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5014
qualitative
book
Sabom, Michael. Light and Death. Zondervan, 1998. Chapter 4. Gene.
Light and Death, Chapter 4, Gene, 1998
1998
M
Gene, a physician, suffered a cardiac arrest in hospital room 314. When the Code Blue was called, CPR was already in progress with his cardiologist friend leading the resuscitation. The cardiologist grabbed the defibrillator paddles and began shocking Gene's heart with maximum 360 joules output. An anesthesiologist provided artificial ventilation while nurses pushed IV cardiac drugs. Gene recalled the early moments as terrifying, which he blocked from his mind.
After 15 minutes of full CPR and 10-15 electrical shocks with no response, the code team wanted to stop. However, Gene's cardiologist friend couldn't let him go and sent for a special high-output defibrillator from the electrophysiology lab two floors below. One super-charged 500-joule shock from this device restored normal sinus rhythm. By this time, Gene's pupils were fixed, dilated, and unresponsive - a clinical sign of brain death. During this period, Gene experienced being out in infinity space without a body, like a mind and soul. From a far distance he saw a light and began approaching it, picking up speed as he got closer. The light's intensity was like a beam that grew brighter and brighter, incredibly intense. He felt wonderful - ten times better than anything else, overwhelmingly calm and peaceful. He didn't care which way he went and was tempted to stay. Then he heard his mother's voice (who had died a year earlier) saying "Gene." He recognized two lights - a smaller one like glowing gases off to the side (his mother) and the bright main light he felt was God or a superior being controlling his body or soul. His mother told him "it's not your time to go." When he asked when his time would be, he knew there would be no answers. Everything started going back and he woke up on the respirator.
1
Hospital
20
10
40
Moderate Evidence
10
Documented cardiac arrest, 15+ minutes CPR, 10-15 shocks, special defibrillator needed, pupils fixed/dilated
Experience of light, deceased mother's voice, sense of God's presence
written_account
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1.00
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Fixed dilated pupils
8/4/2025
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