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4578
qualitative
book
Sabom, Michael B. Recollections of Death: A Medical Investigation. New York: Harper and Row, 1982. Cardiac Surgery Patient, Case 1
Recollections of Death: A Medical Investigation, Harper and Row, 1982
1982
M
A man underwent open-heart surgery and experienced an extraordinary out-of-body experience during the procedure. While his physical body remained on the operating table, he found himself observing the entire surgical procedure from a vantage point near the ceiling of the operating room. From this elevated perspective, he could see his own body below and observe the surgical team working on him with remarkable clarity.
During his out-of-body state, the patient made several specific and verifiable observations about the surgical environment and procedures. He noted with vivid detail and color various aspects of the operating room that he could not have seen from his position on the table. His observations included specific details about the surgical team's attire and equipment. He observed that all members of the surgical team were wearing green tie-on coverings over their feet, with one notable exception - one physician whose blood-splattered white leather shoes were clearly visible beneath the surgical drapes. This detail was particularly striking as it would have been impossible to observe from the patient's physical position. The patient also made an unusual observation about one of the doctors present in the operating room. Despite the surgeon wearing surgical gloves, the patient noticed that this doctor had what he described as a "bad little finger." Upon later verification, it was confirmed that this doctor indeed had a blood clot under the nail of that finger, which was visible as a dark discoloration beneath the surgical glove - a detail that would have been nearly impossible to notice under normal circumstances. After the surgery, when the patient recovered and shared his experience, the medical staff was able to verify the accuracy of his observations. The specific details about the footwear, including the one physician with the visible white leather shoes that had become blood-splattered during the procedure, were confirmed. The observation about the doctor's finger injury was also verified, adding significant credibility to the patient's account of having genuinely perceived the operating room from an out-of-body perspective during his surgery.
1
Hospital
15
15
45
Moderate Evidence
15
Open-heart surgery with full cardiac monitoring, documented medical setting with surgical team present
Multiple specific verifiable observations including surgical team footwear details and physician's finger injury that could not be seen from patient position
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7/24/2025
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