning. The text focuses on the knowledge he acquired rather than detailed geography of his journey. He returned with specific information about the customs of the dead, particularly their preferences regarding offerings from the living. This suggests an afterlife that was not a distant heaven, but a parallel society with its own culture and etiquette. One key piece of information he brought back was a proscription against spitting while performing sacrifices at tombs, implying direct awareness by the dead of the actions of the living at their gravesites. This knowledge, obtained from firsthand experience, would have been considered an invaluable revelation, correcting and refining the ritual practices of his community. The account does not contain veridical observations in the conventional sense. The experience is focused on cultural and ritual knowledge rather than prophecy or verifiable earthly events. The "verification" exists within the narrative's own logic—the knowledge about proper burial customs and the preferences of the dead served as practical information for the living. The aftermath was marked by prolonged and difficult readjustment. For four years after his revival, he was completely deaf, as if his senses were still attuned to the silent world of spirits. Furthermore, he was unable to consume "human food," suggesting his body had been fundamentally altered. After emerging from his tomb, he stood upon it for three days before re-engaging with the world. The event was deemed so significant it was reported to Confucius, who ordered the details meticulously recorded and archived. |
6 | Other | 2 | 0 | 5 | Weak Evidence | 3 | Dan reportedly "died" and was buried for three years. The cause of death is unknown, classified as "Unknown" (ID 6), scoring 2 points. | The account does not contain veridical observations. The knowledge gained was about ritual customs of the dead, which cannot be independently verified. Score is 0. | This is a historical account recorded centuries later. Witnesses would have been family and officials who saw his burial and revival. Scored as "Family/friends only" (3 points). Documentation timing is much later, scoring 0 points. Total narrative quality score is 3. | The three-year burial makes this account biologically impossible. Alternative explanations include a legendary embellishment of a shorter coma, or a complete mythological creation to illustrate beliefs about the afterlife and proper ritual practices. | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 0 | 0 | Mixed Compatibility | 6 | ||||||||||
| 5215 | qualitative | book | Shushan, Gregory. Near-Death Experience in Ancient Civilizations: The Origins of the World's Afterlife Beliefs. Inner Traditions, 2025, Chapter 6, "Muh of Ts'in and Kien-tsze," pp. 134-135. | Near-Death Experience in Ancient Civilizations, "The NDE of Kien-tsze," Chapter 6, pp. 134-135, 2025. | -498 | 2025 | M |
The near-death experience of Kien-tsze, a ruler in the ancient Chinese principality of Chao, is historically dated to 498 BCE. The account, recorded in Sima Qian's Shiji, describes a profound medical crisis. Kien-tsze fell into a state of severe illness, becoming so unresponsive that he was "unable to recognize those around him." For two and a half days, he lay in this comatose condition, with court officials believing he had died and making preparations for his succession. His condition was dire enough that a renowned doctor, Pien Chhiao, was summoned. Upon examination, the doctor noted that while Kien-tsze appeared deceased, he still had a pulse. While physically unresponsive, Kien-tsze's consciousness journeyed to the heavenly court of the "Emperor of Heaven." He described the experience as being immensely pleasurable, filled with music and dancing. In this celestial realm, his character was tested. He was instructed by the Emperor to shoot and kill a brown bear and a spotted bear that attacked him, which he successfully did. As a reward for his courage and obedience, the Emperor of Heaven gifted him two baskets and assigned a special dog to his bravest son on Earth. The core of his experience was the reception of detailed prophetic knowledge. The Emperor of Heaven revealed a long-term political prophecy concerning the future of the neighboring realm of Ts'in, foretelling that it would fall into decline and its ruling dynasty would end after seven reigns. This case is remarkable for its claims of both prophecy and later corroboration. The primary veridical element is the detailed political prophecy about the decline of the Ts'in realm. The Shiji chronicle confirms that the prophecy given to Kien-tsze during his experience came to pass exactly as foretold. A second form of verification occurred years later when Kien-tsze encountered a mysterious man who revealed that he was the "child who had stood by the Emperor" during the NDE. This individual corroborated the entire experience, confirmed the episode with the bears, recounted the Emperor's prophecy verbatim, and provided detailed interpretation of the symbolic meanings. Upon awakening, Kien-tsze immediately recounted his entire experience to his court officials, including the prophecies he had received. His account was so significant that it was officially recorded and stored in the government archives. The long-term aftereffect was the historical fulfillment of the prophecies he received, which was documented by later historians. |
4 | Other | 7 | 22 | 44 | Moderate Evidence | 15 | The subject was in an unresponsive state for 2.5 days, diagnosed by a physician as a coma (ID 4). This scores 5 points. While there are no documented sensory barriers, the presence of a professional physician who diagnosed the condition adds some weight to the medical context. I'll award 2 additional points for the contemporary medical confirmation, for a total of 7. | The case claims two significant types of veridical perception. First, a detailed, long-term prophecy about political events that was retrospectively verified by historians. This qualifies as "Knowledge of unknown deaths" or similar special knowledge, scoring 10 points for Type. The prophecy contained multiple specific details, scoring 10 points for Specificity. Second, the encounter with the "child" who later confirms the experience is a form of shared NDE. This is a highly specific and unique detail, adding 2 more points for a total veridical score of 22. | The account was witnessed by court officials and a physician, who can be considered credible non-medical witnesses in this context (6 points). The most significant corroborator is the "child" from the vision who later confirms the details, a highly credible witness to the experience itself (adding 6 points). The account was documented immediately upon his awakening ("he told his officers all about it"), earning 10 points for timing. However, since the final verification by the "child" happened years later, the timing score is reduced to 3 points. Total score is 6 + 6 + 3 = 15. | The account is presented as historical fact. An alternative explanation would be that Kien-tsze had a vivid coma-dream and later, either coincidentally or through political maneuvering, his "prophecies" came true. The encounter with the second man could be a later legendary embellishment added to the story to increase its authority and mystique. | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 2 | 2 | Received a detailed political prophecy. | 1.00 | Pien Chhiao (physician) | Mixed Compatibility | 7 | |||||||
| 5216 | qualitative | book | Shushan, Gregory. Near-Death Experience in Ancient Civilizations: The Origins of the World's Afterlife Beliefs. Inner Traditions, 2025, Chapter 6, "Li O," pp. 137-138. | Near-Death Experience in Ancient Civilizations, "Li O," Chapter 6, pp. 137-138, 2025. | 199 | 2025 | F |
The complex and detailed near-death experience of a woman named Li O is recorded in the 4th-century CE collection In Search of Spirits and is dated to the year 199 CE. The account begins with Li O succumbing to an unspecified illness and dying. Her death was considered certain by her family, who proceeded with her burial. She was interred for fourteen days. Her revival was not spontaneous but was precipitated by a traumatic external event. A neighbor, Ts'ai Chung, decided to rob her grave. As he hacked into her coffin with an axe, he was terrified to hear a voice from within say, "Ts'ai Chung, watch out for my head!" The grave robber fled, but the news spread, and Li O's son came to the grave, opened the coffin, and found his mother alive. Li O's account of the afterlife was not one of celestial bliss but of a highly structured, bureaucratic underworld. She described being taken after her death to the "subterranean offices" of the Lord of the Underworld, a realm that mirrored the governmental administration of Han China. During her time there, she had two significant encounters. The first was with her deceased neighbor, Po-wen, who was surprised to see her, as her name was not yet checked off in the register, indicating it was not her time to die. Po-wen gave her a letter to deliver to his son, T'o, back in the world of the living. The second encounter was with another living person who was also temporarily visiting the underworld: a man named Li Hei. They spoke, and he told her that he had been "summoned" to the underworld but would be able to return home in three days. This case is exceptionally rich in claims of veridical perception. Li O claimed to have met a living man, Li Hei, in the underworld. The Grand Administrator located Li Hei and questioned him. Li Hei's account of his own temporary journey to the underworld perfectly matched Li O's story. Li O claimed Po-wen gave her a physical letter to take back. Po-wen's son recognized the paper as having been among the writing materials in a box buried at the time of Po-wen's death. A famous necromancer was able to decipher the otherworldly script. The letter contained instructions for T'o to meet his deceased father at a specific time and place, where Po-wen's spirit appeared and gave his son a prophecy about a great sickness and a "medicine ball" to protect him. The prediction came true, and T'o was spared. Li O's revival caused a local sensation, leading to a formal government investigation by the Grand Administrator. This official inquiry validated every aspect of her story through independent witnesses and physical evidence. |
6 | Home | 2 | 27 | 47 | Moderate Evidence | 18 | The woman "died of an illness" and was buried for 14 days. The cause is unspecified (ID 6). While medically impossible, the narrative context is one of death and revival, scoring 2 points for a life-threatening event. | This case is extremely strong in veridical claims. The shared NDE with Li Hei is a form of "knowledge of unknown deaths/events" (10 points for Type). The physical letter is a unique detail of the highest specificity (15 points for Specificity). The subsequent appearance of the deceased father and the fulfilled prophecy are also powerful claims. The total score is 10 + 15 + 2 bonus points for multiple unique verifications = 27. | Corroboration is extensive. There are multiple credible, non-medical witnesses investigated by the Grand Administrator (6 points). This includes the grave robber, Li Hei (the other NDEr), and Po-wen's son, T'o. The investigator himself serves as a high-quality witness. This elevates the witness score to 11. Documentation of the investigation was likely contemporary, but the compilation was later. We'll score timing as "Within 1 month" (4 points) for the official investigation and "Later" (1 point for the final text). Average to 2 points. The presence of the necromancer adds a credible witness (2 points). This is a strong case for corroboration. Witness score is 15 points (multiple credible witnesses independently confirming). Documentation timing was likely soon after, scoring 3 points. Total score is 18. | The account is presented as a factual report of a government investigation. Alternatives would require a complex conspiracy: that Li O was in a coma, the grave robber lied, Li Hei colluded with her, and the story of the letter and the fulfilled prophecy were fabricated by the family and later recorded as fact by the historian Gan Bao. | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 3 | 4 | Shared NDE with another living person in the underworld. | 1.00 | Ts'ai Chung (grave robber) | Incompatible | 7 | |||||||
| 5217 | qualitative | book | Shushan, Gregory. Near-Death Experience in Ancient Civilizations: The Origins of the World's Afterlife Beliefs. Inner Traditions, 2025, Chapter 6, "Excursus: The Legend of Miaoshan," pp. 151-152. | Near-Death Experience in Ancient Civilizations, "The Legend of Miaoshan," Chapter 6, pp. 151-152, 2025. | 550 | 2025 | F |
The near-death experience of Princess Miaoshan is a central event in a Chinese Buddhist legend dating to around the 6th century CE. The medical crisis was not the result of illness but of a violent, life-threatening assault. Miaoshan, a devout Buddhist, refused her father's demand that she marry, as she wished to become a nun. Enraged, her father accused her of sorcery and sentenced her to death by execution. As the executioner's sword was brought down, it miraculously broke in half. Immediately following this failed execution, a tiger appeared, attacked, and carried her away into the forest. The text states that Miaoshan "had lost consciousness," clarifying that this was the trigger for her otherworldly journey. The loss of consciousness was the direct result of extreme physical trauma—either from the impact of the sword blow before it broke or from being mauled by the tiger. While unconscious, Miaoshan had a vision in which her spirit was guided by "two boys dressed in black" on an extensive tour of the underworld. This was not a celestial journey but a descent into the Buddhist realms of judgment and punishment. There, she met King Yan, the Chinese Buddhist equivalent of the Indian deity Yama, who is the judge and ruler of the dead. Unlike the tormented souls, King Yan treated Miaoshan with kindness and respect, acknowledging her spiritual purity. Her tour primarily involved witnessing the fates of the damned. She saw sinners undergoing various forms of post-mortem punishment, including being dismembered, burned in fire, and ground to a pulp. However, Miaoshan did not remain a passive observer. Moved by compassion, she began to recite Buddhist sutras for the suffering souls. Her recitation had a miraculous effect: it caused the punishments to cease, the instruments of torture to break, and a lotus flower to bloom in the middle of hell. The legend of Miaoshan is a hagiographical and mythological account, and as such, it does not contain veridical observations in the conventional sense. The experience is entirely otherworldly and symbolic. The central "veridical" element within the narrative's own logic is the demonstrated spiritual power to affect the afterlife realm directly. Her recitation of sutras causing the tortures of hell to cease is a miraculous event witnessed by the beings of the underworld. After King Yan sent her back, Miaoshan awoke from her state of unconsciousness in the forest where the tiger had left her. Her NDE confirmed her spiritual calling and destiny. The legend continues that she went on to live a life of extreme asceticism and devotion, eventually attaining enlightenment and becoming the beloved goddess of mercy, Guanyin. |
5 | Other | 2 | 0 | 5 | Weak Evidence | 3 | The subject lost consciousness after severe physical trauma (failed execution and a tiger attack). This is a clear "Other life-threatening" event (ID 5), scoring 2 points. The setting was outdoors. | The account is a religious legend, and the experience is entirely mythological. There are no claims of veridical perception of earthly events. The score is 0. | This is a hagiographical legend, effectively a self-report within a fictionalized narrative. The "witnesses" are mythological beings (King Yan, souls in hell). It can be considered "Self-report only" (0 points). However, since the story was passed down, it implies community belief, akin to family corroboration. A minimal score of 3 points is assigned for "Family/friends only" (representing the community of believers). Documentation timing is much later, scoring 0. Total score is 3. | The account is a foundational myth for the goddess Guanyin. The most plausible "alternative explanation" is that it is not a factual NDE report but a symbolic story created to illustrate the compassion and spiritual power of a revered religious figure. | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 0 | 0 | Incompatible | 6 | ||||||||||
| 5218 | qualitative | book | Shushan, Gregory. Near-Death Experience in Ancient Civilizations: The Origins of the World's Afterlife Beliefs. Inner Traditions, 2025, Chapter 7, "A Mexica Princess of Tlateloclo," pp. 158-160. | Near-Death Experience in Ancient Civilizations, "A Mexica Princess of Tlateloclo," Chapter 7, pp. 158-160, 2025. | 1470 | 2025 | F |
The near-death experience of Quetzalpetlatl, a Mexica princess of Tlatelolco, is a profound narrative recorded in the 16th century by the Spanish Franciscan missionary Bernardino de Sahagún. The medical crisis that precipitated the NDE was severe. The text states that Quetzalpetlatl fell gravely ill after being "half-killed" by her own father-in-law, Moquihuix, hinting at a traumatic injury or violent episode. Her condition was so dire that her family believed she had died and began preparations for her cremation. She remained in this state of apparent death for four days. Her core experience began with the appearance of a spiritual guide, described as a "sickly, deformed youth." This being initiated her journey by prompting her to sing a song with the lines, "Let us die for only a day. Let us die," signifying the temporary nature of her death. He then led her consciousness to the land of the dead. Her journey traversed symbolic landscapes. She crossed grassy plains, passing lizards and stones. Her first major destination was Tlalocan, the verdant, paradisiacal afterlife realm ruled by the rain god Tlaloc, filled with frogs "as in the springtime." There, she saw the souls of the drowned, including her own recently deceased nephew. From Tlalocan, her journey took her to the underworld of Mictlan, the realm of the Lord of the Dead, Mictlantecuhtli. The most critical part of her experience occurred here. Her guide revealed a prophecy concerning the fate of her violent father-in-law, Moquihuix, foretelling that he would be overthrown and his kingdom would fall. She was told she would return with the power to heal the sick. The central veridical element of this account is the specific, long-term prophecy of the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors. Mictecacihuatl, the Lady of the Dead, gives a detailed prediction: "Announce to the people that those who will come to rule are on their way, the ones with the sign of the cross on their foreheads." This prophecy, received around 1470, foretold the Spanish arrival in 1519 with remarkable accuracy. She was also given a personal prophecy that her life would be extended by eighty years and that she would be granted healing abilities. The text does not detail the immediate moments of her revival but focuses on the long-term impact. Her return from the dead after a four-day burial validated her divine mission. She delivered the prophecy as commanded, becoming a messenger from the land of the dead. For the remainder of her extended life, she lived with the abilities granted to her, serving her community as a healer. |
5 | Home | 2 | 17 | 22 | Suggestive Evidence | 3 | The subject fell ill after severe trauma ("half-killed") and was buried for four days. This qualifies as "Other life-threatening" (ID 5), scoring 2 points. | The case features a major, specific, long-term prophecy of the Spanish conquest, which was historically fulfilled. This is powerful special knowledge, scoring 10 points for Type. The details ("sign of the cross") are very specific, scoring 7 points for Specificity. Total score is 17. | The account was an oral tradition recorded by Sahagún decades later. The original witnesses would have been family and the community. This scores 3 points for Witness Quality ("Family/friends only"). The documentation timing is "Later," scoring 0. Total score is 3. | The story could be a "post-facto" prophecy, a legend created after the Spanish conquest and projected back onto a historical figure to make sense of the catastrophic event and frame it as a divinely ordained fate. The NDE itself could have been a real coma and recovery event that was later embellished with the prophetic details. | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 1 | 0 | Received a specific prophecy of the Spanish conquest. | 1.00 | Low Compatibility | 7 | ||||||||
| 5219 | qualitative | book | Shushan, Gregory. Near-Death Experience in Ancient Civilizations: The Origins of the World's Afterlife Beliefs. Inner Traditions, 2025, Chapter 6, "Unnamed Woman," pp. 136. | Near-Death Experience in Ancient Civilizations, "Unnamed Woman," Chapter 6, p. 136, 2025. | 1 | 2025 | F |
