What exactly takes place just before we die has been a subject of intrigue for a long time. Some people describe a light at the end of the tunnel or hearing voices, while others recall a montage of memories similar to an Instagram highlight reel.
Many individuals who have experienced near-death situations have shared their experiences, providing insight into their feelings and visions. Among them is an American named Jose Hernandez, who identified as a ‘true atheist’ until a near-death experience in a hospital made him reconsider his beliefs.
In a discussion with the Shaman Oaks YouTube channel, Hernandez recounted an incident that profoundly affected him. It began with what seemed like a routine task, changing electrical wires as part of his engineering job.
Hernandez explained to Shaman Oaks: “When I had my experience I was a true Atheist. I am an engineer. I was up on a bucket truck running some electrical lines.
“We were running late. The guy that was with me, my partner, was more worried about electrocuting me up on top, so he was more worried looking up and he just kind of bumped into a tree. I hit the bucket and I broke all my ribs […] on my right side and I was sent to an emergency room.”
While at the hospital, Hernandez stopped breathing, prompting medical staff to act swiftly to try to revive him.
He recalled: “I started thinking about god, saying, ‘If you get me through this event I will change’.”
It was at this moment Hernandez reported seeing spirits as he struggled for his life.
He further explained: “And then I noticed this shadow, by the door. And it just stood there. Then I started thinking ‘you know what, I’ve had such a hard and difficult life, maybe it’s okay to let go.’
“I kinda said it’s okay to die. And the minute I said that, or thought that, the shadow just moved.”
“In my mind I could see its hand reaching out to me, and it just touched my toe. And the minute it touched my toe I just felt this tremendous sense of relief, and relaxation, peace and love and calm. I was in bliss.”
Hernandez claimed that he observed medical staff performing CPR on him while the ‘shadow’ continued to communicate with him.
“Then I found myself being lifted into the corner of the room. And I was observing the effort by the CPR team that was trying to save my life.
“I heard the voice next to be say ‘think of the your body as a car, and that car has life five million miles on it, and there’s nothing we can do to fix it anymore. So you have to now say goodbye to your body.
“And then the voice said to me ‘okay it’s time for us to move on.'”
Following an experience of ‘falling’ into a black void, Hernandez revealed that he encountered his late father, which he believed was in a heavenly realm.
He added: “When I met my dad on the other side, I realised that sometimes we may not be able to say something here, [but] we’re gonna be able to say it somewhere else.”
Near-death experiences (NDEs) are common among individuals who come close to dying or need resuscitation. The imagery like a light at the end of a tunnel is often cited as evidence of consciousness beyond life, although medical experts offer different interpretations.
In an article for the Irish Times, Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry William Reville suggests that NDEs might illustrate the brain’s activity during oxygen deprivation.
Reville explains: “NDE reports of light at the end of a dark tunnel could simply reflect oxygen levels falling in the retina, starting at the periphery and moving inwards towards the centre, producing tunnel vision.”