It’s the moment between here and… whatever’s next. Heartbeats slow. Time bends. And then, bam!, you’re back: breathless, forever changed.
These near-death stories aren’t just eerie, they’re electric. Some saw blinding light and felt peace deeper than a Barry White ballad. Others? Dragged through tunnels darker than a polyester funeral suit. It’s chilling. It’s comforting. It’s weirdly relatable.
Whether you believe in the afterlife, second chances, or just a wild imagination, these tales toe the line between nightmare and miracle. Click through if you’ve ever wondered what’s really on the other side… and why people come back talking about it.
1
I Left My Body… Then Floated Between Two Worlds
“I left my body in the ICU, floated up through the ceiling, moved through walls, then reentered from below. When not focused on the hospital, I saw a dark space with pulsing colors at the edges, like two worlds at once.”
2
She Walked to a Locked Door… Then Came Back.
“My aunt had a seizure at 18 and was resuscitated. She saw a bright hallway with a locked door she couldn’t open, then watched doctors trying to save her. She turned, walked back, and reentered her body. She died at 42 after more seizures. We believe those doors finally opened for her.”
3
She Saw a River of Darkness
“My mom died for five minutes after an infected root canal. She saw a river of darkness with others on the other side. Someone touched her shoulder and said: “It’s not time yet.” She woke up confused, asking who touched her. Doctors said no one did.”
4
No Heaven. No Light. Just 12 Days of Coma.
“I ‘died’ briefly and was in a coma for 12 days. I saw nothing, no out-of-body or visions. The only experiences were hallucinations during withdrawal after waking, which lasted days and felt real but weren’t. The hallucinations were worse than the coma or accident.”
5
Woke Up Talking About a Steampunk Warship
“My uncle once died in the middle of open heart surgery. After he said that he remembered being on a steampunk style military ship.”
6
He Said They Fixed His Heart With a Diamond Scepter
“My father-in-law’s heart stopped in the hospital and they revived him. After, he kept talking about a heart surgery he never had, he said they fixed him with a diamond-encrusted scepter thrust into his heart. He died a few days later.”
7
Twice Dead. Twice Given a Choice.
“My Godfather had triple bypass surgery and flatlined twice. He said he went to the next life both times and was offered a choice: stay or go to heaven. Both times he chose to stay. He always said it was real, like he truly went somewhere. He lived another 30 years after.”
8
Dying Felt Like Being High
“Car crash stopped my heart. No lights, no visions; just black, like sleep. Time slowed, everything felt surreal. I woke up in surgery, then a coma. Dying felt more like being high than anything spiritual.”
9
I Drank Energy Drinks. Flatlined. Dead for 5 Minutes.
“It was like sleep for me. Then i found out i was dead for five minutes. That is why you don't drink energy drinks kids.”
10
Saw A Massive Oak Tree
“I saw a wide field with a massive oak in the center, dark woods on both sides, and the sense of an ocean nearby. I walked a worn path, and a presence joined me. I said I was sick; it said I wasn’t done, that I’d be happy one day. I wanted the water, not the woods. Then a bright light and I woke up in the ICU.”
11
Declared Dead. A Nurse Screamed. He Came Back From the Black.
“My friend fell off a cliff while hiking, hit his head, and was pronounced dead at the hospital. As they were unplugging machines, he suddenly woke up. A nurse screamed: “He’s awake!”. He says the whole time he was conscious, lying in a pitch-black space. Then a sharp snap near his ear and he was back.”
12
I Drowned. What I Found Was... Nothing.
“At twelve, I drowned in the Gulf. The rip pulled me under. I fought, then breathed water and everything stopped. No fear, no pain, just Zero. Stillness. My mom pulled me out and revived me, but that quiet place stayed.”
13
A Woman in the Light Held Out Her Hand
“A friend overdosed and was declared dead for minutes. He saw a bright white space with a dark tree and a shadowed woman who made him feel happy. She offered her hand, but he chose not to go. After waking, he turned from a casual Catholic into someone devoted to helping others.”
