Subtitle: Part 2 of a two-part series on NDEs from a Biblical Christian worldview.

Excerpt: The article explores near-death experiences (NDEs) from a Biblical Christian perspective, presenting evidence of their reality through various cases. These include verifiable out-of-body experiences, vivid NDEs despite blindness, and accurate recollections during resuscitation.

Author: Jeff Hilles

Part one of this series on Near-Death Experiences focused on the background and theological underpinnings of NDEs. In this second part, we will touch on evidence that suggests NDEs are real.

The “Maria and the Shoe” Story

The story of Maria is a well-known account in near-death experience (NDE) research, often cited because it includes a claim of verifiable perception during an apparent out-of-body experience. Maria was a hospitalized patient who suffered a cardiac arrest and was later resuscitated. During recovery, she told staff that while she was unconscious, she felt herself leave her body and float outside the hospital building.

Maria reported seeing a tennis shoe on a window ledge several floors above the ground. She described specific details, including the shoe’s style, color, and that one shoelace was tucked under the heel. At the time, Kimberly Clark Sharp, a hospital social worker, heard the account and initially doubted it. Curious, she searched the exterior of the hospital and later stated that she found a shoe on a window ledge matching Maria’s description. According to Sharp, the shoe was not visible from Maria’s room or from normal interior viewpoints, and Maria was not physically capable of seeing it beforehand.

Supporters argue that the case suggests awareness beyond the body. Skeptics note that the evidence relies mainly on personal testimony, with no photographs or contemporaneous documentation. As a result, the case is considered intriguing but not conclusive, remaining one of the most debated stories in NDE literature.

The NDE of Vicki—blind from birth

Vicki Noratuk was blind from birth due to underdeveloped optic nerves. In her early 20s, she was involved in a severe car accident and experienced a near-death experience while unconscious.

During the episode, Vicki reported a vivid out-of-body experience in which she perceived herself above the scene. Most strikingly, she said she could see clearly for the first time. She accurately described visual details of the accident scene, including the car, surrounding environment, and medical personnel working on her body. She also described seeing herself from above and recognizing objects and spatial relationships she had never experienced through vision before.

Vicki further reported encountering deceased relatives and experiencing an overwhelming sense of peace and clarity. After being revived, she returned to her lifelong blindness but said the experience felt more real than ordinary consciousness.

Her case is frequently cited because it challenges explanations that rely solely on visual memory or imagination, since she lacked prior visual experience.

The Lancet NDE case of the misplaced dentures

A frequently cited medical near-death experience was reported in The Lancet by Dutch cardiologist Pim van Lommel. The case involved a man admitted to a hospital after a cardiac arrest. He was found unconscious and not breathing and was successfully resuscitated but remained in a deep coma.

During emergency treatment, a nurse removed the patient’s dentures and placed them in a drawer of a crash cart. Days later, after regaining consciousness, the patient surprised staff by calmly describing the resuscitation room and accurately stating who had removed his dentures and exactly where they were stored. He even identified the drawer location.

According to the medical staff, the patient had been clinically unconscious at the time, with no detectable awareness. The nurse later confirmed the details were correct.

Supporters argue the case suggests conscious perception during unconsciousness. Skeptics point to memory reconstruction or incomplete monitoring. Nevertheless, because it was documented by medical professionals and published in The Lancet, it remains one of the most discussed NDE cases in clinical literature.

A seven-year-old girl rescued from a swimming pool

A widely cited near-death experience involves a seven-year-old girl who was found floating face down in a swimming pool, unconscious and not breathing. After being rescued and resuscitated, she later described an experience that occurred while she was clinically unresponsive. She said she felt herself leave her body and observed the scene from above, including adults working urgently to save her. She then reported entering a peaceful, light-filled realm and encountering loving presences, sometimes described as deceased relatives or spiritual beings. She felt safe and unwilling to return but was told she had to go back. After recovery, she retained vivid memories and showed lasting changes, including reduced fear of death and increased spiritual awareness.

Five-year-old Rick’s NDE

A well-known pediatric NDE account involves 5-year-old Rick, who nearly drowned and was resuscitated. During the episode, he reported leaving his body and seeing a 12-year-old girl nearby whom he did not recognize. Later, Rick identified the girl as someone who had recently died in the same area—information he had not been told and could not have known. The girl was described as calm and reassuring. The case is often cited because it involves an apparently accurate identification of a deceased child, reported by a young witness with no prior exposure to the information.

A brother she did not know existed

A frequently cited near-death account involves a young girl undergoing open-heart surgery who experienced an NDE while deeply anesthetized. During the episode, she reported leaving her body and entering a peaceful realm where she encountered a boy she recognized as her brother, even though she believed she was an only child. After recovery, she described the boy’s appearance and felt a strong familial connection. When she later told her parents, they were shocked—years earlier, they had lost a son who died before she was born, a fact they had never shared with her. The description reportedly matched the deceased child. Supporters see the case as suggestive of knowledge gained beyond normal means.

Rietje in a coma from meningitis

Rietje was a young girl in the Netherlands who became critically ill with meningitis and fell into a deep coma. During this period, doctors believed she was close to death. After unexpectedly recovering, Rietje described a vivid near-death experience that she said occurred while she was unconscious.

She reported leaving her body and becoming aware of events around her, followed by entering a bright, peaceful realm filled with warmth and love. Rietje said she encountered deceased relatives, including family members she recognized and felt deeply connected to, despite having little or no prior knowledge of them. Communication was described as immediate and nonverbal, accompanied by a sense of complete understanding and safety.

She also reported being told she must return to life. After awakening, she recovered fully. The experience left her with a lasting loss of fear of death and a strong sense that life continues beyond physical death. Her case is often cited in discussions of childhood NDEs because of its clarity and emotional consistency.

Mary and the hidden sticker on the fan

Mary was hospitalized at Memorial Hospital in London with severe internal bleeding and was believed to be dying. As her condition deteriorated, she lost consciousness and later reported a near-death experience. She said she left her body and observed the hospital room from above, watching doctors and nurses working urgently.

While hovering near the ceiling, Mary noticed a fan mounted high on the wall and specifically observed a small red label on the top of the fan, a detail she found curious. She later reported this observation after recovering, and hospital staff confirmed that the fan did indeed have a red label positioned where it would not normally be visible from a patient’s bed.

Mary then described entering a peaceful, light-filled state marked by calm, clarity, and a sense of love. She felt it was not yet her time and returned to her body, eventually recovering.

Conclusion

These are just a few of the thousands of examples of near-death experiences recorded by doctors, nurses, and other caregivers who deal with patients on a regular basis. Most NDEs are positive in nature. However, studies involving 1369 subjects revealed that 23% had disturbing or terrifying experiences.

There is a supernatural world just as there is a natural one. Regardless of one’s belief in NDEs, there will be a resurrection of all of mankind.

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, - Hebrews 9:27

Many who come back from NDEs see life on earth as a time to make peace with God.

Scripture does not specifically address NDEs, but in Isaiah 6:1-8 and Ezekiel 1:1-28 the prophets describe visions that are similar to the experiences of those that come back from a near death. In Luke 16:19-31, among others, Jesus does describe a conscious existence after death where we will recognize others in Heaven, for those who are saved. In 1 Kings 17:17-24 and Luke 8:49-56 people are restored back to life, and the Bible also makes clear that we all will be resurrected at the end of the ages, some to eternal life with the Lord and some to eternal death.

Having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust. - Acts 24:15