When the Mail serialised a book by neurosurgeon Dr Eben Alexander, in which he wrote about his fervent belief that he had seen the afterlife while in a coma, hundreds of readers wrote to say that his writings were uncannily in line with their own experiences. Here we share some of their stories.
MY DEAD AUNT SAVED ME FROM DROWNING
Sharon Joseph, 73, from Brighton, said:
Sharon Joseph’s Aunt Mary died of tuberculosis when Sharon was four. She finds the memory of her strangely comforting.
In the summer of 1959, when I was seven, my family joined my uncle David and his three sons for our annual holiday to Hayling Island, off the coast of Hampshire.
Uncle David was a bit of a daredevil and that year he decided it would be fun to take me swimming at high tide when the waves were crashing against the harbour wall.
He told me he would hold me tight and put his arms around me after we ran laughing into the sea. But within seconds, a huge wave knocked us to the ground.
Sharon’s aunt had been unable to have children of her own, and she loved Sharon so much that she wanted to adopt her.
I remember the force of the water that rushed through my uncle’s arms and separated us. The next thing I knew, I was at the bottom of the sea, looking around.
What has always struck me since then is that I didn’t feel afraid. It was beautiful down there, full of plants and colours, and I paddled along the bottom calmly, like a dog, taking it all in.
It was then that I saw a figure approaching me in the water: slender but shapely and beautiful, like a Greek goddess. I felt like she was going to take me somewhere, but instead she gently shook her finger at me to say no and walked away.
The next moment I remember my uncle picking me up and taking me to the sand, where my mother was crying hysterically.
I only found out later that I had been missing for seven minutes; to this day I have no idea how I survived so long without breathing.
I didn’t mention the lady: my mother was already quite traumatized and I didn’t want to upset her any further. But the experience changed me profoundly. For many years I felt older than my peers, as if I was in possession of profound knowledge.
A few years later, when I was 13, I was looking through a family album of black and white photographs when I saw the face of the lady in the sea.
It was my Aunt Mary, the wife of my father’s brother Derek, who had died of tuberculosis when I was four. She had been unable to have children of her own and she loved me so much that she wanted to adopt me.
Still, I kept what had happened to me to myself, and only told my ex-husband many years later.
I’ve always found this to be a strangely comforting memory. I don’t know if our loved ones are waiting for us when we die, but I do know that when we die on Earth, it’s not the end.
MY LATE GRANDFATHER REVEALED A NEW WORLD TO ME
Hollie Beattie, 47, from London, said:
Hollie Beattie had a vision of her late paternal grandfather William after fainting.
One night in Italy several years ago, I was visiting a friend and her boyfriend. We were chatting and drinking wine when I got up to go to the bathroom.
I remember turning on the light and hearing a loud noise. Later, I found out it was the sound my body made when it fell to the floor and hit a metal container under the sink. I had passed out.
Suddenly I realized that I was taking a step to the left and I was in another place, and there, in front of me, was my late paternal grandfather, William.
Hollie wasn’t particularly close with her grandfather and was shocked to see him, but felt an overwhelming sense of love.
We weren’t particularly close and I was surprised to see him, but there was a feeling of love that was overwhelming. He took me under his arm and began to show me around. There were fields and houses and people, so far everything normal, but the feeling of peace, of coming home, was indescribable. Then I heard a voice say, “You’re not going to remember this,” and I felt myself falling back into my body.
When I came to, I was lying on the bathroom floor, looking at my friend and her boyfriend, who were screaming frantically.
They came into the bathroom and found me unconscious and not breathing, and they gave me mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. They were desperate to get me to the hospital, but I was so nervous that I refused.
Although Hollie is still unsure if there is life after death, this has helped her think that there is some kind of beautiful ending.
I remember shaking with fear. Even though that place had been quiet while I was there, I didn’t want to go back there.
That feeling stayed with me for a while, but now, as time has passed, I feel more at peace about it.
Although I’m still not sure if there is life after death, it has helped me think that there is some kind of beautiful ending.
A SPIRIT PREDICTED GRANDMOTHER’S DEATH
Ruby FitzGerald, 51, a full-time mother, said:
Ruby Fitzgerald dreamed about her grandfather, who gave her a message to pass on to her grandmother.
When I was 20, I had an experience that affected me deeply and that has stayed with me to this day. I was living at home with my mother, Elizabeth. My grandmother, Barbara, who had been living with us since my grandfather had passed away seven years earlier, had recently moved into a nursing home.
One night I had a dream about my grandmother and grandfather. I was standing on a beach in Worthing, West Sussex, where we lived, and there, appearing from the right of my field of vision, was my grandfather, wearing the typical green V-neck T-shirt and smart shirt he always wore.
I was so happy to see him, even though he looked very serious, and then my grandmother appeared from the right and hugged him. I said, “Grandma, look! It’s Grandpa! How amazing is this?”
My grandfather looked at me and told me that in the morning I had to tell my mother that grandma was going to die very soon and that I had to prepare for it.
Then they both turned around, arm in arm, and walked together for several steps along the pebble beach.
I started to follow them so I could talk a little more with my grandfather, but he turned around and told me to stop and go back to tell my mother what he had asked me.
When I woke up, even though I didn’t want to bother Mom, I knew I had to give her the message. I told her that I had seen Grandpa and that he had told me that Grandma was going to die soon and that Mom needed to be prepared. Of course, Mom didn’t think much of it (she thought it was just a dream), but I knew that she had experienced something different.
Three weeks later we received a phone call saying that Grandma had passed away due to complications that no one knew about.
I was sad, of course, but I was comforted by the conviction that my grandfather had warned me. I have always been very spiritual, but now I don’t even doubt that when I die it will not be the end of my journey.
GUIDED TO MOM BY A BRIGHT LIGHT
Jenny Ryall, 63, from Glasgow, said:
My mother, Joan, and I were incredibly close. When she died in January 1998, after a series of strokes that left her with vascular dementia and pneumonia, I had a hard time coping with my loss. I sometimes wondered if I would ever fully get over it.
Jenny Ryall was incredibly close to her mother Joan and struggled to cope with the loss when Joan died after a series of strokes.
As the first anniversary of her death approached, I took comfort in the thought that I had a ski holiday booked with friends. However, on the anniversary itself, despite the warmth and company of those friends, the loss of my mother hit me deeply.
I felt so empty that I went to bed early, absolutely helpless.
The next morning, before I woke up, I had what I can only describe as a very vibrant dream. Over time I realized that it was much more than that.
I became aware of a great light and a voice—unspoken but somehow perceived—telling me that I was going to see my mother and then I should go on and live my life and allow her to go on as well.
On the anniversary of her mother’s death, Jenny had a vibrant dream telling her that she was going to see her mother.
I was led through a door into a room with an incredibly bright, uplifting light, so bright it was blinding, but I knew Mom was there because I felt the most incredible, unconditional love, of a kind greater than anything I have ever felt on Earth, before or since.
It was an intense experience, and when I woke up, I felt a renewed peace. I felt like my mother had given me the freedom to move forward.
From that day on I was able to look ahead and begin planning for the future, helped by the feeling that Mom was with me.
Unlike a dream, which evaporates over time, the experience has stayed with me, it has grown stronger. I feel that, in her own way, Mom is guiding me and I will see her again, and that gives me enormous comfort.
- This article was originally published in November 2014.