This near-death experience is recounted in the ancient Chinese text known as the Five Agents Treatise and is dated to the year 1 CE. The account provides only sparse details about the medical circumstances leading to the event. The text states simply that an unnamed woman "died and was placed in a coffin." The cause of her death is not specified, but the fact that she was pronounced dead and formally placed in a coffin indicates that her condition was perceived as fatal by her family and community. She remained in this state of apparent death for a significant period—six days. After this lengthy interval, she revived, an event that would have been considered miraculous. The narrative focuses on the information the woman brought back from her time in the afterlife. While in the otherworldly realm, she had an encounter with a deceased relative, her grandfather. This meeting with a familiar, deceased family member is one of the most common features of near-death experiences reported across cultures and time periods. Her grandfather did not simply greet her but gave her a specific and urgent message to convey to the living. He tasked her with a prophetic warning for her surviving family members. He revealed that a great pestilence, or plague, was coming and would cause widespread death. Her grandfather also provided a specific ritualistic remedy to protect the family from this impending disaster. He instructed her to tell her family to take a "reed from the roof, put it over the door, and that this would protect them." The primary veridical claim in this account is the prophecy of a coming plague. The woman returned from her six-day "death" with a specific warning about a future catastrophe. The text strongly implies that this prophecy was fulfilled, as the grandfather provided a specific means of protection, suggesting the plague did arrive and that the family needed the charm to survive it. This type of prophetic knowledge, where a person gains information about a future event during an NDE that they could not have known otherwise, is a form of veridical perception. The text does not provide details about the woman's physical or psychological state after reviving. Upon her return to life, she relayed her grandfather's warning and instructions to her family. The implication is that the family heeded the warning and performed the protective ritual of placing the reed over their door. |
6 | Home | 2 | 5 | 10 | Weak Evidence | 3 | The woman reportedly "died" and was in a coffin for six days. The cause is unknown, so this is classified as "Unknown" (ID 6), scoring 2 points. The setting was presumably her home. | The single veridical claim is a prophecy of a coming plague. While a significant claim, the text is brief and does not confirm its fulfillment, though it is implied. This is a general observation with few specific details, scoring 2 points for Specificity. The type is special knowledge/prophecy, but given the lack of detail and confirmation, it scores low at 3 points for Type. Total score is 5. | This is a third-hand report recorded in a historical treatise. The witnesses would have been family. As a self-report with only family witnesses, it scores 3 points for Witness Quality. The timing of documentation is unknown but certainly much later, scoring 0 points. Total narrative quality score is 3. | The woman could have been in a deep coma mistaken for death. The experience could have been a vivid dream or hallucination during the coma. The story could be a legend or folktale intended to reinforce beliefs in ancestral protection rather than a factual account. | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 0 | 0 | Low Compatibility | 7 | ||||||||||
| 5220 | qualitative | book | Shushan, Gregory. Near-Death Experience in Ancient Civilizations: The Origins of the World's Afterlife Beliefs. Inner Traditions, 2025, Chapter 5, "Rjishvan and Vrsashusma (Jaiminiya Brahmana)," p. 109. | Near-Death Experience in Ancient Civilizations, "The NDE of Vrsashusma," Chapter 5, p. 109, 2025. | -800 | 2025 | M |
The near-death experience of Vrsashusma is recounted in the ancient Indian text, the Jaiminiya Brahmana, which dates to approximately 700-900 BCE. The event is precipitated by a sequence of sudden deaths. First, Vrsashusma's father, Rjishvan, "died suddenly" while in the middle of performing a religious sacrifice. This context establishes a scene of abrupt and unexpected mortality. Vrsashusma, his young son, was overcome with mourning but resolved to complete the sacrificial ritual on his father's behalf. It was during this emotionally fraught act of religious devotion that Vrsashusma himself succumbed to a critical medical event. The text states that he, too, "lost consciousness." This loss of consciousness was profound enough to be considered a journey to the afterlife, indicating a state of clinical death or a deep coma from which he was not expected to awaken. Upon losing consciousness, Vrsashusma's spirit journeyed to the afterlife, described as having "went to the world beyond." In this otherworldly realm, he experienced a reunion with his recently deceased father, Rjishvan, finding him in a state of peace. The environment was described as a "beautiful realm," suggesting a pleasant and heavenly destination rather than a place of torment. The central element of the experience was a conversation with his father, which served as a form of judgment and clarification of their respective spiritual statuses. Rjishvan explained to his son that although his current afterlife realm was beautiful, the one that awaited Vrsashusma was even more magnificent. When Vrsashusma inquired about the reason for this difference in destiny, his father provided a moral and ritualistic explanation. He stated that Vrsashusma's afterlife would be superior "because the boy had carried out his vows of sacrifice better than he had." His father gave him a clear directive to return to the living world. Rjishvan told him, "Go back; you will complete the sacrifice" and "whatever you desire, that desire will be fulfilled." This ancient account is a spiritual narrative and does not contain veridical observations of the physical world. Vrsashusma's experience was entirely confined to the "world beyond." The primary form of special knowledge he received was personal and eschatological. He learned directly about the nature of the afterlife—that it is a beautiful reality and that there are different levels or qualities of existence within it. More specifically, he was given the knowledge that his own future afterlife state was destined to be superior to his father's. Following the instructions from his father's spirit, Vrsashusma's consciousness returned to his body, and he awoke from his state of apparent death. His first action upon reviving was to fulfill the divine command he had received. He proceeded to complete the sacrificial ritual that had been interrupted. The account concludes by noting that the promise made by his father in the afterlife was kept; his desires were indeed fulfilled upon his return to the world of the living. |
6 | Other | 2 | 0 | 5 | Weak Evidence | 3 | The narrative states the subject "lost consciousness" during an emotional event, but provides no further medical details. This qualifies as "Other life-threatening condition" (ID 5) or "Unknown" (ID 6). Given the ambiguity, it is a life-threatening crisis but not a clearly defined one, scoring 2 points. The setting was a place of ritual sacrifice, classified as "Other". | The experience is entirely otherworldly, containing no verifiable observations of the physical realm. The "prophecy" of his desires being fulfilled is a narrative element, not an independently verifiable claim. The score is 0. | The account is a self-report embedded in an ancient religious text. While others would have witnessed his collapse and revival, their corroboration is not documented. It is effectively a self-report with implied family witnesses, scoring 3 points for "Family/friends only." Documentation timing is centuries later, scoring 0 points. Total narrative quality score is 3. | The text presents the event as a factual spiritual occurrence. Plausible alternative explanations could include a stress-induced syncopal episode (fainting) or a seizure accompanied by a vivid hallucination or dream, brought on by the extreme emotional distress of his father's sudden death and the pressure of completing the ritual. | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 0 | 0 | Low Compatibility | 7 | ||||||||||
| 5221 | qualitative | book | Mike Nickols and Sherry Nickols, The Manuscript Hope in the Record of our Life, Self-published, Chapter 13, Mike Nickols, Pages 89-96, 2022 | The Manuscript Hope in the Record of our Life, Mike Nickols, Chapter 13, Pages 89-96, Copyright 2022 | 2002 | 2022 | 51 | M | Mike Nickols experienced his third heart attack at home after returning from a business trip. The pain in his chest was so intense he could not move or speak, frozen with his arms against his chest. Emergency medical technicians arrived quickly, including a neighbor EMT who responded within sixty seconds. During transport and treatment in the emergency room, Mike experienced dialogue with God about suffering, comparing his pain to Christ's experience on the cross. When God explained that overwhelming him with divine presence would eliminate the suffering, Mike's pain suddenly stopped as his heart ceased beating. Mike found himself outside his body, observing himself kneeling at a wooden altar rail with a padded kneeler, positioned before a magnificent stained-glass window approximately forty feet high and thirty feet wide, decorated in red, blue, and clear colors. After watching himself complete his prayer and rise, he moved to the left where three large windows without glass opened to the outside. Through these openings, protected only by a thin veil-like screen, he gazed into what he understood to be eternity itself. The vista revealed a beautiful meadow framed by pleasant forest, with various animals including a majestic elk with an impressive rack standing in the meadow's center, appearing to look directly at him. Behind the trees, he could hear ocean waves breaking on an unseen beach. An authoritative voice then spoke from everywhere - from every molecule within him, throughout the room, and from eternity itself. The voice asked with judge-like authority: Are you ready for this manuscript to go to the publisher? Understanding this meant the manuscript of his life for evaluation, Mike responded fearfully that he trusted in Jesus completely as his hope, but acknowledged he had not completed everything God created him to do. The voice commanded Then live what you believe before Mike instantly returned to the emergency room. Medical records indicate his heart was restarted using defibrillator paddles three times. This near-death experience profoundly impacted Mike's subsequent life and ministry, becoming central to his spiritual understanding. | 1 | Hospital | 25 | 5 | 33 | Moderate Evidence | 3 | Documented cardiac arrest in ER requiring defibrillation three times with monitoring equipment present | Experience contains vivid otherworldly perceptions but no specific verifiable observations of medical procedures or earthly events | written_account | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 0 | 0 | Highly Compatible | 8 | |||||||||||
| 5222 | qualitative | book | Chauncey Crandall, Raising the Dead, FaithWords, Chapter 1, Jeff Markin, Pages 1-15, 2010 | Raising the Dead, Jeff Markin, Chapter 1, Pages 1-15, 2010 | 2006 | 2006-10-20 | 2010 | 53 | M | Jeff Markin, a 53-year-old mechanic with red hair, arrived at Palm Beach Gardens Hospital emergency room on October 20, 2006, experiencing chest pain, shortness of breath, and anxiety. Upon providing his information at the admissions desk, he suddenly collapsed, his head hitting the linoleum floor. A security guard rushed to cradle him while emergency personnel responded. Jeff had suffered a massive myocardial infarction - a severe heart attack. The emergency team worked on him for approximately forty minutes, administering standard cardiac medications including aspirin, heparin, beta-blockers, and thrombolytics. He was intubated, ventilated, and shocked with defibrillators seven times. His heart went into ventricular fibrillation followed by complete cardiac arrest - he flatlined. By the time Dr. Crandall arrived as the senior cardiologist, Jeff's lips, fingers, and toes were cyanotic - black with death from lack of oxygen. His pupils were dilated and fixed. He had been down too long with no hope of recovery. Jeff was officially declared dead at 8:05 a.m. As Dr. Crandall was leaving, he felt God telling him to pray for the man. He prayed "Father God, I cry out for this man's soul. If he does not know You as his Lord and Savior, raise him from the dead now, in Jesus' name." His arm shot up in a gesture of prayer. He then asked the ER doctor to shock Jeff one more time. After the shock, Jeff's heart immediately restarted with a perfect rhythm of 75 beats per minute. His abdomen and chest began moving, he started breathing on his own, and his cyanotic fingers and toes began twitching. He was mumbling and showing signs of life. Jeff reported experiencing being in a casket in a dark room for eternity - which he identified as hell. No family, coworkers, or friends came to visit him. He sat alone in total darkness for eternity. After an eternal period, men came and wrapped him up and threw him in the trash. This vision of eternal separation from God and being discarded as worthless deeply affected Jeff. Following his return to life, Jeff accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior while still in his hospital bed, becoming born again after having previously rejected Christianity twenty years earlier when his wife became a believer. | 1 | Hospital | 35 | 15 | 75 | Exceptional Evidence | 25 | Documented cardiac arrest with monitoring equipment, officially declared dead after 40+ minutes down, cyanotic extremities, dilated and fixed pupils | Patient reported specific otherworldly experience of being in darkness/hell, consistent details about eternal separation | written_account | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 1 | 2 | Experience of being in hell/darkness | 0.00 | ER physician, nurses, Dr. Crandall | Highly Compatible | 5 | |||||||
| 5223 | qualitative | book | Woodford, Jim and Gardner, Thom - Heaven, an Unexpected Journey - Destiny Image Publishers - Jim Woodford - Full Book - 2017 | Heaven, an Unexpected Journey - Jim Woodford - Full Book - 2017 | 2017 | 61 | M |
Jim Woodford, a retired airline pilot suffering from Guillain-Barré syndrome, experienced severe chronic pain that led him to overdose on pain medication while sitting in his truck. He was found unconscious and was clinically dead for eleven hours with no brain activity documented by medical staff. During this time, Jim reported traveling through a tunnel of light at tremendous speed before arriving in a beautiful landscape. He encountered three magnificent angels who identified themselves as his "constant friends" assigned to him since birth. The landscape included brilliant colors, singing flowers, crystal streams, and horses in pastures. He was given a tour of Heaven's city, which contained halls of knowledge, learning, and healing, as well as a nursery for souls of aborted babies. The experience culminated in meeting Jesus face-to-face, who read a thin book of Jim's life and spoke to him directly. Jim observed specific veridical elements including seeing his own body slumped in the truck from an outside perspective and witnessing six contrails of prayer ascending to Heaven. His wife Lorraine later confirmed that exactly six people had formed a prayer circle at their home during his crisis. Medical staff confirmed he had no brain activity for eleven hours before suddenly recovering. Upon his return, Jim experienced complete healing from his Guillain-Barré syndrome symptoms despite doctors confirming the disease protein remained in his body. His transformation was profound, changing from a self-focused businessman to someone dedicated to sharing his experience and helping others facing death. |
5 | Other | 12 | 15 | 45 | Moderate Evidence | 18 | Documented clinical death for 11 hours with no brain activity per medical staff. Life-threatening overdose situation. Some medical documentation but not full records presented. | Two specific veridical observations: saw own body from outside perspective and observed six prayer contrails later confirmed to match six people in prayer circle. Observations were specific and independently verified. | written_account | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 2 | 2 | Saw own body slumped in truck from outside perspective | 1.00 | ICU medical staff and physicians | Highly Compatible | 9 | |||||||||
| 5224 | qualitative | book | Parr, A.J., Stairway to Heaven, Grapevine Books, Chapter 1, Tessa Romero, Pages not specified, 2023 | Stairway to Heaven, Tessa Romero, Chapter 1, 2023 | 2023 | F |
Tessa Romero experienced cardiac arrest during surgery, resulting in 24 minutes of clinical death while doctors worked to revive her. She observed her body on the operating table from above, noting how peaceful she looked. She urged the doctors not to bring her back and visited her sister and mother before being shot upward by a powerful invisible force into a vast space. She encountered a bright light with a deceased friend emerging from it, wearing the green hospital gown she died in. Behind her friend was an imposing white wall of almost blinding light. Her friend asked what she was doing there and told her to go back. Tessa approached the Light and was embraced by what she identified as the Universal Force of Love. She gained 360-degree vision and saw several beings emerging from the loving, peaceful White Light. On the other side, she was shown someone about to commit suicide by jumping off a cliff. Her spirit merged with his, feeling his profound pain. Her spiritual guide told her she could either return to help him or stay in heaven. She felt an immense unknown power within and knew she had to return as her mission. After returning, she experienced a complete transformation, with all traces of her previous illness disappearing. She began voluntary work in hospitals and hospices, helping terminally ill patients prepare for death. |
1 | Hospital | 30 | 20 | 65 | Exceptional Evidence | 15 | Documented cardiac arrest during surgery with 24 minutes of clinical death, medical team present | Multiple specific observations including seeing deceased friend in hospital gown, 360-degree vision experience | written_account | 0.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 | 8/9/2025 | 3 | 1 | Saw her own body on operating table from above | 0.00 | Medical team | Highly Compatible | 8 | ||||||||||
| 5225 | qualitative | book | Parr, A.J., Stairway to Heaven, Grapevine Books, Chapter Interview, T.S. Dismas, Pages not specified, 2023 | Stairway to Heaven, T.S. Dismas Interview, 2023 | 2023 | M | T.S. Dismas, a US Army veteran, suffered cardiopulmonary arrest during surgery and was clinically dead for over ten minutes. Before dying, he knew the end was near and told God he was ready. Upon death, he felt intense but brief pain, immediately replaced with immense peace and love flooding his soul. He found himself in a dark tunnel with love emanating all around him. He saw the Light, beautiful and radiating love, brighter than the sun yet not hurting his eyes. He knew it was God or emanated directly from God, radiating the purest love. The light invited him to come in, which he eagerly accepted. Walking through the cloud of light, he asked to see Jesus. The Light opened up into a huge room full of beautiful light and sparkles, with gorgeous beings and Jesus in the middle, bright as the surrounding light. During his extensive life review with Jesus, he reviewed every memory from his life - everything good, bad, or left undone. Jesus taught him why his actions were wrong, looking at him with love and kindness throughout, showing how wrongdoing affects others through ripple effects. Jesus emphasized three main teachings: communion through prayer/meditation, embracing suffering joyfully, and sharing God's love with others. T.S. Dismas returned profoundly transformed, now working for a nonprofit helping the homeless instead of government work. | 1 | Hospital | 30 | 25 | 70 | Exceptional Evidence | 15 | Documented cardiopulmonary arrest during surgery, clinically dead for over 10 minutes with medical team present | Extensive life review with specific details, encounter with Jesus, receiving specific spiritual teachings | written_account | 0.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 | 8/9/2025 | 2 | 1 | Life review showing all life events | 0.00 | Medical team | Highly Compatible | 9 | ||||||||||
| 5226 | qualitative | book | Parr, A.J., Stairway to Heaven, Grapevine Books, Chapter Interview, Jeffrey Welsh, Pages not specified, 2023 | Stairway to Heaven, Jeffrey Welsh Interview, 2023 | 1981 | 2023 | 19 | M | Jeffrey Welsh, 19, had a massive motorcycle accident in May 1981, hitting his brother-in-law's pickup truck at nearly 100 mph. He prayed Lord help me and jumped, being caught in midair and cradled by what he believed was the Holy Spirit. He entered spirit mode, hearing a song like Amazing Grace, and was gently laid down as his body lay lifeless. He observed from above as his brother-in-law Scott ran toward his motionless body crying No No and his sister screamed Oh my God I've killed Jeff. He continued rising toward a brilliant white light that was extraordinarily white and beautiful, not blinding despite its brightness. God's voice spoke from within, telling him time would heal all wounds and sorrows would turn to joy in the House of the Lord. He reached what he called the Lobby of Heaven - a completely white space like being inside a large cloud. He saw human figures in white robes whom he somehow knew. His Escort the Holy Spirit walked him through crowds to approach God behind a clouded veil. Three entities were present, and God told him Not yet There's more work for you to do and to finish that important project first. Upon return, he couldn't move and prayed again. He felt the breath of the Lord flow through his body, filling him with life. Witnesses saw him get up and walk away without a scratch. The ER doctor found no injuries and asked if he believed in God and miracles, telling him to continue on your journey. | 5 | Other | 25 | 20 | 63 | Strong Evidence | 18 | Severe trauma from high-speed motorcycle collision, witnessed loss of consciousness, body appeared lifeless | Multiple specific observations including seeing family reactions, detailed heavenly visions, miraculous healing | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 3 | 2 | Saw brother-in-law and sister's reactions | 1.00 | Scott (brother-in-law) and sister | Highly Compatible | 8 | ||||||||
