I died for eight minutes... my encounter proves the soul never dies
She died for eight minutes, no pulse, no breath, and no brain activity, and then came back to life with a chilling, vivid story about death.
Brianna Lafferty, a 33-year-old woman from Colorado, was battling a life-threatening neurological disorder when, as she describes it, her body simply 'gave up.'
She was pronounced clinically dead, but according to her, her consciousness did not die with her.
'Death is an illusion because our soul never dies. Our consciousness remains alive. And our very essence simply transforms,' Lafferty said.
'I did not see or remember my human self. I was completely still, yet I felt fully alive, aware, and more myself than ever before.'
Lafferty suffers from myoclonus dystonia, a rare neurological condition that causes involuntary muscle jerks and can disrupt bodily functions. During one of her medical crises, she flatlined.
Before she lost full physical awareness, she said she heard a voice asking if she was ready, then everything went dark.
What happened next, she said, defies scientific explanation. She described her soul 'floating' above her lifeless body and entering a realm where time did not exist.
Near-death experiences (NDEs) are complex and not fully understood, but scientific research suggests they are likely neurological phenomena arising from specific brain activity during moments of critical illness or near-death.
While various theories exist, a key aspect involves the brain's continued activity, even after the heart stops, potentially leading to altered states of consciousness and vivid perceptions.
But Lafferty is sure she died, experienced life after death and returned to the world of the living.
'I was suddenly separated from my physical body,' Lafferty said.
'There was no pain, just a deep sense of peace and clarity. This detachment from my physical form made me realize how temporary and fragile our human experience is.'
She also claimed that she noticed something extraordinary, her thoughts began to shape her surroundings in the afterlife.
'My thoughts instantly materialized,' said Lafferty. 'I realized that our thoughts shape reality there, it just takes time, which is a blessing.'
After she was revived, Lafferty had to relearn how to walk and speak.
She underwent experimental brain surgery to treat damage to her pituitary gland.
Though she fears the possibility of another near-death experience, she no longer fears death itself.
'It changed the course of my life,' she said. 'What I feared no longer had power over me, and what I used to chase didn't seem important anymore.'
Though her account is deeply personal, it resonates with findings from a recent study that suggests awareness may persist long after the heart stops.
Researchers across 25 hospitals in the US, UK, and Bulgaria tracked 567 patients who suffered cardiac arrest in hospital settings.
The study, published in Resuscitation, used EEG monitors to measure brain wave activity during CPR.
Nearly 40 percent of the patients monitored during resuscitation showed signs of brain activity associated with consciousness, some as long as 60 minutes after their hearts had stopped.
Dr Sam Parnia, the study's lead author and director of critical care and resuscitation research at New York University (NYU) Langone, said the findings may offer a glimpse into what happens as we die.
'These experiences provide a glimpse into a real, yet little-understood dimension of human consciousness that becomes uncovered with death,' Parnia said.
In one case, a woman believed she was being tortured in hell as a nurse inserted an IV, a traumatic, semi-conscious moment that may have been interpreted through a haze of near-death awareness.
Lafferty described a similarly surreal experience as she encountered 'other beings' that didn't seem human but felt oddly familiar.
She also described the presence of a 'higher intelligence' watching over her with what she called 'unconditional love,' a moment that altered her perception of life and death.
'There's a presence, or intelligence, higher than ourselves that guides and watches over us with unconditional love,' she said.
The NYU-led study is among the strongest scientific evidence yet that consciousness may persist after clinical death, and that memory, perception, and awareness do not necessarily stop the moment the heart does.
As for Lafferty, the experience left her with a sense of clarity, and a belief that life's pain has meaning.
'I feel empowered and trust life's events, especially the hard ones,' she said. 'Everything happens for a reason.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
32 minutes ago
- The Independent
1.7 million eggs recalled over Salmonella fears
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the recall of 1.7 million eggs due to potential Salmonella contamination. California-based August Egg Company of Hilmar is initiating the recall of brown cage-free and brown certified organic eggs distributed in nine states. The eggs were distributed from February 3 through May 15 in California and Nevada, and from February 3 through May 6 to Walmart locations in California, Washington, Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, New Mexico, Nebraska, Indiana, and Illinois. Recalled eggs have plant code numbers P-6562 or CA5330 and Julian Dates between 32 and 126 printed on the carton. Salmonella infection can cause fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and bloody diarrhea, and can be serious or fatal in young children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.
The Independent
32 minutes ago
- The Independent
Video shows dolphin calf birth and first breath at Chicago zoo. Mom's friend helped
A bottlenose dolphin at a Chicago zoo gave birth to a calf early Saturday morning with the help of a fellow mom, in a successful birth recorded on video by zoo staff. The dolphin calf was born at Brookfield Zoo Chicago early Saturday morning as a team of veterinarians monitored and cheered on the mom, a 38-year-old bottlenose dolphin named Allie. 'Push, push, push,' one observer can be heard shouting in video released by the zoo Saturday, as Allie swims around the tank, the calf's little tail fins poking out below her own. Then the calf wriggles free and instinctively darts to the surface of the pool for its first breath. Also in the tank was an experienced mother dolphin named Tapeko, 43, who stayed close to Allie through her more than one hour of labor. In the video, she can be seen following the calf as it heads to the surface, and staying with it as it takes that first breath. It is natural for dolphins to look out for each other during a birth, zoo staff said. 'That's very common both in free-ranging settings but also in aquaria,' said Brookfield Zoo Chicago Senior Veterinarian Dr. Jennifer Langan in a video statement. 'It provides the mom extra protection and a little bit of extra help to help get the calf to the surface to help it breath in those couple minutes where she's still having really strong contractions.' In a written statement, zoo officials said early signs indicate that the calf is in good health. They estimate it weighs around 35 pounds (16 kilograms) and stretches nearly four feet in length (115-120 centimeters). That is about the weight and length of an adult golden retriever dog. The zoo's Seven Seas exhibit will be closed as the calf bonds with its mother and acclimates with other dolphins in its group. As part of that bonding, the calf has already learned to slipstream, or draft alongside its mother so that it doesn't have to work as hard to move. Veterinarians will monitor progress in nursing, swimming and other milestones particularly closely over the next 30 days. The calf will eventually take a paternity test to see which of the male dolphins at the zoo is its father. Zoo officials say they will name the calf later this summer.
The Independent
4 hours ago
- The Independent
Salmonella outbreak tied to eggs sickens dozens across 7 states
A salmonella outbreak linked to a large egg recall has made dozens of people sick in seven states in the West and Midwest, federal health officials said Saturday. The August Egg Company recalled about 1.7 million brown organic and brown cage-free egg varieties distributed to grocery stores between February and May because of the potential for salmonella, according to a posted announcement Friday on the Food and Drug Administration's website. At least 79 people in seven states have gotten a strain of salmonella that was linked to the eggs, and 21 people have been hospitalized. the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The recall covers Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Washington and Wyoming. A list of brands and plant codes or Julian dates can be found on the FDA and CDC websites. Symptoms of salmonella poisoning include diarrhea, fever, severe vomiting, dehydration and stomach cramps. Most people who get sick recover within a week. Infections can be severe in young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems, who may require hospitalization. The CDC advises people to throw away recalled eggs or return them to the store where they were purchased. Consumers should also wash and disinfect any surfaces that came in contact with the eggs. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
