Dr. Mary Neal was a spinal surgeon and mother of four, grounded in science and reason—until a tragic kayaking accident in Chile in 1999 changed everything. Her boat became trapped under a waterfall, pinning her underwater for nearly 30 minutes. As her lungs filled and her heart stopped, she prayed and surrendered, experiencing an overwhelming sense of peace.

Instead of fading away, Dr. Neal felt more alive than ever. She watched her body from above as her friends tried to revive her, while radiant beings greeted her with love and joy. They walked with her through a forest filled with light and peace. In a powerful life review, she saw her past through others’ eyes and felt their emotions, gaining profound understanding and compassion.

Just as she approached a glowing, heavenly structure, the beings gently stopped her. They told her it wasn’t her time and warned her that her oldest son, Willie, would die before adulthood. She returned to life, deeply changed but unsure how to speak of what she’d experienced. Years later, on the day she finished writing about her near-death journey, she received news that Willie had died in an accident just days after turning 18.

Though devastated, Dr. Neal also felt a deep, unshakable joy. She believed Willie had been lovingly received into the same presence she once felt. Her story, echoed by others with similar experiences, challenges what we know about life, death, and consciousness and invites us to consider that there may be far more beyond this world than we ever imagined.