There are many people who believe in near death experiences. There are also those who doubt that they are real. Some people think it’s just the neurons flashing in your brain causing a hallucination, some think it’s just a dream that they wake up from. Regardless of what others believe, the person who actually experiences the near death experience are true believers and have no doubt that what they experienced is real.
One such case is from Dr. Mary Neal, a scientist who always claimed herself a Christian even though she had more doubt than faith when it came to God.
Mary grew up in a church as a child. Her parents made sure of that. As she got older, her faith turned more towards scientific fact and less on spirituality. She still agreed with the moral aspects of Christianity, but when it came to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, she was lacking.
All of that changed as God’s plan for her unfolded, making her heart do a complete 180 degree turn. It all happened when she went kayaking in Chile.
“We were kayaking on a section of river well known for its waterfalls,” the former nominal Christian scientist begins her story. “As I crested the waterfall, I knew that things were not going to go well for me.”
As Mary’s kayak went over the waterfall, it capsized and became pinned beneath eight to ten feet of raging water. The weight of the current pushed Mary into the front of the boat, where she could do nothing to free herself.
During this time, Mary experienced what she describes as a “radical shift in time and dimension.” Despite a lifetime fear of drowning, Mary found herself surprisingly at peace.
“I was being held and comforted and being reassured that everything was fine, regardless of whether I lived or died,” she recalled, also noting that she knew it was Jesus who was comforting her. “I was taken through a life review that was the first of many very profound parts of this experience for me.”
During this “life review,” Mary says she saw and understood things in a profound way, and from the perspective of all of the individuals involved in each moment they reviewed.
“I was shown the truth in God’s promise that beauty really does come from all things,” she said.
As she was talking to some beings that she assumed were angels, she could feel her body being freed and looking back she could see that CPR was being administered to her. Even though she was looking at the horrific scene below on earth, she was at total peace. God gave her life back and from that day forward, her belief and faith have been set in stone.
“The reality of God is [now] part of every breath I take,” Mary said. “And God’s presence is part of every thought that I have.”
If you would like to read her story in more detail, you can purchase her book Seven Lessons from Heaven: How Dying Taught Me to Live a Joy-Filled Life on Amazon.com.
This story syndicated with permission from My Faith News