Filling in for George, Richard Syrett welcomed Epoch Times reporter Tara MacIssac, who discussed the latest research on near-death experiences (NDEs). She spoke about critical care physician Dr. Sam Parnia and the AWARE study, which investigates out-of-body claims by using hidden targets that can only be seen from above a patient's physical location. "There hasn't been a really strong case out of that AWARE study... that shows that a person saw that specific target and reported it afterwards," MacIssac reported, noting some obstacles affecting the project. NDEs are rare and people having such profound experiences may not be in a state to notice these targets, she suggested. Nonetheless, there are people who have reported seeing things outside of their bodies that were later verified (related article), MacIssac added.
She detailed the remarkable case of Pam Reynolds, who underwent a unique procedure to treat a brain aneurysm that lowered her vitals until she was essentially clinically dead. During the operation she supposedly heard a surgeon talk about the size of her artery, MacIssac explained, pointing out Reynolds had molded ear plugs with speakers in her ears and could not hear what was going on in the operating room. Another interesting case involved a migrant worker who had a heart attack while visiting in Seattle. She claimed to have floated outside the hospital and saw a tennis shoe on a ledge, MacIssac revealed. The woman described the shoe in great detail and her story was confirmed when hospital staff recovered it, she noted. MacIssac also shared the findings of NDE researcher Dr. Jan Holden, who found 92% of apparent cases (where details can be verified) are accurate and only 1 in 93 cases are completely erroneous.
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During Open Lines, several callers recounted their own near-death experiences. Eddie in Los Angeles, recalled details of an NDE he had five years ago after being struck in the head with a heavy metal object. Eddie described traveling through a memory tunnel, receiving a life review, and meeting with deceased relatives who told him to return to his body. Eddie credited the experience with changing his life for the better. Gregory from Shreveport, Louisiana, shared an NDE account that occurred after he was shot twice and taken by ambulance to a hospital. He remembered watching doctors rush into his room, roll his bed out and down the hallway, and a kid on a bench telling him he was dead. Gregory said he met with his deceased grandmother who told him to go back.
Margarete, a member of the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS) in Mesa, Arizona, phoned in to tell Richard about her lightning experience. Margarete said she was standing in front of a window with a screwdriver in hand when lightning hit the property. According to Margarete, the electrical bolt traveled through the window and struck her, burning her skin wherever she had jewelry. "It welded metal cabinets in the kitchen, and it blew all of the electricity out, and it blew nails out of the garage that wasn't attached, and it finally grounded out near a big LP gas tank that luckily was empty," she said.