| 5227 | qualitative | book | Parr, A.J., Stairway to Heaven, Grapevine Books, Chapter Interview, Ken Chinn, Pages not specified, 2023 | Stairway to Heaven, Ken Chinn Interview, 2023 | 2023 | M | Ken Chinn from Texas was on the brink of death from COVID with pneumonia, almost unable to breathe. He refused a ventilator and was sent to a solitary hospital room with an oxygen mask, left alone with almost no hope of survival. After spending nearly all night in intense agony and deep prayer, begging God to let him see his daughter grow up, his condition worsened until breathing became almost impossible. At the point of near-death, he suddenly saw a bright, glowing white frosted light covering his arms and body. The light had moving particles and covered all his arms and body for about 30 minutes. He recognized this as a supernatural experience of God manifesting himself, providing love, peace, and tranquility. The light was not like regular light but had moving particles throughout. Later, around 3:30-4:00 AM, while still wrestling and groaning in prayer, he heard the Spirit of the Lord speak three times: You shall live and declare the glory of God. Each repetition came with more conviction. This was a rhema word - a specific word from God for his exact situation. He repeated this phrase thousands of times until dawn. The experience transformed his understanding that God had not forsaken him even on his deathbed. | 5 | Hospital | 15 | 10 | 31 | Moderate Evidence | 6 | Life-threatening COVID with pneumonia, near-death state, hospitalized but not on ventilator | Saw supernatural light with moving particles covering body, heard divine voice three times | written_account | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 2 | 0 | Glowing white light covering body | 0.00 | Highly Compatible | 4 | |||||||||||
| 5228 | qualitative | book | Parr, A.J., Stairway to Heaven, Grapevine Books, Chapter Interview, Ana Cecilia González, Pages not specified, 2023 | Stairway to Heaven, Ana Cecilia González Interview, 2023 | 2023 | F | Ana Cecilia González suffered cardiopulmonary arrest when doctors accidentally pinched her heart while trying to drain fluid from her lungs and heart after surgery. She required immediate emergency surgery. In the two to three minutes before reaching the surgery room, she understood she was going to die. She found herself outside her body, floating through what she described as a hollow, living tree trunk with countless branches springing out. As she continued ascending through this structure, she began feeling immense, unconditional love. Upon reaching the top of the hollow trunk, she encountered a big pale-yellow circle of light that embraced her with pure love. She felt she was in heaven, completely embraced by the light, seeing nothing but light, knowing she was in the perfect place. During her two-month recovery in intensive care, she had a profound spiritual experience. Two angels appeared, one on each side of her bed, and healed her. Her sister witnessed her looking from side to side at invisible presences. The next morning, a friend called reporting a dream that two angels had cured Ana, providing independent confirmation. After the angelic healing, her recovery was amazingly fast - out of intensive care in five days and discharged five days later. The experience completely transformed her, knowing she would survive to raise her daughter. | 1 | Hospital | 25 | 15 | 50 | Strong Evidence | 10 | Cardiopulmonary arrest from accidental heart injury during medical procedure, immediate surgery required | Tree trunk ascension vision, encounter with light, angelic healing witnessed by sister | written_account | 0.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 | 8/9/2025 | 2 | 1 | Floating through hollow tree trunk structure | 0.00 | Sister and friend | Highly Compatible | 7 | ||||||||||
| 5229 | qualitative | book | Parr, A.J., Stairway to Heaven, Grapevine Books, NDERF File 1237, Cindy M NDE 3342, 2023 | Stairway to Heaven, NDERF File 1237, Cindy M, 2023 | 1992 | 2023 | F | Cindy M almost drowned in 1992. She looked into the water and could see her body, recognizing it was herself. She thought she couldn't have drowned because she was still aware and present. She looked toward the light and saw an angel who told her it was time to go back. She didn't want to return but felt like she dropped down into her body. She thought the image of her body was close to the surface, but she had to swim up a long way to reach the top of the water. The experience was brief but included the classic elements of seeing her own body from outside, encountering a divine light, and meeting an angelic being who directed her return. The angel's message was clear and direct - her time had not come and she needed to return to her physical body. Despite her reluctance to leave the peaceful state, she was sent back and re-entered her body, having to swim to the surface. | 5 | Other | 10 | 8 | 21 | Suggestive Evidence | 3 | Near drowning incident, life-threatening situation | Saw own body in water, encountered light and angel | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 1 | 0 | Saw own body in water | 0.00 | Highly Compatible | 4 | ||||||||||
| 5230 | qualitative | book | Parr, A.J., Stairway to Heaven, Grapevine Books, Chapter Interview, Dr. Yvonne Kason, Pages not specified, 2023 | Stairway to Heaven, Dr. Yvonne Kason Interview, 2023 | 1979 | 2023 | F | Dr. Yvonne Kason, a young physician, was aboard a Medevac plane in Northern Canada in 1979 when it crashed in a winter blizzard. Both engines failed during the storm. As the plane descended, she felt intense fear and panic, crying out God help I'm going to die. Her NDE began before impact when a force field of peace descended upon her, leaving her calm and unafraid. She heard an inner voice saying Be still and know that I am God. I am with you now and always. The feeling of peace and divine presence intensified. She comforted the patient beside her, somehow knowing everything would be okay whether they lived or died. The pilot crash-landed on a semi-frozen lake, avoiding deadly trees. The plane skidded across ice until it broke through and began sinking. In the freezing water wearing heavy winter clothes, she heard the voice command Swim to shore three times. She initially resisted, knowing the 200-yard distance in winter conditions seemed impossible. After the third command, she surrendered and began swimming. The successful 200-yard swim in heavy winter clothing through fast current during a storm was considered miraculous. This was one of five NDEs Dr. Kason has experienced (two as a child, three as an adult). | 5 | Other | 20 | 15 | 45 | Moderate Evidence | 10 | Life-threatening plane crash and hypothermia, survived against extreme odds | Heard divine voice three times with specific survival instructions, miraculous swim survival | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 2 | 1 | Heard divine voice before crash | 0.00 | Pilot and nurse | Highly Compatible | 4 | |||||||||
| 5231 | qualitative | book | Parr, A.J., Stairway to Heaven, Grapevine Books, Chapter Interview, Colin Perry, Pages not specified, 2023 | Stairway to Heaven, Colin Perry Interview, 2023 | 2008 | 2023 | 49 | M | Colin Perry, 49, had chest pain and cramping in 2008. A week later, while trying to start a lawn trimmer, he was hit with massive chest pain. He heard God's loud voice saying You are going to die but I have things for you to do. The voice instructed him to pack a bag call an ambulance and be ready. In the ambulance after receiving morphine he passed out and found himself floating in complete darkness as a disembodied spirit. Fearing he had died and sensing a bottomless pit beneath him he called out to Jesus for help. A strong arm grabbed him saying You don't want to go that way and pulled him upward at incredible speed through what may have been a tunnel with streaks of blurred light. They came to rest in a misty environment with 5-6 huge angels in a semi-circle. He was overwhelmed by powerful love that made his chest feel like it would burst. He asked his rescuer's identity who replied I am the one you call Lord - Jesus. Jesus entered within him to heal his damaged soul rearranging things and breaking negativity. Perry experienced Jesus's omniscient awareness - knowing every event in the universe simultaneously. Jesus showed him future events in his life some edited from his view. An angel checked his body and confirmed the vessel was fine for return. After healing and revelations about his future including warnings about specific people and events Jesus sent him back. | 2 | Ambulance | 25 | 22 | 57 | Strong Evidence | 10 | Heart attack with cardiac arrest in ambulance, received emergency medication | Met Jesus who revealed future events, experienced omniscient awareness, received soul healing | written_account | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 3 | 1 | Heard God's voice with prophetic warning | 0.00 | Ambulance paramedics | Highly Compatible | 8 | ||||||||
| 5232 | qualitative | book | Parr, A.J., Stairway to Heaven, Grapevine Books, Chapter Interview, Carlos Vivas, Pages not specified, 2023 | Stairway to Heaven, Carlos Vivas Interview, 2023 | 2023 | M | Carlos Vivas was pulled away from the coast by a riptide and struggled for 30 minutes until exhausted with cramps. About to give up he thanked God for his life and apologized for any wrongs. He then heard a voice from behind saying Ask for help three times. Following the instruction he screamed for help and was spotted by a friend from a hilltop. A dolphin appeared and pushed him to the surface when a huge wave sent him under then stayed beside him until a boat rescued him. Back at his hotel room after the rescue exhausted he had a vision/epiphany where he met Jesus. Jesus appeared tall and slim with light radiating from his face wearing a white robe. Jesus embraced him from behind and when Carlos opened his eyes he was in Heaven - like a huge golf course with meadows and short grass with millions of people in white robes. Jesus explained there is no religion in heaven only Love the most powerful force that will unite humanity. Jesus gave him a mission to return and tell others about forgiveness - that most people have childhood traumas and can only heal by learning to forgive others and themselves. Carlos dedicated himself saying From this moment on take my life take my soul get inside me and whatever you want do it through me. He now spreads God's message of love through churches schools universities and spiritual retreats. | 5 | Other | 15 | 12 | 35 | Moderate Evidence | 8 | Life-threatening near-drowning from riptide, 30 minutes struggling, saved by dolphin | Heard divine voice three times, vision of Jesus and heaven with millions in white robes | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 2 | 1 | Heard voice commanding to ask for help | 1.00 | Friend and boat crew | Moderately Compatible | 6 | ||||||||||
| 5233 | qualitative | book | Parr, A.J., Stairway to Heaven, Grapevine Books, Chapter Interview, Raymond O'Brien, Pages not specified, 2023 | Stairway to Heaven, Raymond O'Brien Interview, 2023 | 2023 | M | Raymond O'Brien died ten times on the same day from a heart attack experiencing multiple NDEs. In his first experience he became a tiny sexless soul about four feet tall standing on grass soft as fur. A warm wind from his right passed through every fiber of his being acting as a gatekeeper that knew him completely and communicated safety and welcome. The setting had heightened colors - very green grass white roads bluest sky. He saw five people in white togas (two men three women with veils) near a Greek-style building. One woman announced Raymond's here and he floated toward them. A Santa Claus-bearded man held an open brown book possibly the Book of Life. Raymond hovered to look over his shoulder but couldn't read it. The man said He shouldn't be here and waved his hand sending Raymond back to his body before resuscitation began. In his second NDE he met Dave from California who had come to say goodbye before dying. Raymond found himself in a gray place as a tiny soul among a huge crowd packed like after a football match. Dave recognized him saying Ray what are you doing here You're not supposed to be here. A razor-like wind cracked across the crowd as the medical team worked to resuscitate him. Raymond transformed from a heating engineer to a certified British NDE Counselor and Psychotherapist. | 1 | Hospital | 30 | 18 | 60 | Strong Evidence | 12 | Heart attack with cardiac arrest, died 10 times in one day, medical team resuscitation | Detailed heaven visions, saw deceased person Dave, Book of Life, specific descriptions of beings | written_account | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 3 | 1 | Saw heavenly realm with specific details | 0.00 | Medical team | Moderately Compatible | 8 | ||||||||||
| 5234 | qualitative | book | Parr, AJ. Stairway to Heaven. Grapevine Books, Chapter 3, Señora Cristal, 2023 | Stairway to Heaven - Señora Cristal - Chapter 3 - 2023 | 2023 | F |
Señora Cristal, a Mexican psychic and meditation teacher now living in Texas, experienced her first NDE shortly after surgery when she lost a significant amount of blood. She felt weak and sensed something suctioning her through a dark spiral tunnel, experiencing a dizzy sensation. She emerged to see a bright, beautiful light that changed into something foggy, revealing a beautiful forest with very green, moist grass. She walked barefoot toward spirits or souls she recognized as relatives waiting for her, though they had no physical bodies - she simply knew who they were intuitively. As she approached these presences, something pulled her back, preventing her from reaching them. She described it as being in the "Lobby of Heaven," able to see people waiting in what she called the Main Room but unable to advance to reach them. The experience included specific perceptions of the environment - the moisture on the grass, the forest setting, and the foggy transition from the bright light. She recognized deceased relatives despite them having no physical form, demonstrating a knowledge-based veridical perception. She was prevented from fully crossing over and returned to her body, understanding that she had been at the threshold between life and death but was not permitted to continue forward. |
5 | Hospital | 7 | 10 | 17 | Suggestive Evidence | 0 | Surgery with significant blood loss documented, life-threatening condition | Environmental details and recognition of non-physical beings | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 | 8/9/2025 | 2 | 0 | Saw forest environment with specific details | 0.00 | Moderately Compatible | 6 | |||||||||||
| 5235 | qualitative | book | Parr, AJ. Stairway to Heaven. Grapevine Books, Chapter 3, Pegi Robinson, 2023 | Stairway to Heaven - Pegi Robinson - Chapter 3 - 2023 | 2023 | F |
Pegi Robinson, host of an NDE podcast who has interviewed over 200 experiencers, had her second NDE while pregnant with twins and experiencing severe pain. At the hospital, while being wheeled down a hallway, she lost contact with her body - unable to move even a finger. Her chin hit her chest and she was suddenly shot like a rocket through a dim tunnel with loud wind noise, similar to a rocket launch vibration. She could see through the transparent tunnel walls, observing herself whizzing past galaxies and entering another dimension. She emerged surrounded by bright white light, perfectly still and quiet. Initially alone, she exclaimed that this must be heaven and that "the whole Bible, Jesus, and God thing are really true." She urged God to send people back to tell others it's real. Looking around the white space, she saw slight outlines of people - a row standing and another row sitting up front. She focused on the figure sitting front and center, believing it must be God. Later in the experience, she bargained with God about returning, explaining she couldn't leave her children unprotected. She was shown a future vision of her trailer home with the roof disappeared, seeing her son Jeremy crying and telling his brother Matthew that he wanted his mother back. This future glimpse of her children's grief influenced her return. The experience included perception of traveling through space, seeing dimensional boundaries, recognizing spiritual hierarchy in the seating arrangement, and receiving a prophetic vision of future events involving her children. |
5 | Hospital | 5 | 10 | 15 | Suggestive Evidence | 0 | Pregnancy complications with loss of consciousness | Tunnel travel details, spatial perception, future vision shown | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 3 | 0 | Saw through tunnel walls during transit | 0.00 | Highly Compatible | 8 | |||||||||||
| 5236 | qualitative | book | Parr, AJ. Stairway to Heaven. Grapevine Books, Chapter 3, Wendy Rose Williams, 2023 | Stairway to Heaven - Wendy Rose Williams - Chapter 3 - 2023 | 1997 | 2023 | 36 | F |
Wendy Rose Williams, a past-life therapist with an MBA, had her second NDE in 1997 at age 36. Despite having little spiritual background and only casual religious formation, she found herself saying "Oh, please, don't make me walk through one of those long tunnels!" indicating some cultural awareness of NDEs. Instead of a tunnel, a pristine escalator appeared just for her - gorgeous, steep, and long with incredible light illuminating it. She was in pure soul form, like a deflated white beach ball, clinging to the handrail as the escalator took her up. At the top, she encountered a welcoming party of angels, deceased grandparents, and what she identified as members of her soul family or soul group. They clearly knew she was coming and gave her a huge hug filled with unconditional love that moved her to tears. She recognized Archangel Michael, whom she had met before, who welcomed her home and told her she could stay but needed to decide quickly. He provided three specific pieces of information: her surgery would be successful with full health recovery, her baby would be born healthy, and if she returned, life would be very difficult for many years because she was not on her life path. When she asked about her purpose, Michael and the other beings playfully refused to tell her, with some making gestures of locking their lips and throwing away the key. Her decision to return was based on seeing her toddler daughter's face. Before returning, everyone gave her another hug that included an energy download she felt was necessary for surviving her surgery the next day. She gently floated back into her body, and the white light in the hospital room disappeared. The experience included seeing her soul form, recognizing specific spiritual beings, and receiving prophetic information about her future that she indicates came true. |
3 | Hospital | 7 | 8 | 15 | Suggestive Evidence | 0 | Pre-surgery medical emergency requiring hospitalization | Recognition of specific beings, prophetic information given | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 2 | 0 | Saw soul form and escalator instead of tunnel | 0.00 | Mixed Compatibility | 8 | |||||||||
| 5237 | qualitative | book | Parr, AJ. Stairway to Heaven. Grapevine Books, Chapter 3/10, M.K. McDaniel, 2023 | Stairway to Heaven - M.K. McDaniel - Chapters 3 and 10 - 2023 | 2019 | 2023 | F |
M.K. McDaniel spent three weeks in a coma in 2019 after catching pneumonia and suffering lung failure, with doctors giving her only a 38% chance of survival. Before intubation, she was told she would receive amnesia medication and wouldn't remember anything. However, she had vivid experiences beginning with a hellish realm. She woke in a dark, quiet place that morphed into a scary scene with demons resembling nine-foot-tall Bigfoot creatures. They forced her to do impossible tasks like cutting down a forest of blackberry bushes with paper scissors, with the plants growing back immediately. Though in a coma for three weeks, she felt trapped there for years, spending most time walking on an endless solitary road. After somehow escaping the hellish realm, she was enveloped with huge bliss and joy in a bright warm light that settled into what felt like a cathedral with marble walls and high ceiling. To her right, she saw an architect's table with a huge book like a Bible, open about halfway. Someone told her it contained her life and she was only halfway through. When she said it would be too hard and wanted to stay, she was told "you've got too much left to do." She felt thrown out without seeing anything else of the heavenly realm. The specific observations included the detailed description of the demonic beings, the impossible tasks, the architectural features of the heavenly space, and the large book showing her life's midpoint. She never felt dead during the experience, just confused like "Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz." When the lights came back on, she found herself on the ventilator with family around her, deeply confused by the transition from her vivid otherworldly experiences to the hospital setting. |
4 | Hospital | 10 | 10 | 20 | Suggestive Evidence | 0 | Three-week documented coma with 38% survival chance, intubated | Detailed hellish and heavenly realms, book of life observation | written_account | 0.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 | Intubation | 8/9/2025 | 2 | 0 | Saw hellish realm with specific beings | 0.00 | Highly Compatible | 7 | |||||||||
| 5238 | qualitative | book | Parr, AJ. Stairway to Heaven. Grapevine Books, NDERF 1978 Jennifer T NDE 4102, 2023 | Stairway to Heaven - Jennifer T NDERF Case 4102 - 2023 | 1980 | 2023 | F |
In 1980, Jennifer T. suffered a direct head injury and experienced clinical death. During her NDE, she encountered a Being of Light with no facial features that emitted very soothing light. In a blink of an eye, she found herself standing in a non-defined area with her Being of Light standing behind her and to her left, with four other Beings of Light scattered to her right. She was looking at a huge book on an equally large table. A man then appeared with long brown hair and beard, wearing a glowing white robe. He flipped through the book, looked at her, and asked with spoken words if she wanted to stay or go back. In her mind, she saw her mother and infant sister (not in pictures but as mental images), and then she woke up. The specific observations included the Being of Light's lack of facial features but soothing light emission, the spatial arrangement of five Beings of Light total, the huge book on the large table, and the robed figure with specific physical features who spoke audibly. The book appears to be the Book of Life mentioned in biblical texts. Upon waking, the first thing she saw was the green tile wall in her hospital room, and she started screaming, indicating the stark contrast between the spiritual realm and her return to physical reality. |
