A guy who was clinically dead for 10 minutes answered the question humanity has been pondering for thousands of years, by describing what happened when he died.
There are a lot of theories about what happens to us when we die. Some believe we head straight for the pearly gates or a bright white light, or, for the less fortunate, to firey depths of despair. Others think we come back, reincarnated, to live out a whole other life.
While everyone has their own expectation, one 21-year-old Redditor, who goes by u/luongscrim, was able to form an opinion based off his own experience.
Luongscrim took to an ‘ask me anything’ thread yesterday, where he explained that following a sudden cardiac arrest two years ago, on July 3, 2017, he experienced ‘clinical death’.
Of course, one question which quickly popped up was ‘what did you experience during the time that you were dead?’
For luongscrim, the answer was simple: nothingness.
He explained:
There were no God(s), spirit(s), deceased loved ones, memories, thoughts, not even blackness. . . . Just nothingness.
To say I experienced nothingness is an understatement, because it’s like it didn’t even happen. I was conscious one moment and the next I wasn’t. Then I was conscious again.
It’s like several hours had passed that I wasn’t even aware of.
The Redditor felt so disconnected from the experience that he likened it to a scene being cut from a film.
He expanded:
Like a cut is filmed, but it’s not in the movie.
And my death happened, but it was like it wasn’t apart of me.
However, although he didn’t experience any kind of afterlife, the 21-year-old still believes there could be something more.
Luongscrim continued:
I believe that maybe I just wasn’t ready to experience or see the “after life.” Or maybe that human brains are incapable of comprehending and experiencing what “comes next.”
Or maybe I believe that, because I have to, in order to go on with my life.
The 21-year-old went on to say that he had a different outlook on life after he recovered, as the experience made him contemplate life, love, death, and himself. He was made to see what is truly important in life, and works to value those things every day.
He added:
I am not completely certain if I am afraid of death or the thought that nothing comes after death. I think I just value life, appreciate, and am a lot more grateful.
The experience is certainly an intriguing one; even though it’s one we aim to avoid!
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.