A person recounted an experience where their friend, who had flatlined for three minutes, described a vision of what they believed hell to be. This account challenges typical perceptions of the afterlife.
There are numerous perspectives on what occurs after death, each varying greatly in concept.
In Hinduism, it is believed that upon death, a person’s soul undergoes reincarnation, inhabiting a new body for another life journey.
Conversely, Christianity posits that after death, individuals either ascend to heaven or are condemned to eternal punishment in hell.
Yet, a Reddit user’s account suggests a different, colder afterlife experience for their friend.
Replying to the query, ‘People who legally died for a few minutes and came back, what was it like?’, the user shared that their friend experienced a brief glimpse of the afterlife following a medical emergency.
The friend had suffered a stroke due to a drug overdose and was on his way to the hospital when his heart stopped, leading to a declaration of clinical death.
Remarkably, he revived just three minutes later and eventually made a full recovery.
“He remembers the stroke and being wheeled to the ambulance on a stretcher,” the Redditor reported.
“Then he felt like he was floating under ice cold water, and it was dark, but he wasn’t really thinking or feeling anything emotionally, just existing and knowing it was very, very cold and he couldn’t see.
“Then he woke up, and the EMTs were kind of freaked out because his heart had stopped long enough that they figured he was done.”
The man believed he had a preview of hell, but without suffering, during his brief period of death.
“Like a toned-down preview, and thought it was a warning for him to change his life,” the user reflected. “Sadly he didn’t stay clean for long.”
Other individuals have reported similar experiences of ‘hell’, with one user recalling a dream their mother had of being surrounded by flames and screaming, which she took as a sign of impending damnation. She has since improved her life.
Some suggest that the cold sensation is a more accurate depiction of hell.
“You’re alone in the dark, aware of being alone in the dark, for eternity. No fire, no demons torturing you. Just – eternal darkness and the awareness that you’re alone.”
Others propose a scientific explanation, suggesting that the friend was simply experiencing basic sensory perception as the brain utilized its last energy reserves.
“His brain processing the last few moments of life with the remaining energy available the best it could. The miracle is that he woke up, not what he experienced while DOA.”