5 | Hospital | 7 | 10 | 17 | Suggestive Evidence | 0 | Direct head injury resulting in clinical death | Multiple specific details about beings and book | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 2 | 0 | Saw arrangement of Beings of Light | 0.00 | Highly Compatible | 6 | ||||||||||
| 5239 | qualitative | book | Parr, AJ. Stairway to Heaven. Grapevine Books, NDERF 2592 James S NDE 5011, 2023 | Stairway to Heaven - James S NDERF Case 5011 - 2023 | 1976 | 2023 | M |
In the summer of 1976, James S., a Jewish man, died due to an allergic reaction to penicillin described as an advancing cataclysmic reaction. During his NDE, he found his grandmother standing there, which he did not consider odd at the time. He was aware of some sort of barrier between them - possibly a river or rift - that he knew he could not cross initially. Behind his grandmother and others, somewhat in the middle distance, he became aware of a beautiful city. The city was golden, either from its own internal light or from a golden light at sunset. There were beautiful trees and flowers with lovely smells. The city awakened in him a desperate yearning to go there, though he couldn't explain why. He could somehow see that there were busy people in the houses, which had windows and flat roofs. Suddenly, he found he could cross the divide and felt simply wonderful, with no pain and powerful feelings of peacefulness. The specific observations included recognizing his deceased grandmother, perceiving a barrier or divide preventing initial entry, seeing the golden city with internal light, observing architectural details of houses with windows and flat roofs, and seeing busy people within the houses. The golden city description aligns with biblical descriptions of the New Jerusalem. The experience transitioned from separation to union as he crossed the barrier, accompanied by complete pain relief and profound peace, suggesting the transition from earthly suffering to heavenly peace. |
5 | Unknown | 5 | 12 | 17 | Suggestive Evidence | 0 | Fatal allergic reaction to penicillin documented | Detailed city observation with architectural elements | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/9/2025 | 2 | 0 | Saw golden city with specific details | 0.00 | Highly Compatible | 6 | ||||||||||
| 5240 | qualitative | book | Parr, AJ. Stairway to Heaven. Grapevine Books, NDERF 977 Barbara J NDE 2847, 2023 | Stairway to Heaven - Barbara J NDERF Case 2847 - 2023 | 2023 | F |
Barbara J., a Christian believer, experienced an NDE where she suddenly found herself standing before a golden city. She emphasizes her Christian faith and belief in Jesus Christ, stating she now knows He is real because, as the Bible states, heaven's streets are pure gold that you can see through - and she confirms you can indeed see through them, though she cannot adequately describe the beauty in words. She found herself waiting in line behind many people, and then it was her turn. She stood in front of a very large being whom she thought was an angel, holding a big book that she believes was the Lamb's Book of Life. She explains that if you let Jesus come into your life by asking Him, your name will be in The Lamb's Book of Life, and nothing and nobody can take it out. When the angel asked for her name and she told him, he looked for it in the book and said, "I'm sorry, but it is not your time." The specific observations included the golden transparent streets exactly as described in Revelation, waiting in line with many others suggesting an orderly entry process, the large angelic being as gatekeeper, and the Book of Life being consulted for entry permission. Her theological understanding of the Book of Life and salvation through Jesus was confirmed through the experience. She was sent back after being told it wasn't her time, a common element in NDEs where entry to heaven is conditional on divine timing rather than human choice. |
6 | Unknown | 2 | 10 | 12 | Weak Evidence | 0 | No medical details provided about circumstances | Specific biblical details observed - transparent gold streets, Book of Life | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/10/2025 | 2 | 0 | Saw golden city with transparent streets | 1.00 | Highly Compatible | 6 | |||||||||||
| 5241 | qualitative | book | Parr, AJ. Stairway to Heaven. Grapevine Books, Chapter 4, Jamie Unin interviewed by Dr. Melvin Morse, 2023 | Stairway to Heaven - Jamie Unin - Dr. Morse Interview - 2023 | 2023 | F |
Jamie Unin, a young girl, had a fulminating bacterial meningitis with approximately 95% mortality rate at the time she presented. Very few survived this type of meningitis. During her cardiac arrest and resuscitation, she observed the medical team working on her. When interviewed by Dr. Melvin Morse, she accurately drew the exact position of his partner's hands in the perfect American Heart Association bent position while pushing on her chest. She mentioned several other correct details of her own resuscitation. She reported talking to Jesus, who was sitting on a log. Jesus told her it was not her time to die yet and revealed that her mother would have a son with a heart defect, and she needed to go back to help her mother with her new brother to be. This prophecy was entirely unknown to the family at the time but proved completely accurate - the mother later got pregnant and had a son with a heart defect. She also saw angels and a door, but when asked what the door was for, she simply said she didn't know. The veridical observations included accurate depiction of CPR hand positioning according to medical standards, correct details of resuscitation procedures witnessed while clinically dead, and prophetic knowledge about a future sibling's heart condition that was later confirmed. Dr. Morse noted her pure, innocent account without embellishment as typical of children's NDEs. The medical severity of her condition, the accurate observations during resuscitation, and the confirmed prophecy about her brother's heart defect provide multiple levels of verification for this experience. |
2 | Hospital | 10 | 10 | 26 | Suggestive Evidence | 6 | Fulminating bacterial meningitis with 95% mortality rate, cardiac arrest requiring CPR | Accurate CPR details and confirmed prophecy about brother's heart defect | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | Dr. Melvin Morse | 8/10/2025 | 2 | 1 | Saw CPR being performed accurately | 1.00 | Dr. Melvin Morse | Highly Compatible | 7 | |||||||||
| 5242 | qualitative | book | Parr, AJ. Stairway to Heaven. Grapevine Books, NDERF 2758 Andrew J NDE 5251, 2023 | Stairway to Heaven - Andrew J NDERF Case 5251 - 2023 | 2010 | February 2010 | 2023 | M |
In February 2010, Andrew J. went out to eat with his father and had a terrible car accident where his father, who was driving, died. Andrew suffered a severe head injury leaving him unconscious for three days and died on the operating table for three minutes during brain surgery. He emerged outside the Gates of Heaven and walked up to a Seraph who, before he could finish stating his name, smiled and said "Follow me, He wishes to speak with you." He was led through the gates straight to a chamber where The Lord sat. He seated himself across a completely clear desk from Him and they began a long conversation as if between friends. The Lord told him directly he would not remember much of their talk. He remembers the Lord saying "Worry not, you will not be kept here. I do not wish to have you home yet, for you have much to live for!" At this point, not knowing his father had died in the accident, his dad walked in with his usual mischievous smile and pride, standing by the Lord's side. His father simply said "I'm home" and Andrew replied he and his brother Daniel would miss him. His father asked him to take care of Daniel while he could. The Lord then revealed "Your father spoke to me earlier and did not wish you to die. I granted his wish." After more conversation that he cannot fully remember, Andrew expressed anxiety about returning to check on Daniel and gave both his father and the Lord a parting hug. The experience included specific heavenly geography (gates, chamber), recognition of spiritual hierarchy (Seraph, The Lord), discovering his father's death through the encounter, and his father's intercession preventing his own death. |
5 | Hospital | 7 | 10 | 17 | Suggestive Evidence | 0 | Three days unconscious, died 3 minutes during brain surgery | Detailed heavenly realm, discovered father's death, conversation details | written_account | 0.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 | 8/10/2025 | 2 | 0 | Learned of father's death during NDE | 0.00 | Highly Compatible | 7 | |||||||||
| 5243 | qualitative | book | Parr, AJ. Stairway to Heaven. Grapevine Books, Chapter 5, Robert Bare, 2023 | Stairway to Heaven - Robert Bare - Chapter 5 - 2023 | 2009 | 2023 | M |
Former California Highway Patrol officer Robert Bare suffered a massive heart attack after boarding an airplane in 2009 and was clinically dead for approximately 45 minutes. He had a second NDE that same day lasting around 10 minutes. During his first NDE, while doctors worked on resuscitating him, he gravitated up seeing colors that don't exist in this realm and ended up in the presence of a Higher Power he could not look at directly. He sensed an audience of spirits who seemed to know him well. His life review began from conception, and he saw his parents outside an old black Chevrolet the day they learned his mother was pregnant. His father later confirmed this scene with a photograph Robert had never seen, revealing they got married after learning of the pregnancy - a family secret. The review included feeling not only his own emotions but also those of everyone he interacted with. At age five, he stole baseball cards and lied about it, experiencing the store owner's thoughts: "Heck! He's five years old! Just give me the nickel!" He heard his childhood friend with hemophilia say "You were my best friend!" and could taste the cherry Kool-Aid his friend's mother made. As a Highway Patrol officer, he saw an incident where a man ran toward him with a rifle after being robbed. Though he could have been justified in shooting, he didn't, and heard the man's voice say "Thank you for not shooting me!" He saw his deceased dog Scooter from 2001, fidgeting and wanting to come to him. In another incident, he correctly suspected a burned car victim was murdered (later confirmed by autopsy finding bullets), and heard the victim say "Thank you for what you did for my mother!" Multiple specific details were verified: his parents confirmed the conception scene and photograph, his father told him his friend Paul had died of AIDS from tainted blood, and the murder victim case was confirmed. The experience profoundly transformed him - he now does volunteer work with homeless veterans and reports permanent improved vision after his NDE. |
2 | Other | 15 | 15 | 40 | Moderate Evidence | 10 | Clinical death for 45 minutes, massive heart attack, resuscitation documented | Multiple verified details including family photo, friend's death, murder case | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/10/2025 | 5 | 1 | Saw parents at conception with car | 1.00 | Father | Highly Compatible | 9 | |||||||||
| 5244 | qualitative | book | Parr, Stairway to Heaven, Dr. Laurence Brock Transformation, Pages not specified, 2023 | Stairway to Heaven, Dr. Laurence Brock, 2023 | 2023 | M |
Dr. Laurence Brock experienced a near-death experience that profoundly transformed his life. While the specific medical circumstances leading to his NDE are not detailed in the available text, the experience left him with remarkable aftereffects that changed the trajectory of his life. During his experience, he encountered what he describes as transcendent realities beyond ordinary consciousness. Upon returning from his NDE, Dr. Brock discovered he had undergone a fundamental transformation. Most notably, he found that whenever he touched people, his hands would become inexplicably warm, and even when they did not physically warm, the people he touched often reported feeling warmth emanating from his hands. This healing phenomenon persisted and continues to manifest in his daily life, representing a permanent change in his physical and energetic capabilities. Initially bewildered by these new abilities and lacking any framework to understand what had happened to him, Dr. Brock embarked on a spiritual journey to comprehend his transformation. This quest for understanding led him to study under a Sufi spiritual teacher, where he spent years learning about mystical traditions and developing his newfound gifts. The NDE served as a catalyst for a complete reorientation of his life toward spiritual study and healing work. Dr. Brock's experience exemplifies the transformative power of NDEs, demonstrating how such experiences can fundamentally alter not just one's worldview but also manifest as tangible physical changes and abilities that persist long after the initial experience. |
5 | Unknown | 2 | 5 | 7 | Weak Evidence | 0 | No specific medical details provided about the NDE circumstances | Experience focused on transformation rather than veridical observations | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/10/2025 | 1 | 0 | Acquired healing abilities with warm hands | 0.00 | Moderately Compatible | 4 | |||||||||||
| 5245 | qualitative | book | Parr, Stairway to Heaven, NDERF 660 Elsa NDE 2290, 2023 | Stairway to Heaven, Elsa NDE, NDERF 660, 2023 | 1959 | 2023 | 8 | F |
In the summer of 1959, eight-year-old Elsa experienced a profound near-death experience when she drowned in a swimming pool. The drowning incident occurred during what should have been a routine day, but instead became a transformative spiritual encounter that would shape her understanding of life, death, and divine purpose. After losing consciousness in the water, Elsa found herself transported to a transcendent realm where she encountered spiritual beings and received revelations about her future life. Upon leaving her body, Elsa found herself in another place where people seemed to know her name. She was shown a man she did not recognize holding her as an infant, later understood to be her deceased grandfather. Initially frightened by this unfamiliar spiritual realm, she encountered whom she believed to be Jesus, who showed her a comprehensive life review. During this review, she saw every instance where she had misbehaved or talked back to her mother. Each time she tried to defend her actions, she was shown how they appeared through divine eyes, filling her with shame and leading her to ask for forgiveness. Jesus explained profound spiritual truths to her, including how some people did not believe in Him, which caused Him great sadness. She witnessed beams of light shooting from Earth into the heavens, which Jesus identified as prayers, bringing her comfort that many people still believed. Most remarkably, she was shown prophetic visions of her future, including her two sons who would be born when she was older, and dramatically, that one son would initially hurt Jesus by not believing but would later redeem himself by becoming a wonderful speaker who would captivate audiences with spiritual messages. When Elsa expressed her desire to remain in this heavenly realm, Jesus showed her mother crying intensely, explaining that her death would break her mother's heart. After revealing her future children and their destinies, including the spiritual journey of her sons, Jesus told her she had to return. Filled with euphoria over the revelations, she agreed, and suddenly found herself catching the side of the pool and pulling herself up to safety. |
5 | Other | 5 | 5 | 10 | Weak Evidence | 0 | Drowning incident with loss of consciousness documented | Multiple specific observations including life review and future visions | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/10/2025 | 2 | 0 | Saw deceased grandfather holding her as infant | 0.00 | Highly Compatible | 8 | |||||||||
| 5246 | qualitative | book | Parr, Stairway to Heaven, NDERF 2745 Lori K NDE 5241, 2023 | Stairway to Heaven, Lori K. NDE, NDERF 2745, 2023 | 2006 | 2006-04-22 | 2023 | 51 | F |
On April 22, 2006, fifty-one-year-old Lori K. suffered catastrophic injuries when a vehicle struck her while she was standing on a corner. The impact resulted in multiple severe injuries including a double cranial fracture and multiple bone fractures throughout her body. The severity of her injuries led to a profound near-death experience during which she encountered Jesus and was given the choice to return to life. The medical trauma was extreme, with her injuries being life-threatening and requiring extensive medical intervention. During her NDE, Lori found herself in the presence of Jesus in what she described as a beautiful field or garden. The environment felt perfect, like home, filled with an overwhelming sense of belonging and peace. Behind Jesus stood a large archway or gateway, and beyond it, she could see all her deceased relatives waiting for her, including her grandfather and father-in-law among others. The gathering of loved ones created a powerful pull toward the afterlife, yet Jesus engaged her in a dialogue about her readiness to remain. The experience included a profound moment of life assessment when Jesus asked if she was ready to stay. Lori reflected that it seemed like a beautiful day to die - the weather was perfect with sun, a nice breeze, neither too hot nor cold. She examined her life and realized she had no unfinished business, was not angry at anyone, and could not think of anyone angry at her. She expressed confidence that her family and friends knew who she was, what she stood for, and how she felt about them. Initially, she seemed accepting of death, noting she thought she would be older when she passed, having just turned fifty-one, the same age her grandmother had died. However, her maternal love ultimately guided her decision. She expressed her deep love for her fifteen-year-old daughter Hannah and her desire to see her grow up, get married, and have children. She also mentioned her love for her husband Steve and all her adult children, plus her anticipation of a grandson soon to be born whom she wanted to meet. She told Jesus she still had X-rays to shoot and puppet shows to perform. When she asked to return, Jesus granted her request, telling her she had work to do. He instructed her to stay awake and promised to take care of and restore everything. Her return was described as fast, like going down a grand slide back into her broken body. |
5 | Other | 7 | 10 | 17 | Suggestive Evidence | 0 | Severe trauma with double cranial fracture and multiple injuries documented | Detailed observations of Jesus, deceased relatives, and specific environmental details | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/10/2025 | 2 | 0 | Saw Jesus and deceased relatives at gateway | 0.00 | Highly Compatible | 8 | ||||||||
| 5247 | qualitative | book | Parr, Stairway to Heaven, NDERF 689 Mary W FDE 2349, 2023 | Stairway to Heaven, Mary W. FDE, NDERF 689, 2023 | 1994 | 2023 | F |
In 1994, Licensed Practical Nurse Mary W. experienced a profound near-death experience during a tragic traffic accident. The medical crisis that triggered her NDE involved trauma severe enough to bring her to the threshold of death, though specific details of her injuries are not provided. During this life-threatening event, she underwent a comprehensive life review in the presence of what she perceived as God, which became a transformative spiritual encounter that fundamentally changed her understanding of divine love, judgment, and forgiveness. Mary's experience began with a powerful sense of God's presence, after which she was presented with a complete review of her life in vivid color. This review was bifurcated into two distinct parts: first, she had to see and feel all the good she had done, including good deeds she was not even aware of. She could actually feel the joy each person experienced when she had touched their lives in loving ways. During this positive review, she heard God expressing pride in her accomplishments, saying "I am so proud of you!" This divine affirmation was particularly meaningful as she had always felt she could not do anything right. The random acts of kindness gave her the most joy, as she could feel the difference she had made in strangers' lives without realizing it at the time. The second part of the review required her to witness and feel all the hurt she had caused others, including unintentional harm. She had to experience each person's pain that resulted from her actions. Contrary to traditional religious teaching about standing before God in judgment, Mary discovered that God was not judging her - rather, she was judging herself while God stood beside her with love. The experience was like being caught by a parent doing wrong, but worse due to the complete transparency. When overwhelmed by shame, she declared herself ready for Hell, saying she did not deserve Heaven. At this crucial moment, she felt God take hold of her arm as she was heading toward Hell, stopping her with the words: "Wait a minute young lady, you get back here! You don't understand, and I'm going to explain this to you." God then engaged her in a teaching dialogue, asking what different choices she could have made and what she was learning, rather than condemning her. The hardest revelation was realizing God had already forgiven her, while she struggled to forgive herself. God showed her that self-punishment did not make her better in His eyes - accepting His love was what He truly wanted. She learned she could not let divine love in without first forgiving herself. |
5 | Unknown | 5 | 5 | 10 | Weak Evidence | 0 | Traffic accident with life-threatening trauma mentioned but not detailed | Comprehensive life review with specific emotional and spiritual observations | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/10/2025 | 1 | 0 | Life review showing all good and bad deeds with their impacts | 0.00 | Highly Compatible | 7 | ||||||||||
