The question of what lies beyond the veil of death has puzzled humanity for eons. Tales of bright lights, long-departed relatives, and divine figures are common in the accounts of those who've skirted the edges of the afterlife. But not every near-death experience fits the mould of these ethereal encounters. Sometimes, the reality is far more unexpected, as one man's harrowing tale reveals.

James, whose routine operation took a perilous turn, shared his experience, which was devoid of the spiritual encounters many anticipate. Instead of a celestial meeting or a life review, James was met with an expanse of white and a sense of detachment from the urgency unfolding around him.

A near-death event was experienced by James Reynolds during a routine gallbladder removal, requiring quick intervention from hospital staff. Credit: Ig0rzh / iStock

'James, you need to breathe.' These words, spoken by a nurse, pierced through the fog of anaesthetic and fentanyl, but James found himself unable to comply. His body was unresponsive, his mind adrift in a sea of white. The familiar comfort of his parents' thoughts was his last cognitive anchor before succumbing to the void.

The operation—a common procedure to remove his gallbladder—had been approached with the casual confidence of routine. Yet, in the operating room, James's expectations of a swift recovery were upended. Instead of a countdown, he was plunged into darkness, awakening later to a world altered by medication and the physical evidence of surgery.

As he lay in the recovery ward, the effects of the anaesthetic and fentanyl wove a tapestry of confusion and disorientation. The pain was absent, thanks to the potent opioid, which, under medical supervision, is a powerful tool for relief. However, the same substance, when misused or illicitly manufactured, can be deadly—a fact James was all too aware of from his knowledge of the opioid crisis.

The stark contrast between his controlled medical experience and the tragic outcomes of street fentanyl use was not lost on him. In the safety of the hospital, mechanisms were in place to reverse the respiratory depression that had gripped him. Outside these walls, the same drug claimed lives with reckless abandon.

James's journey back from the brink was marked by the professionalism and swift action of the medical staff. Their expertise was a counterpoint to his vulnerability, a reminder of the fragility of life and the thin line between here and the hereafter.

In the weeks following his ordeal, James reflected on the absence of control, the surreal nature of his experience, and the gratitude he felt towards those who had steered him through the crisis. The physical scars were healing, and the gallbladder pain was a memory, but the psychological imprint of his near-death experience lingered.

For our readers over 60, James's story is a poignant reminder that life can take unexpected turns, even in the most controlled environments. It also underscores the importance of having trust in the medical professionals who guide us through our most vulnerable moments.

Key Takeaways

• James Reynolds experienced a near-death event during a routine operation to have his gallbladder removed, where he stopped breathing and required quick intervention from hospital staff.
• He describes a sensation of whiteness and an absence of expected phenomena, such as his life flashing before his eyes or seeing God, challenging common expectations of near-death experiences.
• He details the effects of fentanyl, an opioid given during his recovery, which made him lose the ability to breathe on his own, leading to respiratory depression and a need for a respirator.
• Reflecting on his experience, James acknowledges the professionalism and effectiveness of the medical team in handling the crisis and expresses gratitude for their support while grappling with the lingering impression of having lost control during the incident.

We invite you to share your thoughts and experiences. Have you or someone you know had a near-death experience? Did it align with the common narratives, or was it something entirely different? Join the conversation and let us know in the comments below.

 

[Loubeauxarts]

