A man who was clinically dead for approximately 45 minutes before being revived has shared his account of what he observed in the ‘afterlife’.
Over twenty years ago, Vincent Tolman, a former bodybuilder, reported experiencing a vision of heaven after slipping into a coma caused by supplements he and a friend had acquired online.
On January 18, 2003, Tolman lost consciousness and entered an unusual state where he watched himself lying on the ground.
Describing the intense and transformative near-death experience, Tolman stated: “They believe I was dead for at least 30 to 45 minutes before they discovered me, and I was cold to the touch.
“At that time, I was an amateur bodybuilder experimenting with a relatively new supplement. Unfortunately, it was toxic, leading me to aspirate in a public bathroom.
“I lost consciousness, began to vomit, aspirated on it, and died on the bathroom floor.”
Suddenly, Tolman described being transported to a ‘very comfortable movie chair’ where he watched his death unfold as if in a theater.
He continued, “The scene on the screen was this body on the ground, and I viewed everything from above. Oddly, it didn’t feel like me at all. Even while seeing my own dead body, it was unrecognizable.
“It was almost like watching a real movie where someone is dressed like you and resembles you, but you sense it’s not you because you’re watching from the audience – that’s how it felt.”
“So I didn’t realize I was watching my own death at first.”
The detachment was so intense that he began to question the ‘director’s’ choices in the ‘movie’ – noting his background in film and TV, he was puzzled by the inclusion of everyone’s thoughts in the restaurant, even the cook’s.
This telepathic awareness felt exaggerated, bizarre, and artistically lacking, emphasizing the surreal, cinematic nature of the experience.
Tolman claims to have observed the medics placing his body into a bag and heard one paramedic’s thoughts in the ambulance.
“While he did that, I saw light emanating from this rookie medic,” he recounted.
“It was as if a light bulb was placed inside his shirt, with light emerging from his heart space.
Suddenly, an authoritative voice declared, ‘this one’s not dead.’
Urged by this profound feeling, the medic deviated from protocol, unzipped the body bag, and searched for life signs. He didn’t find a pulse, but detected a faint spark near Tolman’s inner thigh, prompting resuscitation attempts.
As his body reached the hospital, Tolman started feeling straps being fastened on his arms. Still in his observer state, he was perplexed by the sensation of physical restraint.
This was the moment Tolman realized that the ‘movie’ was centered on his own body.