| 5248 | qualitative | book | Carter, Chris. The Case for the Afterlife: Evidence of Life After Death. Chapter 5. Lloyd Rudy Patient. Pages cited in Rivas et al. 2025 | The Case for the Afterlife - Lloyd Rudy Case - 2025 | 2025 | M |
A man requiring emergency heart surgery on Christmas Day for an infected heart valve underwent a complex operation. Despite successful valve replacement, surgeons could not wean him off the heart-lung machine. After prolonged attempts, he was pronounced dead with machines turned off. The anesthesiologist left to eat, surgical assistant began closing for autopsy, and monitoring equipment continued recording flatlines. After 20-25 minutes with no heartbeat, blood pressure, or brain activity, electrical activity suddenly returned. His heart spontaneously restarted without intervention, progressing from 30-40 beats per minute to normal rhythm. During the time he was clinically dead, the patient experienced floating above the operating room with extraordinary visual clarity. He observed Dr. Rudy and Dr. Cattaneo standing in the doorway with arms folded, discussing the case. He saw Post-it notes with phone messages stuck to a monitor screen - details he could not have known beforehand as the calls came during surgery. He witnessed the anesthesiologist's absence and return. The patient also reported classic NDE elements including a bright light at the end of a tunnel. The patient provided specific veridical observations that were confirmed by both surgeons. He accurately described the positioning of the doctors, the Post-it notes arrangement on the monitor, and the sequence of events during his clinical death. Dr. Cattaneo confirmed that all monitoring showed no life signs for over 20 minutes, with flatlined EEG and echocardiogram. The patient recovered fully with no neurological deficit despite the extended period without vital signs. Both surgeons, experienced cardiac specialists, found the case medically inexplicable and were convinced by the accuracy of the patient's observations from an out-of-body perspective. |
1 | Hospital | 30 | 25 | 75 | Exceptional Evidence | 20 | Documented cardiac arrest with 20-25 minutes of flatlined EEG, no blood pressure, heart-lung machine off. Multiple monitoring devices confirmed clinical death. Surgery setting with likely eye protection. | Multiple specific veridical perceptions: Post-it notes on monitor, doctors standing in doorway with arms folded, anesthesiologist leaving and returning. Details impossible to know beforehand. | written_account | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 | Dr. Lloyd Rudy, Dr. Roberto Cattaneo | 8/10/2025 | 3 | 2 | Saw Post-it notes on monitor screen | 1.00 | Dr. Lloyd Rudy, Dr. Roberto Cattaneo | Highly Compatible | 6 | |||||||||
| 5249 | qualitative | book | Tabatt and Kay, Stories of Heaven and the Afterlife, Heidi Barr, Chapter 4, 2022 | Stories of Heaven and the Afterlife, Heidi Barr Chapter 4, 2022 | 2022 | 16 | F |
Heidi Barr, a 16-year-old Jewish girl in Iowa, was riding her horse bareback when an out-of-control Arabian horse collided with hers, causing her horse to rear up and flip backward off a ridge trail, crushing her underneath. As the 1000-pound horse rolled across her chest, she knew instantly she was dead. Her spirit left her body and floated 30-40 feet above the scene, where she could see her horse rolling over her body, her sisters' horrified reactions in the car below, and even into the barn facing away from her. A brilliant light appeared beside her, emanating from a man she immediately recognized as Jesus, despite being raised in an Orthodox Jewish household where her atheist father taught that Jesus was "the biggest hoax ever perpetrated on humanity." They communicated heart-to-heart and mind-to-mind, with Jesus taking her hand and flying together on waves of multicolored light. After crossing a threshold, she found herself sitting on God the Father's lap with her face buried in His chest, feeling completely loved and at home. God pulled back a corner of Himself to reveal Heaven - brilliant green grass where every blade sang praises, flowers with visible details down to each grain of pollen, and trees with every leaf moving without wind in worship. She observed paradise with extraordinary clarity, seeing people approaching on a misty pathway through clouds. Jesus returned and told her twice "You did not die. You must go back." Despite her protests, He pulled her from God's lap and "hoovered" her back into her body, where He smoothed her spirit into her physical form, saying "Your life is in good hands" before departing. Upon return, she couldn't initially remember how to open her eyes or speak. She suffered a fractured pelvis, broken back, crushed chest, and paralysis from the waist down. Her parents left her at home for 24 hours before she crawled to get medical help. Miraculously, she made a full recovery without surgery, her vertebrae fusing themselves. The experience transformed her life - she stopped using drugs, graduated early, traveled to Israel to walk where Jesus walked, and eventually became a hospice nurse, helping others transition to the afterlife she had glimpsed. |
5 | Other | 7 | 18 | 34 | Moderate Evidence | 9 | Life-threatening crushing injury with loss of consciousness, paralysis documented | Multiple specific observations including seeing sisters reactions, barn interior from impossible angle, accurate details verified | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/10/2025 | 3 | 2 | Saw sisters reactions in car from above | 1.00 | Two sisters | Highly Compatible | 9 | |||||||||
| 5250 | qualitative | book | Tabatt and Kay, Stories of Heaven and the Afterlife, Felix Halpern, Chapter 5, 2022 | Stories of Heaven and the Afterlife, Felix Halpern Chapter 5, 2022 | 2022 | 69 | M |
Felix Halpern, a Messianic Rabbi whose grandfather was an Orthodox rabbi killed in the Holocaust, experienced death after a doctor's misdiagnosis led to consuming seven and a half months of thyroid medication in 29 days. After returning from a profound spiritual experience at Israel's Wailing Wall where Jesus touched his shoulder, Felix experienced what doctors call an "inner storm" - tremendous tension, pressure, and pain with his body feeling like a furnace. One September night at 3:00 a.m., experiencing cardiac arrest symptoms, he went downstairs where his heart stopped and his soul jumped from his body. From above, Felix saw his lifeless body on the couch and glimpsed his family planning his funeral. A powerful angel ministered to his soul before he saw a cone-shaped cylindrical white light leading to Heaven. He found himself prostrate before God's throne, surrounded by impenetrable ripples of fire of inconceivable depth. The brightness of God's glory and presence was so intense he had to cover his eyes, feeling heat even in his spiritual form. The fire represented absolute purity, glory, and God's nature - beyond the 99.9% purity he knew from years refining gold. Felix observed he could see his wife Bonnie and children grieving, which would later help verify the reality of his experience. During his time in the throne room, he experienced a transformational encounter with God's love that fundamentally changed how he loves others. God also showed him the second heaven where demons dwell, with one trying unsuccessfully to grab his ankle, demonstrating the complete authority believers have through the blood of Yeshua. Upon return after God gave him a choice between a "transformational or transactional" experience, Felix chose transformation despite the cost. Medical tests showed no organ damage despite the toxic medication overdose, with his doctor saying his bloodwork "looked like a young stag." The experience led to profound revelations about prayer, moving from needs-based "transactional" prayer to glory-focused "transformational" prayer, fundamentally shifting his ministry approach. |
2 | Home | 10 | 10 | 26 | Suggestive Evidence | 6 | Cardiac arrest at home from medication toxicity, no monitoring equipment present | Saw family grief and funeral planning, observed demonic realm details | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/10/2025 | 2 | 1 | Saw family planning his funeral | 1.00 | Wife Bonnie | Highly Compatible | 8 | |||||||||
| 5251 | qualitative | book | Tabatt and Kay, Stories of Heaven and the Afterlife, Ian McCormack, Chapter 2, 2022 | Stories of Heaven and the Afterlife, Ian McCormack Chapter 2, 2022 | 1982 | April 19, 1982 | 2022 | 26 | M |
Ian McCormack, a 26-year-old atheist from New Zealand, was night diving for lobster off Mauritius on April 19, 1982, when he was stung by five box jellyfish - creatures whose neurotoxin is 100 times more lethal than a cobra. One sting can kill within five minutes. As the poison paralyzed his body, he heard God's voice three times warning him not to close his eyes and later to forgive those who refused him help. After being pushed from a taxi and left to die, he finally reached the hospital where his heart stopped after failed medical intervention. Declared dead for 20 minutes, his spirit left his body and entered complete darkness where he heard men screaming that he was in hell. A pure light pierced the darkness from above, lifting him through a tunnel toward its source. Waves of comfort, peace, and joy enveloped him as he traveled toward the light. He emerged before Jesus, whose white hair and face shone brighter than the sun. During his life review, he saw how he had corrupted youth with drugs, betrayed family and friends, and lived selfishly. Overwhelmed by God's unconditional love despite his sins, he wept as God told him all his sins were forgiven when he prayed in the ambulance. Jesus showed him paradise - a new Earth with crystal rivers, trees of life, and new heavens. When given the choice to stay or return, Ian saw a vision of his praying mother and millions of others who needed to hear about Jesus. He returned to his body in the morgue, terrifying the doctor who was beginning an autopsy. Within hours, his entire body was supernaturally healed through what felt like electricity, and he walked out the next day completely restored. In the following nights, he experienced intense spiritual warfare, seeing demons attempting to return to him, but discovered the power of Jesus' name and the Lord's Prayer for protection. His mother later confirmed she had heard God's audible voice telling her Ian was dying and to pray for him at the exact time of his crisis. |
5 | Hospital | 12 | 20 | 50 | Strong Evidence | 18 | Clinically dead for 20 minutes in hospital, flatline confirmed, complete paralysis from neurotoxin | Multiple specific observations including seeing mother praying on other side of world, accurate details of morgue and medical procedures | written_account | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | Complete paralysis from neurotoxin | 8/10/2025 | 5 | 3 | Saw mother praying in New Zealand | 1.00 | Morgue doctor, nurses | Highly Compatible | 9 | ||||||
| 5252 | qualitative | book | Taylor, Greg. Stop Worrying! There Probably is an Afterlife. Daily Grail Publishing, Chapter 2, Ben Breedlove, Pages 95-99, 2013 | Stop Worrying! There Probably is an Afterlife - Ben Breedlove - Chapter 2 - 2013 | 2011 | 2011-12-06 | 2013 | 18 | M |
Ben Breedlove was an 18-year-old with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy who experienced multiple near-death episodes. On December 6, 2011, while walking in a school hallway, he suddenly felt faint and collapsed into cardiac arrest. Medical personnel worked to resuscitate him with shock paddles while he was unconscious for three minutes without breathing or pulse. During this time, Ben found himself in an endless white room with no walls that extended infinitely. He was wearing a nice suit and was accompanied by his favorite rapper Kid Cudi, who was also dressed formally. Looking in a mirror that appeared before him, Ben felt overwhelming pride in his entire life and everything he had accomplished. The peaceful feeling he experienced was identical to one he had felt at age four during another medical crisis when he saw a bright light that his mother could not see. In this white space, Kid Cudi brought him to a glass desk and placed his hand on Ben's shoulder. At that moment, his favorite song "Mr. Rager" began playing, specifically the lyrics "When will the fantasy end, when will the heaven begin?" Kid Cudi then told him "Go now," at which point Ben woke up to find EMS performing CPR on him. Ben reported that during the experience he heard the medical team say "He's not breathing, his heart is stopped and he has no pulse." He also heard them preparing the defibrillator, with one saying "They are ready" and another responding "Go!" before the shock was administered. The experience left him not wanting to return to life, and he posted a video about it to YouTube a week before dying permanently on Christmas Day 2011. |
1 | Hospital | 10 | 5 | 18 | Suggestive Evidence | 3 | Documented cardiac arrest with EMS response and defibrillation. Heart stopped for 3 minutes without breathing or pulse. Score: 10 for documented cardiac arrest without EEG. | General observations of medical procedures being performed. Heard medical team statements about his condition. Score: 5 for general observations only. | written_account | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/10/2025 | 3 | 0 | Heard medical team discussing his condition | 0.00 | Highly Compatible | 7 | ||||||||
| 5253 | qualitative | book | Taylor, Greg. Stop Worrying! There Probably is an Afterlife. Daily Grail Publishing, Chapter 2, Al Sullivan, Pages 135-138, 2013 | Stop Worrying! There Probably is an Afterlife - Al Sullivan - Chapter 2 - 2013 | 1989 | 2013 | 56 | M |
Al Sullivan, a 56-year-old van driver, experienced cardiac arrest while undergoing quadruple bypass surgery at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut in early 1989. His heart stopped during the operation when one of his arteries became blocked, requiring emergency intervention. He was under general anesthesia with standard surgical barriers in place during the procedure. During the cardiac arrest, Sullivan felt his consciousness separate from his body and travel through a "black, billowy smoke-like atmosphere" before finding himself floating above the operating table. From this elevated position, he could see his body cut open with his chest cavity exposed and his heart visible on what appeared to be a small glass table. He observed his surgeon appearing perplexed and making unusual movements with his arms that looked like attempting to fly. He also noticed two other surgeons working on his leg rather than his heart, and metal clamps holding his chest cavity open. Sullivan specifically observed Dr. Hiroyoshi Takata, the cardiac surgeon, flapping his elbows in a distinctive manner after scrubbing in. This was later confirmed to be Dr. Takata's unique habit of pointing at things with his elbows to avoid contaminating his scrubbed hands, giving the appearance of a chicken attempting to fly. Sullivan also correctly observed that surgeons were harvesting a vein from his leg for the bypass graft, something he could not have known beforehand. During the experience, he encountered a brilliant yellow light from a tunnel and was greeted by his deceased mother who appeared young. She communicated with him through thought transfer and at one point placed the surgeon's hand on his heart before returning to the light. Dr. Bruce Greyson later investigated and confirmed these observations with both Dr. LaSala and Dr. Takata. Dr. LaSala verified Sullivan had reported the experience immediately after regaining consciousness and confirmed Dr. Takata's unique elbow-flapping habit. Dr. Takata confirmed he did stand with hands on chest pointing with elbows after scrubbing. The timing of observations during general anesthesia provides strong veridical evidence. |
1 | Hospital | 25 | 15 | 55 | Strong Evidence | 15 | Documented cardiac arrest during surgery with monitoring. General anesthesia with standard surgical barriers. Score: 25 for cardiac arrest with monitoring and multiple barriers. | Multiple specific unique details including surgeon's elbow flapping and leg vein harvesting. Observations during documented unconsciousness. Score: 15 for multiple specific sequential details. | written_account | 0.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 | sterile drape across chest | Dr. Bruce Greyson | 8/10/2025 | 5 | 2 | Surgeon flapping elbows like attempting to fly | 1.00 | Dr. Anthony LaSala | Moderately Compatible | 6 | ||||||
| 5254 | qualitative | book | Taylor, Greg. Stop Worrying! There Probably is an Afterlife. Daily Grail Publishing, Chapter 2, Penny Sartori Patient, Pages 140-143, 2013 | Stop Worrying! There Probably is an Afterlife - Penny Sartori Patient - Chapter 2 - 2013 | 2013 | 60 | M |
A 60-year-old man recovering from emergency bowel cancer surgery experienced severe respiratory failure when his physiotherapist attempted to sit him upright in a chair. His oxygen saturation plummeted and blood pressure dropped precipitously, rendering him unconscious and unresponsive to painful stimuli. Nurse Penny Sartori manually ventilated him with oxygen while medical staff worked to stabilize his condition for approximately 30 minutes. During his unconscious state, the patient found himself floating in a bright pink room, experiencing no pain and able to see everything happening below. He encountered his deceased father and mother-in-law, along with a man with long black hair who needed combing, possibly Jesus, whose piercing eyes drew him in. Communication occurred through thoughts rather than spoken words. From his elevated position, he observed the medical team working on his body below, including specific medical procedures he could not have known about while unconscious. The patient accurately observed several specific details despite being unconscious with eyes closed. He saw a doctor checking his pupils with a light and commenting that one pupil was larger than the other, which the doctor had indeed noted. He observed the physiotherapist hiding behind a screen but periodically poking her head around to check on him, accurately describing her nervous behavior. He saw Nurse Sartori cleaning drool from his mouth first with a long suction catheter then with a pink sponge soaked in water, describing it as looking like a "long pink lollipop on a stick." He felt someone examining his eye and heard them say "There's life in the eye." Upon regaining consciousness three hours later, he excitedly communicated through a letter board while still on ventilator: "I died and I watched it all from above." The patient was adamant he could see everything "as plain as I can see you now" despite being unconscious. Remarkably, after the experience his right hand, which had been severely contracted into a fist due to cerebral palsy, partially opened for the first time. |
5 | Hospital | 15 | 12 | 37 | Moderate Evidence | 10 | Documented unconsciousness with unresponsiveness to painful stimuli. Blood pressure drop and oxygen desaturation requiring manual ventilation. Score: 15 for documented life-threatening condition with medical intervention. | Multiple specific observations including pupil examination, physiotherapist behavior, and cleaning procedures. Unique detail of pink sponge as "lollipop." Score: 12 for several specific verifiable details while unconscious. | written_account | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | unconscious with eyes closed | Penny Sartori (nurse researcher) | 8/10/2025 | 4 | 1 | Doctor checking pupils and noting size difference | 1.00 | Penny Sartori | Moderately Compatible | 7 | |||||||
| 5255 | qualitative | book | Taylor, Greg. Stop Worrying! There Probably is an Afterlife. Daily Grail Publishing, Chapter 2, J.S., Pages 143-144, 2013 | Stop Worrying! There Probably is an Afterlife - J.S. - Chapter 2 - 2013 | 2008 | 2008-10-26 | 2013 | 31 | F |
J.S., 31 weeks pregnant, woke on October 26, 2008 feeling short of breath and weak. She was transported by ambulance to Hôpital Sacré-Coeur in Montreal where doctors discovered she had an ascending aortic dissection, a life-threatening heart condition. She underwent an emergency caesarean section to deliver her baby boy, then was immediately transferred to surgery for replacement of the ascending aorta under deep hypothermic cardiocirculatory arrest, cooled to approximately 18°C to allow complete stop of blood circulation. During the surgery, while under general anesthesia with her eyes taped shut and unable to see the surgical team or equipment beforehand, J.S. experienced an out-of-body state. From a vantage point outside her physical body, she observed a nurse passing surgical instruments to the cardiothoracic surgeon. She could perceive the anesthesia and echography machines that were positioned behind her head where she could not have seen them even if conscious. She experienced feelings of peace and joy during this time and saw a bright light. J.S. accurately described specific details she could not have known through normal means. She correctly described the appearance and actions of the nurse assisting the surgeon with instruments. She accurately perceived the presence and location of anesthesia and echography machines behind her head that she had not seen when wheeled into surgery. These observations were impossible given she was under general anesthesia with eyes taped shut and had not seen the OR setup beforehand. Dr. Mario Beauregard investigated this case and the cardiothoracic surgeon who operated on her confirmed the accuracy of her descriptions. The surgeon verified that her descriptions of the nurse and the machines were accurate. This case was reported in the journal Resuscitation as raising "perplexing questions" about conscious mental activity during deep hypothermic arrest. |
3 | Hospital | 22 | 10 | 42 | Moderate Evidence | 10 | Deep hypothermic cardiocirculatory arrest with body cooled to 18°C, complete blood circulation stop, general anesthesia with eyes taped. Score: 22 for deep anesthesia with multiple barriers and extreme conditions. | Specific observations of nurse and equipment location behind head. Verified by surgeon. Score: 10 for visual perception of hidden equipment. | written_account | 0.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 | hypothermic arrest, could not see beforehand | Dr. Mario Beauregard | 8/10/2025 | 2 | 1 | Nurse passing surgical instruments | 1.00 | Cardiothoracic surgeon | Highly Compatible | 4 | |||||