14
Darkness, Demons and Grandma’s Hand
“During open-heart surgery, my dad’s heart was stopped for 20–30 minutes. While “dead,” he found himself in a dark place, chased by terrifying, deformed figures. Cornered, his late grandmother appeared and saved him. He’s convinced he was in h*ll.”
15
Near Death at 7...
"At 7, unsure if unconscious or dead, I saw a light grow and then, oddly, Ed, Edd & Eddy appeared dancing with music. Really weird, but I swear that’s what I remember.”
16
My Body Panicked. My Brain Made Peace.
“There’s a point where your body can’t contain the amount of panic it’s experiencing and you shift to an eerie resignation and acceptance.”
17
She Died on the Table. But All She Remembers Is a Field of Flowers
“My mom's heart stopped during surgery. She said the only thing she remembers is being in a field of flowers.”
18
It Was Just Sleep Until the Hospital Lights Brought Me Screaming Back
“It felt like deep sleep, nothing at all until resuscitation hit. Then, boom!, the sharpest gasp of pain as my eyes burned from hospital lights. I saw masked nurses and doctors holding me down, manic and gasping, trying not to rip out my IV.”
19
15 Minutes of Cardiac Arrest… and He Called It the Most Peaceful Time of His Life
“My football coach had a 15-minute cardiac arrest on the field. When he came back, he said he remembered nothing; no amnesia, just pure emptiness. He called it the most peaceful moment of his life.”
20
Almost Died Because I Wanted to Swim Through a Cool Tree
“My d*mb*ss almost drown because I was trying to swim through a narrow gap under a fallen tree because I thought it would be cool.”
21
He Spoke to Me Before the Paramedics Arrived
“I was ejected from a car and lost consciousness. When I woke, a man told me everyone survived, he arrived before paramedics. Seeing him hit me with the strongest déjà vu ever, like I’d known him before.”
22
Choked on Gum in Class. Woke Up Chewing It Again.
“I just woke up on the floor, coughed, then continued to chew on the piece of gum that had until the cough been lodged in my esophagus. My professor stopped sweating and was glad he wasn't going to have to fill out excessive paperwork, or do CPR.”
23
Peaceful… Until I Remembered to Swim Sideways
“Caught in a rip tide at night, I swam until exhaustion, drifting farther out than ever before. I felt calm, peaceful, ready to let go, sensing every touch of the water. Then I realized swimming sideways worked. I made it to shore, spent hours puking saltwater and in shock, but I survived.”
24
I Was 4. I Fell. Cracked Skull, Spine… and a 5-Minute Paralysis
“At 4, I fell off my back porch from the railing, landed on my head. For 5 minutes, I was paralyzed, couldn’t even scream. Crawled around in pain until my limbs started moving again, then blacked out. Woke up hours later in the hospital with a cracked skull and spine.”
25
Half My Body Was Through the Railing
“At 5, on a NYC skyscraper, I tried to squeeze between the railing panels, even took off my jacket to fit better, didn't see the danger. My dad caught me with my leg, arm, and torso halfway through and yanked me back.”
26
My Brain Let Go. My Body Refused to Die.
“It was weird. My body was doing everything it could to get me out of the situation, but my brain accepted that I was going to die and I was at peace with it. It was a weird disconnect. Luckily my body succeeded.”
27
The Calm Came First… Then the Water Hit My Lungs
“I was drowning. Sheer panic followed by calm, then painful discomfort and more panic as the water entered my lungs. I don't remember much after that as I blacked out moments later (next thing I remember was someone performing CPR on me).”
28
I Floated Above My Body
“I was bleeding internally and 'died' on the way to the ER. I was very calm and floated out of my body. I could see myself being resuscitated.”
29
I Started Breathing Underwater. Then I Woke Up Beside the Pool.
“A kid almost drowned me once. He held my head under water. Eventually I got tunnel vision and started to try and breathe even though I was under water. Everything went back and I woke up next to the pool with my brother standing over me.”
30
Something Held Me Back… Right Before the Mirror Clipped My Nose
“When I was 8, I almost stepped into the street. A motorcycle sped past at around 60 mph, its mirror grazed my nose. One more step and I would've been done. Something held me back.”