For what it's worth, my heart has stopped working on six occasions that I know of. On each occasion I was in hospital. It could have happened other times and restarted spontaneously, or so I've been told.
Now I consider myself to be a spiritual man, not religious but I believe that there is something greater than us on this planet. I only mention this to emphasise a point. As somebody who is open to the possibility of life after death, I would have expected to have some recollection of bright lights or tunnels etc if it indeed happened but not so, at least in my case.
The first time was in 2016. I had presented to Alfred Emergency thinking I was having an asthma event whereas it was actually a cardiac event. Whilst there I went into arrest and they used the paddles on me. After 5 hours in Emergency they put me on the Cardiac ward.
The second time was in February 2020 during a femoral artery bypass. What should have been a 3-4 hour surgery stretched to a 9 hour marathon. In both cases I have no recall of any out of body experience.
The other times all happened in the space of a single week. In August 2020, at the height of COVID lockdown I was admitted after suffering a series of blackouts at home. I was admitted to a general ward and on the first night went into AF - my heartbeat was playing syncopated rhythms. That night they moved me to the cardiac ward and hooked me up to all the usual monitors. The next night I went to sleep and woke up surrounded by masked and gowned figures with computers on wheels all fussing over me. I had arrested again, they called a code blue and had to resuscitate me. The head Doctor advised me of what had happened and asked me if it happened again did I want to be revived. No guesses as to my response. The next one I remember was a few days later - same scenario.
The reason I've gone into such detail is as follows: on these 2 occasions one thing has stayed with me. There was a very pretty young nurse who stayed with me until I went back to sleep. I made the comment to her about 2 code blues in a single week and she told me that this was actually the fourth. The other two I had slept right through. Now here's the interesting bit. Remembering that this all happened at the height of COVID and all other staff were masked up etc., she wasn't wearing a mask. I remember this because I said I was scared and she smiled at me and said not to stress and that that I wouldn't be going anywhere on her watch. I asked her name and it was Jacinta and I made the comment that I would remember that because the NZ prime minister was all over the news at that time. She said different spelling and smiled again. That night they put me on an atropine drip to keep my heart beating and the next morning into surgery to put in a pacemaker. I was discharged the next day.
I asked the nursing staff to tell Jacinta how grateful I was for her comfort during that scary time and was met with blank looks. Evidently they didn't have a nurse by that name working on that ward and couldn't recall there having been one.
So, although I didn't see bright lights or tunnels, that may have been my experience with the other side of life. Just a thought.....

 

[Still Ebby]

For what it's worth, my heart has stopped working on six occasions that I know of. On each occasion I was in hospital. It could have happened other times and restarted spontaneously, or so I've been told.
Now I consider myself to be a spiritual man, not religious but I believe that there is something greater than us on this planet. I only mention this to emphasise a point. As somebody who is open to the possibility of life after death, I would have expected to have some recollection of bright lights or tunnels etc if it indeed happened but not so, at least in my case.
The first time was in 2016. I had presented to Alfred Emergency thinking I was having an asthma event whereas it was actually a cardiac event. Whilst there I went into arrest and they used the paddles on me. After 5 hours in Emergency they put me on the Cardiac ward.
The second time was in February 2020 during a femoral artery bypass. What should have been a 3-4 hour surgery stretched to a 9 hour marathon. In both cases I have no recall of any out of body experience.
The other times all happened in the space of a single week. In August 2020, at the height of COVID lockdown I was admitted after suffering a series of blackouts at home. I was admitted to a general ward and on the first night went into AF - my heartbeat was playing syncopated rhythms. That night they moved me to the cardiac ward and hooked me up to all the usual monitors. The next night I went to sleep and woke up surrounded by masked and gowned figures with computers on wheels all fussing over me. I had arrested again, they called a code blue and had to resuscitate me. The head Doctor advised me of what had happened and asked me if it happened again did I want to be revived. No guesses as to my response. The next one I remember was a few days later - same scenario.
The reason I've gone into such detail is as follows: on these 2 occasions one thing has stayed with me. There was a very pretty young nurse who stayed with me until I went back to sleep. I made the comment to her about 2 code blues in a single week and she told me that this was actually the fourth. The other two I had slept right through. Now here's the interesting bit. Remembering that this all happened at the height of COVID and all other staff were masked up etc., she wasn't wearing a mask. I remember this because I said I was scared and she smiled at me and said not to stress and that that I wouldn't be going anywhere on her watch. I asked her name and it was Jacinta and I made the comment that I would remember that because the NZ prime minister was all over the news at that time. She said different spelling and smiled again. That night they put me on an atropine drip to keep my heart beating and the next morning into surgery to put in a pacemaker. I was discharged the next day.
I asked the nursing staff to tell Jacinta how grateful I was for her comfort during that scary time and was met with blank looks. Evidently they didn't have a nurse by that name working on that ward and couldn't recall there having been one.
So, although I didn't see bright lights or tunnels, that may have been my experience with the other side of life. Just a thought.....

My you have been through the wars so to speak. l hope you are feeling much better now.
Two in my family called out and must have seen something awesome when they passed and the next day after Megan my grand-daughter passed Michael my son saw her sat next to her mother on the lounge .She had Spina Bifida but when he saw her she looked normal. My other son who was critical after he was knocked over on his motor bike saw everything that was going on around him as he floated above . So who knows !

 

[Jest]

not reading it. i do not need any reminders about death.

 

[marni]

Religion has been the biggest scam in history. I truly believe that most stories in the Bible really happened. But as always so many people took advantage of others to further their own interest.