| 5256 | qualitative | book | Taylor, Greg. Stop Worrying! There Probably is an Afterlife. Daily Grail Publishing, Chapter 2, Dr. Lloyd Rudy Patient, Pages 148-151, 2013 | Stop Worrying! There Probably is an Afterlife - Dr. Lloyd Rudy Patient - Chapter 2 - 2013 | 2013 | M |
A patient undergoing bypass surgery to correct a valve defect experienced prolonged cardiac arrest when surgeons could not get him off the bypass machine. Each attempt to remove bypass support resulted in blood pressure plunging. After extended efforts, the team gave up, turned off the heart-lung machine, pronounced him dead, and the surgical assistant performed a temporary close in preparation for autopsy. Dr. Lloyd Rudy and his assistant removed their surgical gowns and stood in the doorway discussing the operation for approximately 20 minutes after pronouncing death. Remarkably, after 20 minutes with no blood flow to the brain, electrical activity appeared on the ECG, developing into a heartbeat with rising blood pressure. The patient was successfully resuscitated and transferred to ICU with no neurological deficits despite the extended period without circulation. During his death state, the patient reported traveling through a tunnel toward a bright light and floating around the operating room observing the scene below. The patient accurately described specific details impossible to know while clinically dead. He saw Dr. Rudy and another doctor standing in the doorway with arms folded talking after pronouncing him dead. He observed the anesthesiologist had left but came running back when called. Most remarkably, he described seeing Post-it notes stuck on the TV monitor screen - phone messages the nurse had taken during surgery for Dr. Rudy to return calls afterward. This detail was particularly striking as there was no way he could have known about these notes before surgery since they were calls received during the operation. Dr. Rudy was astounded by the accuracy, especially the Post-it notes detail, stating "there's no way he could have described that before the operation because I didn't have any calls." The patient remained unconscious in ICU for days after resuscitation, making the observations even more inexplicable. Dr. Rudy declared this convinced him "there's something out there." |
1 | Hospital | 20 | 12 | 42 | Moderate Evidence | 10 | Documented cardiac arrest with monitoring, pronounced dead for 20 minutes without circulation. Score: 20 for extended cardiac arrest with monitoring but no EEG documentation. | Multiple specific details including Post-it notes that could not have been known beforehand. Score: 12 for several specific verifiable details including unique temporal element. | written_account | 0.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 | pronounced dead for 20 minutes | Dr. Lloyd Rudy | 8/10/2025 | 3 | 1 | Doctors standing in doorway with arms folded | 1.00 | Dr. Lloyd Rudy | Highly Compatible | 5 | ||||||||
| 5257 | qualitative | book | Taylor, Greg. Stop Worrying! There Probably is an Afterlife. Daily Grail Publishing, Chapter 2, Sir Alexander Ogston, Pages 151, 2013 | Stop Worrying! There Probably is an Afterlife - Sir Alexander Ogston - Chapter 2 - 2013 | 2013 | M |
Sir Alexander Ogston, the Scottish surgeon who discovered Staphylococcus bacteria, experienced a near-death episode during the South African War while suffering from typhoid fever at Bloemfontein Hospital. While lying in a stupor from the fever, he felt his mind and body becoming two separate entities, with his consciousness existing apart from his physical form which he perceived as an inert mass near a door. During this out-of-body state, Ogston experienced an unusual form of perception where he could see through the walls of the building while remaining aware they were there - everything appeared transparent to his senses. From this state, he witnessed events occurring in other parts of the hospital that he could not have known through normal means. He observed a Royal Army Medical Corps surgeon in another part of the hospital become very ill, scream, and die - seeing medical staff cover the corpse and carry it out quietly on shoeless feet to avoid alerting other patients. Ogston specifically observed the death and removal of an RAMC surgeon he did not know existed, located in a different part of the hospital. He saw the man grow ill, scream, die, be covered, and carried out secretly on shoeless feet. He witnessed the body being taken to the cemetery the following night. These observations occurred while he was in a typhoid stupor in another location. When Ogston later reported these observations to the nursing sisters, they confirmed that everything had happened exactly as he had described. The verification by medical staff established that his perceptions during the typhoid fever stupor were accurate despite occurring in a different part of the hospital outside his physical sensory range. |
5 | Hospital | 7 | 8 | 21 | Suggestive Evidence | 6 | Typhoid fever causing stupor and near-death state. Score: 7 for documented life-threatening illness in hospital setting. | Distant observation of specific death and burial procedures in another part of hospital. Score: 8 for distant observation of unknown events. | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | typhoid stupor | 8/10/2025 | 1 | 1 | Death of unknown RAMC surgeon in distant part of hospital | 1.00 | Nursing sisters | Moderately Compatible | 5 | |||||||||
| 5258 | qualitative | book | Taylor, Greg. Stop Worrying! There Probably is an Afterlife. Daily Grail Publishing, Chapter 2, Joyce Harmon Patient, Pages 151-152, 2013 | Stop Worrying! There Probably is an Afterlife - Joyce Harmon Patient - Chapter 2 - 2013 | 2013 | F |
A female patient underwent cardiac arrest and successful resuscitation in a surgical intensive care unit where nurse Joyce Harmon was working. Harmon had just returned from vacation and was wearing new plaid shoelaces she had purchased during her trip - a distinctive and noticeable fashion choice for a medical professional. During the resuscitation, the patient was clinically dead and unconscious while the medical team worked to revive her. The following day when Nurse Harmon met with the now-recovered patient, she was shocked when the woman immediately recognized her despite having been unconscious during their only previous encounter. The patient exclaimed "Oh, you're the one with the plaid shoelaces!" When the astonished nurse asked how she could possibly know about her shoelaces, the patient explained that she had seen them during her cardiac arrest, stating "I saw them. I was watching what was happening yesterday when I died. I was up above." The patient specifically observed and later identified Joyce Harmon's distinctive plaid shoelaces, a unique detail she could not have known through normal means while unconscious during resuscitation. The unusual and specific nature of plaid shoelaces made this observation particularly evidential, as it was not something that could be easily guessed or assumed about medical personnel. Nurse Harmon reported feeling the hair on her neck rise when the patient revealed this knowledge. The observation was made while the patient was "up above" during clinical death, suggesting an out-of-body vantage point during the resuscitation. This case provided compelling evidence of veridical perception during cardiac arrest from an experienced ICU nurse's direct testimony. |
2 | Hospital | 10 | 10 | 30 | Moderate Evidence | 10 | Documented cardiac arrest with successful resuscitation in ICU setting. Score: 10 for cardiac arrest without specific mention of monitoring. | Unique specific detail of plaid shoelaces observed while unconscious. Score: 10 for specific unique visual detail. | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/10/2025 | 1 | 1 | Nurse's distinctive plaid shoelaces | 1.00 | Joyce Harmon | Highly Compatible | 4 | ||||||||||
| 5259 | qualitative | book | Taylor, Greg. Stop Worrying! There Probably is an Afterlife. Daily Grail Publishing, Chapter 2, Mr. A, Pages 157-160, 2013 | Stop Worrying! There Probably is an Afterlife - Mr. A - Chapter 2 - 2013 | 2011 | 2013 | 57 | M |
Mr. A, a 57-year-old diabetic man, began feeling unwell at work and checked his blood sugar, which was normal. His condition worsened until he asked colleagues for help due to shortness of breath. Paramedics discovered via ECG that he was having a cardiac event and rushed him to Southampton General Hospital. In the cardiac catheterization laboratory, a sterile drape was placed across his upper body blocking his view while the team worked to insert a wire through his groin to his heart. During the procedure, while talking to nurse Sarah, Mr. A's heart suddenly stopped. Instead of losing consciousness, he experienced leaving his body after hearing an automated external defibrillator (AED) repeatedly saying "Shock the patient, shock the patient." He saw a person beckoning from the corner of the room and instantly found himself up there looking down at the medical team working on his body. From this elevated position, he could see himself, nurse Sarah, and a bald-headed man he hadn't previously noticed due to the sterile drape. Mr. A accurately observed several specific details during his cardiac arrest. He correctly heard and later reported the AED's automated voice commands to "shock the patient." He observed a chunky man with a bald head wearing blue scrubs and a blue hat working on him - someone he couldn't see from his physical position due to the drape. He accurately described seeing "all this side of them" from behind, observing the back of the bald doctor's body. He also described the combination of a death-bed vision (person beckoning from corner) transitioning to an out-of-body experience. When he regained consciousness, nurse Sarah said "Oh you nodded off then, Mr. A. You are back with us now." The patient emphasized he could see the back of the medical team clearly during the experience. This was the first OBE case in the AWARE study, though it occurred in an area without a hidden target. Mr. A felt the experience was important to share despite his family's skepticism. |
1 | Hospital | 15 | 10 | 25 | Suggestive Evidence | 0 | Documented cardiac arrest in catheterization lab with AED present indicating monitoring. Sterile drape creating visual barrier. Score: 15 for cardiac arrest with monitoring and barrier. | Specific observations of AED commands and previously unseen bald doctor behind drape. Score: 10 for auditory and visual perceptions while unconscious. | written_account | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | sterile drape blocking view | AWARE study team | 8/10/2025 | 3 | 0 | Automated defibrillator voice commands | 0.00 | Highly Compatible | 5 | |||||||
| 5260 | qualitative | book | Tabatt, Shaun, The NDE Conspiracy, Destiny Image Publishers, Chapter 2, Bristol O, Pages cited from NDERF #13171, 2025 | The NDE Conspiracy - Bristol O - NDERF Case #13171 - 2025 | 2025 | Unknown |
Bristol O experienced severe blood loss from a ruptured ovarian cyst, leading to a near-death experience. The medical emergency was life-threatening, though specific clinical details about monitoring or resuscitation are not provided in this account. During the experience, Bristol was approached by an incorporeal being with no recognizable form. The being's presence was perceived emotionally rather than visually, occupying the entire expanse of reality. Bristol received what the being described as a gentle ultimatum - a rare choice about whether to remain living or not. The being explained the incarnation cycle system, describing how souls exist as immortal, incorporeal beings outside of animation when not living. They described an energetic interconnection between all souls, essentially forming one unified consciousness. The being revealed that souls are placed in a queue for reanimation based on their time in stasis and the quality of their previous lives. Those who had been in stasis longer and had made their previous lives more significant would be prioritized for reanimation. Souls whose actions were extremely evil would be suspended from reincarnation for extended periods. Bristol was told that declining to return would place them "in the back of the line" for reanimation, not receiving another chance at life for a long time. The being explained that souls don't choose their material identity when reincarnating - consciousness is wedded to bodies without choice regarding the specific incarnation. Bristol ultimately chose to return to their body. The experience left them with beliefs about reincarnation, the interconnectedness of all consciousness, and the nature of the soul's journey through multiple incarnations. No veridical observations or external corroborations are mentioned in this account. |
5 | Unknown | 2 | 0 | 2 | Weak Evidence | 0 | Life-threatening condition mentioned (severe blood loss from ruptured ovarian cyst) but no clinical death documentation | No veridical observations reported - entirely philosophical/spiritual experience | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/10/2025 | 0 | 0 | Incompatible | 4 | |||||||||||||
| 5261 | qualitative | book | Tabatt, Shaun, The NDE Conspiracy, Destiny Image Publishers, Chapter 2, Robyn, Pages cited from NDERF #6636, 2025 | The NDE Conspiracy - Robyn - NDERF Case #6636 - 2025 | 2025 | Unknown |
Robyn experienced a profound near-death experience during a medical procedure when given an overdose of anesthesia. During the procedure, while still under anesthesia, Robyn felt the surgeon apply pressure and made a conscious decision to respond with a bodily twinge to indicate awareness. The medical team interpreted this as pain and increased the anesthesia dose, which led to the NDE. Upon receiving the increased anesthesia, everything went dark and weightless, described as an infinite bluish-purple space filled with amazing sparkling particles that connected everything. Robyn experienced leaving the body and zooming to the ceiling, becoming aware in all directions simultaneously. There was complete detachment from the physical body below, with no remorse, attachment, fear, or sadness about leaving. Robyn became one with all existence - the doctor, nurses, mother in the hallway, the medical equipment, even the sound of the flatline. The experience included omnidirectional awareness and a sense of being capable of controlling the entire situation, including being able to raise the doctor's arm, though there was no desire to manipulate anyone's free will. The experience conveyed that human life exists solely for experience and expansion, with all actions - including murder, rape, and cannibalism - being acceptable as learning experiences. Robyn claimed to know everything that had ever existed or would exist in the universe, experiencing perfect infinite timelessness. Linear time was understood as an illusion, along with physical senses. The experiencer concluded that their true nature is oneness with all, identifying as God, and that everyone and everything else is also God. Robyn eventually returned to the body, though the specific mechanism of return is not detailed. The experience left profound beliefs about the nature of reality, the illusory nature of morality, and the divine nature of all consciousness. No external corroboration of observations is mentioned. |
3 | Hospital | 7 | 5 | 12 | Weak Evidence | 0 | Deep general anesthesia documented with overdose, hospital setting implied | Awareness of surroundings and people while under anesthesia, but no verification | written_account | 0.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 1.00 | 8/10/2025 | 1 | 0 | Awareness of medical team and mother while under anesthesia | 0.00 | Incompatible | 7 | |||||||||||
| 5262 | qualitative | book | Holden, Janice Miner, et al. The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences: Thirty Years of Investigation. Praeger Publishers, 2009, Chapter 5, The NDE of Katie, pp. 87-88. | The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences, The NDE of Katie, Chapter 5, pp. 87-88, 2009 | 1983 | 2009 | 7 | F |
Seven-year-old Katie experienced a profound NDE following a near-drowning incident that required emergency resuscitation in the hospital. Dr. Melvin Morse successfully resuscitated her in the emergency room, and she was subsequently hospitalized. The specific duration of clinical death and exact medical interventions are not detailed, but the context involved a life-threatening hypoxic event causing loss of consciousness profound enough to trigger the experience. Katie's experience began with a journey through a dark tunnel that eventually became bright. She was met by a tall guide figure with bright yellow hair whom she identified as Elizabeth. This guide accompanied her into a heavenly realm where she experienced reunion with deceased relatives. Significantly, she reported encountering two souls who were awaiting rebirth, introducing a reincarnation element uncommon in Western NDEs. The apex of her journey was meeting both the heavenly Father and Jesus. Her interaction details are not elaborated, but this meeting was central to her memory. She described being asked if she wanted to see her mother again, and upon answering affirmatively, she awoke. The account contains no veridical observations of the physical world that could be independently corroborated - the entire experience was transcendent and otherworldly. Validation came from the powerful and compelling way she recounted the story to Dr. Morse, who believed her implicitly. As a seven-year-old with presumably limited conceptual framework for such events, the detail and coherence of her narrative were striking. Katie initially showed reluctance to discuss the experience but two weeks after the incident, during a follow-up appointment, she first disclosed it when Dr. Morse asked what she remembered, replying "Do you mean when I visited the heavenly Father?" A week later she provided more details. The case sparked Dr. Morse's professional interest in pediatric NDEs, leading to his subsequent research and books. |
5 | Hospital | 3 | 0 | 14 | Weak Evidence | 11 | Near-drowning requiring resuscitation is a clear life-threatening event (2 points). No sensory barriers documented (0 points). Retrospective medical confirmation only by Dr. Morse (1 point). Total: 3 points. | No veridical observations of earthly events. Experience was entirely otherworldly with no claims of perception of physical environment that could be verified. Score: 0 points. | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/10/2025 | 0 | 0 | Low Compatibility | 5 | |||||||||||
| 5263 | qualitative | book | Holden, Janice Miner, et al. The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences: Thirty Years of Investigation. Praeger Publishers, 2009, Chapter 5, The NDE of Hannah, pp. 89-90. | The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences, The NDE of Hannah, Chapter 5, pp. 89-90, 2009 | 1941 | 2009 | 4 | F |
Hannah, a Jewish child during the Holocaust, experienced her first NDE at age three or four after being shot in the back by an SS officer. She witnessed her mother being shot in the head, and as she screamed and tried to run, the officer shot her in the back. This severe penetrating trauma from a gunshot wound in a very young child was unequivocally life-threatening, causing her to lose consciousness and triggering her journey to the afterlife. Hannah's experience, recounted fifty years later, retained clarity and archetypal NDE structure. She described the initial shock of being shot, followed by cessation of physical sensation and emergence of otherworldly music impossible to describe in earthly terms. Her consciousness entered darkness that transformed into a passage or tunnel. This led to a realm of brilliant light associated with overwhelming peace, which she poetically described as "like being in a big smile." In this luminous environment, she heard voices and perceived beings of light. She felt connection to one being who showed empathy, as she saw tears in his eyes. The experience was entirely positive - a transition from ultimate terror to profound peace and loving connection. The experience contains no veridical observations that could be independently corroborated. As a retrospective self-report given five decades after the event, evidence rests solely on consistency and conviction of Hannah's testimony. The author notes adults often describe childhood NDEs in childlike terms, suggesting core memories remain intact without adult embellishment. Hannah's account fits the established NDE pattern perfectly, lending credibility despite lack of external verification. After being shot, Hannah was taken in by nuns who arranged for doctors to operate on her back. Her second NDE occurred during this surgery. She survived the war and was taken to New Zealand as an orphan. She had four NDEs total throughout her life, including one as a teenager in a bicycle accident and one during childbirth at age twenty. These multiple experiences provided continuous thread of transcendent knowledge, shaping her worldview from early age. |
5 | Other | 2 | 0 | 3 | Weak Evidence | 1 | Gunshot wound to back is severe life-threatening trauma (2 points). No medical monitoring or sensory barriers documented (0 points). No medical records available from wartime event (0 points). Total: 2 points. | Experience was entirely otherworldly with no veridical observations of physical events. No claims of perception that could be verified. Score: 0 points. | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/10/2025 | 0 | 0 | Highly Compatible | 5 | |||||||||||
| 5264 | qualitative | book | Holden, Janice Miner, et al. The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences: Thirty Years of Investigation. Praeger Publishers, 2009, Chapter 5, The NDE of Erin, pp. 95-96. | The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences, The NDE of Erin, Chapter 5, pp. 95-96, 2009 | 1994 | 2009 | 9 | F |
