Dr Mary C. Neal had a kayaking accident but, rather than being panic-stricken, she described the situation as calming. She had a fear of drowning growing up but “felt quite wonderful” when she accepted she would pass away.
She wrote a book, To Heaven and Back, about the life-changing experience.
“I was acutely aware of everything that was happening,” Dr Neal said in an interview about the book.
“I knew that my efforts to exit the boat were not working, that I was out of air, and that I was too far from the riverbank for anyone to reach me.
“I knew that I would probably die.
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“I could feel my spirit peeling away from my body, and my spirit went up towards the heavens. I was immediately greeted by a group of … somethings. I don’t know what to call them. People? Spirits? Beings?
“I didn’t recognise any of them but they had been important in my life somehow, like a grandparent who died before I was born.”
Dr Neal is not the only person who has reported abnormal near death experiences.
Dr Michael Visser has experienced many near death experiences. The doctor recalls his first experience with the afterlife as young as the age of four.
After completing his medical degree Dr Visser says he has regular experiences with the afterlife.
“They are not always personal, yet often are for others who could not be reached by their spiritual guides and angels,” he told news.com.au.
“Most NDEs are pleasant, yet a small percentage are distressing, that is, dominated by feelings such as fear, isolation, or torment.
“Pain usually vanishes during an NDE, making it an extremely pleasant experience.”