Nine-year-old Erin experienced a remarkably detailed NDE following acute asthma attack leading to cardiopulmonary arrest. According to her father, she was clinically dead for approximately three minutes before resuscitation. The arrest resulted in significant hypoxic brain damage, leaving lasting physical disabilities including movement disorder and impaired use of her left hand. She remained critical for five days before regaining consciousness, initially blind and paralyzed. Erin's experience began in the ambulance with classic out-of-body experience, floating near ceiling looking down at her body. She described initial shock ("Oh my God! What's going on?") turning to youthful excitement ("Oh, this is radical!"). From this vantage she saw her parents "crying their eyes out." She felt something pull her through ceiling into "cloudy white tunnel." At tunnel's end she encountered "beautiful magnificent light" with profound peace. She reunited with deceased friend Vanessa and met beings she identified as God and Jesus. Her description of God was highly symbolic - neither male nor female but possessing "billions and millions of heads of the whole galaxy," though her own head wasn't among them, leading her to quip "It must pop off when you die!" The central divine encounter involved a moment of choice. God presented three paths: be reborn, stay in heaven, or return to her damaged body and fight. She chose to fight. She described different "lines" for each destiny. Her return involved spiritual battle against "devils" with weapons while she had none. When asked how she fought, she replied "With my heart!" The account contains no truly veridical observations - seeing parents crying is emotionally probable rather than specific unusual detail. True evidentiary strength lies in detailed consistent narrative delivered by child who suffered significant brain trauma yet recalled complex, structured, theologically rich experience. Several months after the traumatic event she first began speaking about her experience. Despite physical challenges, she was highly intelligent and articulate, maintaining consistent account across multiple interviews. |
2 | Ambulance | 13 | 0 | 17 | Suggestive Evidence | 4 | Documented cardiac arrest for approximately three minutes (10 points). No monitoring equipment mentioned in ambulance (0 points). Contemporary documentation exists from medical crisis (3 points). Total: 13 points. | While she observed her parents crying from OBE perspective, this is highly probable observation not specific or unusual enough to be considered veridical. No other earthly observations made. Score: 0 points. | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/10/2025 | 0 | 0 | Incompatible | 7 | |||||||||||
| 5265 | qualitative | book | Holden, Janice Miner, et al. The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences: Thirty Years of Investigation. Praeger Publishers, 2009, Chapter 5, The NDE of Bruce Low, pp. 96-97. | The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences, The NDE of Bruce Low, Chapter 5, pp. 96-97, 2009 | 2009 | 6 | M |
Six-year-old Bruce Low experienced a classic NDE during near-drowning incident when he fell from bamboo bridge into stream. As non-swimmer, he was carried by current into lagoon and began sinking slowly to bottom. This situation represented imminent certain death without intervention. In this moment of extreme physical crisis, as he succumbed to drowning, his transcendent experience unfolded. Bruce's NDE was characterized by profound peace and tranquility completely displacing expected fear and panic. He reported the experience was "wonderful," his body felt light, and he heard "soft music" - an auditory sensation of beautiful otherworldly music frequently reported in NDEs. The central feature was panoramic life review - not rapid flash but serene detailed reliving of significant moments from his brief life. Memories were vivid, emotionally warm, focused on relationships and cherished objects. He saw himself as baby in old-fashioned pram, a pre-verbal memory. He vividly recalled mother's eyes showing both concern and pride watching him take first steps. He saw his rocking horse, noting specific detail its tail was missing. He saw images of "ever-cheerful father," family cook, and gentle old gardener. Key emotional component was that everyone he saw including himself "looked happy and full of smiles." This life review was not judgment but comforting joyous affirmation of love and happiness defining his life. Throughout entire sequence he felt "absolutely no fear," rather being "totally safe and secure." Experience ended when presumably rescued, though return details not provided. This NDE contains no veridical observations of external physical world - entirely internal and subjective. Evidentiary value lies in classic phenomenological structure and consistency aligning with thousands of other accounts. As retrospective childhood account, it contributes to evidence these memories are retained with remarkable clarity over decades without adult embellishment. The telling retained childlike wonder and specificity. Case exemplifies Type 1 NDE focusing on peace and positive life review without progressing to tunnel, being of light, or distinct otherworldly realm. |
5 | Other | 2 | 0 | 3 | Weak Evidence | 1 | Near-drowning of non-swimmer is clear life-threatening event (2 points). No medical monitoring or sensory barriers documented (0 points). No medical records available (0 points). Total: 2 points. | Experience entirely internal and subjective - feelings of peace and life review with no veridical perception of external events. Score: 0 points. | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/10/2025 | 0 | 0 | Highly Compatible | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 5266 | qualitative | book | Holden, Janice Miner, et al. The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences: Thirty Years of Investigation. Praeger Publishers, 2009, Chapter 5, The NDE of Helen, p. 99. | The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences, The NDE of Helen, Chapter 5, p. 99, 2009 | 2009 | 15 | F |
Helen experienced NDE at age 15 during severe asthma attack, recounted when she was 38 years old. The medical trigger was life-threatening condition leading to acute respiratory failure and severe hypoxia, common precipitating factor for NDEs. While specific clinical details not provided, context involved medical crisis extreme enough to induce profound alteration of consciousness and journey to otherworldly realm. Helen's experience began with classic sensation of rapid upward movement. She described "whoosh" traveling "up through this tunnel." This transit phase delivered her not to clearly defined heaven but intermediate liminal space - "gray misty place." There she met spiritual being described as "misty light-filled-in outline of a man," not traditional angel or religious figure. This being immediately assumed guide role, speaking to her and initiating central event: life review. He said "Come with me and I'll show you your life." Unlike panoramic life reviews where entire life flashes before them, Helen's was highly specific, focused, morally instructive. Being of light showed not moments of happiness or achievement but specific memory of past transgression. She was shown scene from age nine or ten when "really angry and frustrated" throwing stones at younger siblings. She re-experienced event not just from own perspective but with new awareness of emotional impact - siblings were "really upset." Emotional and moral weight was profound. She stated seeing this she "was ashamed." This shame and conviction for past wrongdoing highlights experience's function as moral inventory. Being of light did not condemn or punish; after she experienced lesson of shame and empathy, he gently "took me away from that," and scene transitioned to beauty and peace where she "heard music." Life review served as compassionate but clear moral lesson about consequences of anger and importance of how one treats others. Experience concluded with return to consciousness, though return details not specified. NDE entirely subjective with no veridical observations. Significance lies in detailed depiction of morally focused life review in adolescent. |
5 | Unknown | 2 | 0 | 3 | Weak Evidence | 1 | Severe asthma attack is life-threatening condition causing extreme hypoxia (2 points). No medical monitoring or sensory barriers documented (0 points). No medical records mentioned (0 points). Total: 2 points. | Experience entirely otherworldly and subjective with no veridical perception claims of physical environment. Score: 0 points. | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/10/2025 | 0 | 0 | Highly Compatible | 7 | ||||||||||||
| 5267 | qualitative | book | Holden, Janice Miner, et al. The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences: Thirty Years of Investigation. Praeger Publishers, 2009, Chapter 5, The NDE of Edward Cuomo, p. 100. | The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences, The NDE of Edward Cuomo, Chapter 5, p. 100, 2009 | 2009 | 9 | M |
Nine-year-old Edward Cuomo experienced significant NDE during unspecified severe illness with high fever. Specific medical context not detailed but severe enough to be life-threatening, culminating in high fever. Critical moment occurred as fever finally broke, at which point he returned to normal consciousness and immediately recounted otherworldly journey. Core of Edward's experience was journey to afterlife where he found himself in company of several deceased relatives. Reunion with loved ones who passed away is common central NDE feature providing immense comfort and sense of continuity of relationships beyond death. For Edward, this gathering included profound shocking encounter: he saw his sister Teresa. His report of seeing Teresa in realm of dead was pivotal veridical element of entire experience. After reviving, he shared what he had seen with family. Account met with confusion and disbelief as to their knowledge Teresa was alive and well. Veridical nature confirmed following day when family received tragic news Teresa had been killed in automobile accident. Checking timeline revealed her death occurred just three hours before Edward's fever broke and he woke with story of seeing her. This confirmed Edward acquired knowledge of sister's death while unconscious in medical crisis before any family member notified. He could not have known through normal sensory channels. Classic powerful example of veridical perception in NDE - acquisition of knowledge about recent unknown death. This evidence often cited as strong argument against purely physiological explanations, suggesting consciousness can operate independently accessing information unavailable to physical senses. Aftermath profoundly shaped by veridical event. His otherworldly report served as first shocking notification to family of sister's passing. While traumatic, experience provided deep abiding comfort. Gave grieving family powerful reason to believe daughter not annihilated by death but transitioned to spiritual existence safe with other family members. Edward's NDE transformed personal medical crisis into shared spiritually significant event providing direct personal evidence for reality of life after death and persistence of love and family bonds. |
6 | Unknown | 2 | 15 | 21 | Suggestive Evidence | 4 | Unspecified life-threatening illness with high fever (2 points). No medical monitoring or sensory barriers documented (0 points). No medical records mentioned (0 points). Total: 2 points. | Case contains significant veridical element: learning of sister Teresa's unknown death by meeting her in afterlife. Knowledge of unknown death scores 10 points. Few specific details provided, scoring 5 points for specificity. Total: 15 points. | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/10/2025 | 1 | 1 | Learned of sister's recent unknown death | 1.00 | Family | Highly Compatible | 5 | |||||||||
| 5268 | qualitative | book | Holden, Janice Miner, et al. The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences: Thirty Years of Investigation. Praeger Publishers, 2009, Chapter 5, The NDE of Hal, pp. 97-98. | The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences, The NDE of Hal, Chapter 5, pp. 97-98, 2009 | 2009 | 14 | M |
Hal experienced a near-death experience at age 14 during cardiac arrest, recounted retrospectively at age 56 to researcher Cherie Sutherland. The specific circumstances surrounding the cardiac arrest and resuscitation details are not provided, but the trigger was clearly cessation of cardiac function, placing the experience firmly within legitimate near-death crisis category. Medical context involved severe life-threatening event where heart stopped beating, leading to cessation of blood flow to brain and state of clinical death. Hal's core experience, while brief in description, contains one of the most archetypal and widely recognized NDE features. During cardiac arrest, his consciousness experienced sensation of moving "very quickly through a dark tunnel" followed by arrival in what he described as "the other world." The narrative does not elaborate on nature of this other world, duration of stay, any beings encountered, or specific details of return to body. Entire recounted experience focuses on this single powerful sequence: rapid transition through dark passage culminating in entry into transcendent realm. This classic tunnel experience is cornerstone of NDE reports, often interpreted as soul's journey from physical to spiritual dimension. Speed of movement ("very quickly") is commonly reported feature, often described as feeling of being pulled or propelled forward. The account contains no veridical observations of physical world. Experience was entirely subjective and confined to otherworldly journey. Value lies in consistency with vast body of anecdotal evidence describing same sequence. As retrospective report of adolescent NDE, it serves as example of enduring vivid nature of these memories. Fact that Hal could recall event with clarity more than four decades later suggests NDEs are encoded in memory differently from dreams or hallucinations which tend to fade or become distorted. The aftermath is not discussed in provided text. No information about long-term changes in beliefs, attitudes, values, or other psychological or physiological aftereffects. Story presented solely to illustrate tunnel feature and how it manifests in adolescents. Despite brevity, case demonstrates that core archetypal NDE elements are not exclusive to adults but also experienced by teenagers. Experience of rapid journey through dark tunnel into another world triggered by cardiac arrest provides clear unambiguous example of transcendent journey. |
2 | Unknown | 11 | 0 | 15 | Suggestive Evidence | 4 | Documented cardiac arrest without monitoring equipment mentioned (10 points). No sensory barriers documented (0 points). Retrospective medical confirmation only (1 point). Total: 11 points. | Account is extremely brief describing purely subjective otherworldly journey. Contains no claims of veridical perception of physical environment. Score: 0 points. | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/10/2025 | 0 | 0 | Highly Compatible | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 5269 | qualitative | book | Holden, Janice Miner, et al. The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences: Thirty Years of Investigation. Praeger Publishers, 2009, Chapter 5, The NDE of Alice, p. 98. | The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences, The NDE of Alice, Chapter 5, p. 98, 2009 | 2009 | 10 | F |
Alice, age ten, experienced NDE during severe bout of pneumonia, recounted retrospectively to researcher Cherie Sutherland. In era before modern antibiotics, pneumonia was common and often fatal illness particularly for children, making it credible life-threatening crisis. While source text does not provide specific clinical details about severity or treatments received, NDE took place during peak of this dangerous medical condition when she would have been physically weakened, likely experiencing high fever and hypoxia. Alice's core experience is simple but elegant variation of classic NDE journey. Unlike rapid propelled motion through tunnel, Alice's transition was gentle and serene. She described sensation of "floating through a black area." This floating experience is common description of out-of-body state where consciousness feels detached from physical body and able to move freely. Her journey was into space of darkness, another archetypal feature of initial NDE stages. However, her subjective perception of this dark realm makes account particularly interesting. Instead of void being cold, empty, or frightening, she found it place of immense comfort. She described darkness as "soft, substantial—supportive and cosy." This description personifies void, transforming it from mere absence of light into nurturing protective environment. Experience was not one of fear or loneliness but of safety and security, as if being held or cradled during passage from physical world. Account does not extend beyond this transitional phase; no mention of light, encountering beings, or life review. NDE consists solely of peaceful floating journey through comforting darkness. Details of return to consciousness not provided. This NDE is entirely subjective containing no veridical claims. Retrospective self-report of childhood experience. Value lies in contribution to NDE phenomenology, specifically how "journey through darkness" is perceived. Provides clear example that tunnel or void is not universally experienced as frightening or neutral passage but can be perceived as positive comforting state. This subjective variation highlights role of individual consciousness in shaping emotional tone and texture of NDE. |
5 | Unknown | 3 | 0 | 7 | Weak Evidence | 4 | Severe pneumonia is life-threatening illness especially in pre-antibiotic era (2 points). No medical monitoring or sensory barriers documented (0 points). Retrospective report only (1 point). Total: 3 points. | Experience entirely subjective describing feeling of floating through dark area. No veridical claims. Score: 0 points. | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/10/2025 | 0 | 0 | Highly Compatible | 4 | ||||||||||||
| 5270 | qualitative | book | Holden, Janice Miner, et al. The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences: Thirty Years of Investigation. Praeger Publishers, 2009, Chapter 5, The NDE of Daniel, p. 99. | The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences, The NDE of Daniel, Chapter 5, p. 99, 2009 | 2009 | 4 | M |
Daniel, fourteen at interview time but four during NDE, experienced significant encounter during one of many medical crises. Born with multiple severe congenital defects including incomplete esophagus, imperforate anus, and spina bifida, child with such conditions would have undergone numerous surgeries and faced constant medical crises throughout early years. NDE at age four occurred during unspecified medical event when in imminent danger of death. Medical context was chronic severe illness from birth with life-threatening defects. Core of Daniel's experience was not journey through tunnel or life review but direct vivid encounter with Jesus Christ. Most remarkable aspect was not meeting itself but specific unorthodox details of Jesus's appearance that Daniel recalled. Experience came to light when mother showing him religious book containing conventional illustration of Jesus. Daniel adamantly rejected picture, insisting it was not accurate depiction, stating Jesus "didn't look anything like" illustration. When pressed, he provided details from NDE memory. Said Jesus he met wore "black flowing cape." Also focused on hands, stating he remembered them being soft but crucially they "didn't bleed like the picture on the wall." This description radical departure from common Western iconography of Jesus typically portrayed in white or light-colored robes, often shown with stigmata or crucifixion wounds in hands. Case has no claims of veridical perception of physical world. Evidentiary weight comes from unexpected counter-cultural nature of child's description. Despite exposure to traditional religious imagery, personal experience provided vision that contradicted it, challenging skeptical argument that NDEs are merely products of expectation or cultural scripts. Daniel's experience not what he had been taught to expect; rather unique personal revelation he held with conviction even when correcting mother and religious art. Account corroborated by mother who reported spontaneous insistent comments to researcher. At interview age fourteen, Daniel had undergone seventeen major operations and had many NDEs in early years, suggesting life punctuated by repeated brushes with death. Final statement reflects profound peace regarding mortality: "Death's all right. I know I could die any time so I just live each day. I'd say to people who are dying, Don't be afraid. It's a beautiful place." |
5 | Unknown | 3 | 0 | 7 | Weak Evidence | 4 | Multiple severe birth defects creating chronic life-threatening condition (2 points). No medical monitoring or sensory barriers documented (0 points). Retrospective report (1 point). Total: 3 points. | Experience is entirely subjective encounter with Jesus. No veridical claims about physical world. Score: 0 points. | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/10/2025 | 0 | 0 | Mixed Compatibility | 5 | ||||||||||||
| 5271 | qualitative | book | Atwater, P. M. H. The Big Book of Near-Death Experiences. Rainbow Ridge Books, Chapter 10, Chris Brown, Pages 146-148, 2007 | Chapter 10, Chris Brown, Pages 146-148, 2007 | 1962 | 2007 | M | In 1962, young soldier Chris Brown suffered a severe angina attack while stationed in France, causing his heart to race and chest to burn before he collapsed. Rushed to a medical facility, he found himself in what appeared to be an emergency room, connected to two machines: an EKG and another device with wires around his head, likely an EEG. From his out-of-body vantage point near the ceiling, he witnessed the exact moment of his clinical death as the EKG's scope trace went flat and emitted that unmistakable steady beep. He watched the doctor frantically working on his heart while a nurse wrung her hands, feeling detached yet concerned about the trouble he was causing. The most remarkable part was witnessing a critical medical error unfold: he observed the nurse go to an old-fashioned French medicine cabinet with a curved front, remove a hypo, and fill it from a small bottle taken from the left side of the second shelf. He then watched the doctor's horrified realization, seeing him grab the bottle, read it, and erupt in anger, throwing both bottle and hypo across the room, knocking the nurse down while screaming she could have killed him, before racing to get the correct medication himself. His experience then shifted to meeting a group of grayish, cloudy men who informed him the decision to return wasn't his alone. He underwent a deliberate life review, assessing his debts and responsibilities, concluding his affairs were in order and wanting to stay, but was told he must return to complete a job and to learn. With the command "Now go!" he later awoke in the ICU. Two days after the incident, the doctor, after being assured of confidentiality, listened to Chris's entire account and cross-examined him extensively until completely satisfied that the young soldier had indeed witnessed what was seemingly physically impossible for him to have seen, providing the highest level of verification for this extraordinary veridical perception during clinical death. | 1 | Hospital | 30 | 25 | 75 | Exceptional Evidence | 20 | Clinically dead from cardiac arrest in medical facility with EKG flatline confirmation | Extremely detailed sequential observation of medical error impossible to perceive normally | written_account | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/10/2025 | 2 | 1 | Observed his own clinical death and medical monitors | 1.00 | The attending doctor | Highly Compatible | 7 | |||||||||
| 5272 | qualitative | book | Atwater, P. M. H. The Big Book of Near-Death Experiences. Rainbow Ridge Books, Chapter 11, Jake (from Arvin S. Gibson), Pages 169-171, 2007 | Chapter 11, Jake (from Arvin S. Gibson), Pages 169-171, 2007 | 1989 | 2007 | M | In 1989, Jake and his elite "Hotshots" firefighting crew of forty men and women were deployed to fight a dangerous forest fire on a steep mountain peak. Their back-fire strategy turned catastrophic when wind suddenly changed direction, causing trees to erupt in an explosive conflagration that instantly consumed all oxygen near the ground. One by one, the entire crew succumbed to suffocation, falling to earth as they crawled desperately trying to escape. Jake felt his life ending, thinking "This is it. I am going to die" as his consciousness lifted into the air above his lifeless body in the trench below. Remarkably, he saw his entire crew also standing in the air above their own fallen bodies - this was a shared, collective transition. He noticed specific details like crew member Jose, born with a defective foot, now standing with a perfectly straight foot in his spiritual form. A brilliant light appeared, brighter than sunlight on snow, and Jake met his deceased great-grandfather who acted as his guide. Given a choice to stay or return, Jake feared his body would be horribly burned, but his great-grandfather communicated a profound promise: neither he nor any crew members who chose to return would suffer ill effects from the fire, done so God's power over the elements would be made manifest. Trusting this divine assurance, he chose to return. After the event, the crew gathered and were astonished to discover they had each undergone some type of near-death experience, with some having seen and conversed with each other during the episode. Despite heat so intense it melted their metal tools, every single firefighter survived without any burns or ill effects - a medically impossible outcome serving as miraculous corroboration. Their immediate spontaneous response was to kneel together in prayer thanking the Lord, and throughout that summer they frequently discussed their miraculous shared adventure that transcended individual backgrounds and united them in spiritual truth. | 5 | Other | 17 | 23 | 62 | Strong Evidence | 22 | Mass suffocation from forest fire with entire crew experiencing life-threatening event simultaneously | Group NDE with specific shared observations including seeing deceased crew members and noting physical differences | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/10/2025 | 1 | 1 | Saw fellow firefighters out of their bodies after suffocation | 1.00 | Members of Hotshots firefighting crew | Highly Compatible | 7 | |||||||||
| 5273 | qualitative | book | Atwater, P. M. H. The Big Book of Near-Death Experiences. Rainbow Ridge Books, Chapter 26, J. R. Mondie, Pages 408-409, 2007 | Chapter 26, J. R. Mondie, Pages 408-409, 2007 | 2007 | M | J. R. Mondie's near-death experience unfolded inside a racing ambulance in Russell Springs, Kentucky, as he lay dying from an unspecified medical crisis. Surrounded by three paramedics working urgently, he was acutely aware of the sterile metallic scent, rhythmic vehicle jolting, and distant siren wail marking his last sensory inputs. As his body failed, his consciousness explosively expanded beyond physical laws into a panoramic awareness encompassing all existence simultaneously. His individual identity dissolved into a boundless perception node within the infinite web of all living souls. The experience began with intimate awareness of the three paramedics' souls, feeling their love, dedication, emotions, and concentrated thoughts as if they were his own. He could see through their eyes, accessing their pasts and immediate futures. This empathetic fusion extended to animals and smallest creatures, each contributing to a vast unified tapestry. His consciousness then cascaded into hyper-specific distant perceptions occurring simultaneously: he was with an angry bus driver navigating Seattle streets, sharing consciousness with a woman killing a spider in Ripley, West Virginia, and experiencing a bug's infinitesimal life colliding with a speeding train in Oklahoma. This barrage of raw existence - love, hate, famine, awe, destruction, hope, revolution - flowed through him as unified sensation. In this total immersion, he understood why God permits violence and suffering: not started by God but a product of choices within creation's fabric, consequences of countless consciousnesses exercising will. The "funny" cosmic punchline was that purpose was revealed not in grand pronouncement but in simple interconnected reality of every soul playing its part in ongoing creation. While offering no third-party verification for these observations, the sheer detail and coherence of multiple geographically distant unrelated events - specific emotion in specific person in specific city, mundane precise action in another state, minute physical event elsewhere - suggests nonlocal awareness transcending conventional brain-based consciousness. | 5 | Ambulance | 7 | 27 | 37 | Moderate Evidence | 3 | Dying during medical emergency in ambulance constitutes clear life-threatening event | Multiple specific distant observations sensing thoughts and actions across country simultaneously | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/10/2025 | 2 | 0 | Sensed thoughts and emotions of three souls in ambulance | 0.00 | Highly Compatible | 5 | |||||||||||
| 5274 | qualitative | book | Atwater, P. M. H. The Big Book of Near-Death Experiences. Rainbow Ridge Books, Chapter 17, Margaret Fields Kean, Pages 257-258, 2007 | Chapter 17, Margaret Fields Kean, Pages 257-258, 2007 | 1978 | 2007 | F | In 1978, Margaret Fields Kean, a self-described super-mom farmwife, was hospitalized for three weeks with severe phlebitis when a blood clot dislodged and traveled to her heart and lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism. Medical staff scrambled as she was given injections for nausea which, combined with blood thinners, triggered massive internal hemorrhaging. The hospital room descended into pandemonium as her vital signs failed and she slipped away, her consciousness detaching to observe events around her. Her spirit witnessed the scene around her body, then expanded awareness to see and hear right through walls - activities in the waiting room down the hall and nurses at their station, aware of their thoughts through telepathic insight. She was propelled into a transcendent state where she instantly knew and understood many things, including her future as a healer - shocking for a farmwife and mother. Most extraordinarily, she projected her consciousness into the isolation room of a severely burned young white boy charred black. In non-physical form, she sat on his bed, introduced herself by name, and provided profound spiritual counsel about his life purpose, reassuring him God was loving and it was acceptable to let go if he chose. This interactive compassionate mission occurred while she herself was clinically dying. The corroboration came months later at a horse show when approached by a couple who heard her daughter's name announced. They identified themselves as parents of the burned boy, expressing profound gratitude. Before their son died, he had recounted in detail his vision of a kind woman named Margaret who sat with him, comforted him, and told him wonderful truths about God and life. He relayed their conversation specifics, all matching Margaret's experience perfectly. This independent confirmation from parents of a child she never met validates her distant interactive observation beyond reasonable doubt. Upon revival, she immediately began instinctively healing other patients with her mind, fully embracing her new healer identity that led her to South Africa teaching native healers, creating a healing legacy stemming from her journey beyond death. | 5 | Hospital | 12 | 27 | 58 | Strong Evidence | 19 | Cascade of life-threatening medical events including pulmonary embolism and internal hemorrhaging | Remarkable distant interactive observation counseling dying patient previously unknown to her | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/10/2025 | 2 | 1 | Observed and heard people and thoughts in distant hospital locations | 0.00 | Parents of severely burned boy | Highly Compatible | 7 | |||||||||
| 5275 | qualitative | book | Atwater, P. M. H. The Big Book of Near-Death Experiences. Rainbow Ridge Books, Chapter 2, Mellen-Thomas Benedict, Pages 36-37, 2007 | Chapter 2, Mellen-Thomas Benedict, Pages 36-37, 2007 | 1982 | 2007 | 33 | M | At age thirty-three, Mellen-Thomas Benedict was diagnosed with an inoperable terminal brain tumor that rapidly deteriorated his condition, leading to hospice care. One morning he awoke with absolute certainty he would die that day, which proved accurate as he passed away and remained clinically dead for approximately ninety minutes according to his hospice caretaker. His experience began with typical NDE elements but he consciously intervened, stating "Stop a minute. This is my death and I want to think about this," transforming passive reception into active exploration. He was pulled through light, leaving Earth far behind, journeying past stars and galaxies beyond all physical imagery to a multi-angled overview of all worlds and Creation. His voyage reached the edge of existence, to a second light where all vibration ceases, confronting the "NO THING," the void of pure potential from which all things emerge. During this cosmic tour he was granted immense knowledge: witnessing panoramic history from Big Bang to four hundred years into our future, seeing intricate planetary energy systems and how human thoughts directly influence them in simultaneous dance between past, present, and future. He perceived entire species as individual cells within a greater cosmic organism, human races as distinct personality clusters, and learned Earth itself is a great conscious cosmic being. After this vast reception of knowledge, he consciously decided to return, falling back into physical form. The primary corroborating evidence is complete spontaneous remission of his terminal inoperable brain cancer - before the NDE his prognosis was death, after medical assessments confirmed cancer had completely vanished, providing strongest possible evidence of profound anomalous healing. His fear of death was replaced by expansive perspective, describing humanity as young species evolving toward sustained consciousness. He was flooded with innovative invention ideas including marketing plans, securing U.S. patents and engaging in advanced DNA research, transforming from dying man into visionary inventor and scientist helping bring answers to light. | 5 | Home | 17 | 5 | 32 | Moderate Evidence | 10 | Died from diagnosed inoperable terminal brain tumor under hospice care for ninety minutes | Transcendent journey receiving universal knowledge rather than specific veridical observations | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/10/2025 | 0 | 2 | Hospice caretaker | Highly Compatible | 8 | ||||||||||
| 5276 | qualitative | book | Atwater, P. M. H. The Big Book of Near-Death Experiences. Rainbow Ridge Books, Chapter 2, Ricky Bradshaw, Page 21, 2007 | Chapter 2, Ricky Bradshaw, Page 21, 2007 | 1975 | 2007 | M | In 1975, Ricky Bradshaw suffered catastrophic trauma while loading groceries when he was caught between two vehicles backing into each other, the immense force literally grinding his torso in half with only his spine and surrounding cords connecting upper and lower body portions. Rushed to a teaching hospital, given the devastating injuries he was swiftly pronounced dead, his body unceremoniously heaped onto a gurney and moved to a corner as a cadaver beyond hope. There was no ambiguity in his clinical status - considered deceased by medical staff with declaration of death made within formal hospital setting following extreme trauma. From this state of clinical death, his consciousness separated and observed his lifeless body while witnessing a group of medical students notice his fresh cadaver and request permission to experiment with it. He observed their high jinks as they interacted with his body, critically watching as they hooked his corpse up to a heart monitor. His awareness was then drawn into a realm of brilliant all-encompassing light accompanied by loving disembodied voices where he was given panoramic complete view of all history from beginning to end, infusing him with universal knowledge and perspective. The pivotal veridical moment occurred when the heart monitor students had connected began registering beeps - their initial disbelief assuming malfunction directly corroborates the reality of what Ricky observed. Their decision to seek a physician transformed high jinks into full medical emergency. This sequence provides powerful inferred corroboration as students' actions precipitated by monitor readings validate Ricky's otherwise impossible knowledge. He could not have known through any physical sense they attached the monitor, yet his survival is direct consequence of the event he witnessed from non-physical vantage point. The emergency sparked by readings led to massive medical effort spanning two years including twenty-four separate surgeries. His survival is officially termed unexplained by medical community, testament to severity of initial injuries and unlikelihood of recovery. Having been immersed in brilliant light, heard loving voices, and viewed entirety of history, he returned to life never expected to have, his case becoming medical history challenging defined boundaries of life and death. | 5 | Hospital | 27 | 20 | 65 | Exceptional Evidence | 18 | Declared clinically dead in hospital following severe traumatic injury with body treated as cadaver | Specific unique details about medical students actions with dead body impossible to know normally | written_account | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/10/2025 | 1 | 1 | Witnessed medical students experimenting with his dead body | 1.00 | Unnamed medical students and physician | Highly Compatible | 8 | |||||||||
| 5277 | qualitative | book | Atwater, P. M. H. The Big Book of Near-Death Experiences. Rainbow Ridge Books, Chapter 2, Scott (from Richard Bonenfant), Pages 29-30, 2007 | Chapter 2, Scott (from Richard Bonenfant), Pages 29-30, 2007 | 2007 | 6 | M | Six-year-old Scott's near-death experience began during a family outing for ice cream when he moved into the path of an oncoming car. His mother lunged but missed by feet as the car slammed into him, throwing his small body into three complete somersaults twenty-five feet up the street. He recalls closing his eyes before impact, feeling punched by the vehicle, landing on pavement and losing consciousness. Hospitalized and kept in medically induced coma while treated for injuries, this high-impact collision requiring significant intervention established clear life-threatening trigger. His consciousness immediately shifted to external vantage point in nearby tree watching the accident scene unfold, observing chaos and family reactions with strange detachment, noting nobody could hear him speak. He attempted to hug his father only to have him pass right through his non-physical form. From this veridical phase, his experience transitioned to deeper otherworldly journey through dark windy tunnel where he had terrifying encounter with being he identified as the Devil - not stereotypical horned demon but large glob of rotting flesh that shouted at him, called him bad, tried preventing him from leaving, filling boy with extreme fear. Yet faith that God would protect him persisted. Scene shifted to room where he met deceased uncle who died two years prior from cancer, still covered by sheet Scott remembered from deathbed, who recognized him and reassured him telepathically he would be all right. He was escorted through dark open space toward brilliant light brighter than sun but didn't hurt eyes, which he felt was God in whose presence he felt completely safe. Within light were other presences clear and bright like angels on Christmas tree but without wings or halos. Journey concluded in a dungeon - not frightening but safe room without doors or windows where good beings protected him from Devil. While observing accident from out-of-body perspective, he recalls shouting to older brother Graham to play with him - crucial corroboration came when Graham later told parents at time of accident he clearly heard Scott's voice calling while Scott lay unconscious, providing strong evidence of perceivable real-world effect from out-of-body consciousness. Afterward Scott was plagued by nightmares of Devil encounter for months, becoming powerful motivator for spiritual change and effort to become closer to God, with enhanced empathy and sensitivity to others' feelings. | 5 | Other | 9 | 13 | 35 | Moderate Evidence | 13 | High-impact car collision resulting in trauma, unconsciousness, and induced coma | Specific auditory veridical claim of shouting to brother perceived by brother | written_account | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/10/2025 | 1 | 1 | While out-of-body shouted to brother to play | 1.00 | Graham (brother) | Highly Compatible | 7 | |||||||||
| 5278 | qualitative | book | Atwater, P. M. H. The Big Book of Near-Death Experiences. Rainbow Ridge Books, Chapter 5, Stephanie Johnston, Pages 74-75, 2007 | Chapter 5, Stephanie Johnston, Pages 74-75, 2007 | 2007 | F | Stephanie Johnston's near-death experience was precipitated by profound crisis after unexpected engagement end led to thirty-day hospitalization for skyrocketing blood pressure. Released into same stressful environment, she reached breaking point and consumed lethal combination of two bottles of pills and fifth of alcohol. This massive overdose resulted in severe emergency - rushed to hospital where she spent three days critically ill on heart monitors as doctors had no antidote for toxins ingested, establishing undeniable life-threatening event. Her NDE began in critical state unconscious between life and death in ambulance. Her consciousness separated from body, floating outside and above vehicle where she could simultaneously see interior, paramedics' frantic work, friend's conversation with them, and exterior world including surrounding houses. Awareness shifted to another dimension described as fluid rather than concrete where time ceased. Met by group of beings appearing as iridescent energy with mind-to-mind communication, she felt peace and normalcy without fear or pain. Given comprehensive life review - not merely visual replay but shown what her life had been and crucially what impact of her absence would be on others she knew, loved, and hadn't yet met. She didn't just see but experienced what it would feel like for them. Following profound lesson in interconnectedness, given choice to stay in realm of peace or return to complete life. She felt no pressure or judgment, only overwhelming unconditional love and freedom with understanding either choice accepted. Decision swayed when in emergency room she heard doctor reciting daughter's name, anchoring her back to life. Her veridical claim from position above ambulance was perceiving specific real-world events with clarity - hearing precise conversation friend had with paramedics and what they reported to hospital, observing physical journey details like surrounding houses. These concrete verifiable claims of auditory perception while unconscious from massive overdose from impossible location constitute strong veridical event. Initially woke angry that suicide failed, spending two years in self-destructive behavior before surrendering, falling to knees praying "Okay God, you're not going to let me die so teach me how to live," beginning true integration and complete transformation. | 5 | Ambulance | 12 | 13 | 28 | Suggestive Evidence | 3 | Hospitalized three days on heart monitors following massive intentional overdose with no antidote | Specific claims of hearing conversations and seeing details inside/outside ambulance while out-of-body | written_account | 0.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 8/10/2025 | 1 | 0 | While out-of-body heard conversations inside ambulance | 0.00 | Highly Compatible | 9 | |||||||||||