Quite an interesting NDE with some evidential components (not all of them mentioned here). I've included everything, some may find parts of it a bit cloying but it would be unscientific to leave them out, I feel.
[The following is tim's original translation of the original article, „Ich war klinisch tot", copyright Georg Thieme Verlagsgruppe, reproduced here with the kind permission of the publisher, per emailed request. The Google Translate version of the article into English can be found here. I think you will agree that tim does a far better job than Google! --Laird]
23.09.2013
"I was clinically dead"
Christine Stein was operated on for an aortic tear. While the surgeons struggle to save her life, she has a so-called "near-death experience." In the interview, she talks about what she experienced and how the experience changed her life.
![[Image: hippocampus-christine-stein-A.jpg]](https://www.thieme.de/viostatics/bilder/vio-2/final/de/bilder/hippocampus/hippocampus-christine-stein-A.jpg)
Christine Stein
Ms. Stein, you had a serious accident when you were nineteen. What exactly happened there?
I was on my way to my work (in my car) at a kindergarten when a truck hit my driver's side with full force. It pushed my car off the road and then it toppled over onto it. Because I was trapped, the fire department had to cut me free, then I was taken immediately via helicopter to the hospital clinic. During the emergency operation, the doctors diagnosed a number of life-threatening injuries.
I had a brain compression, a cerebral hemorrhage, and a detached eye nerve. The collarbone, eight ribs and pelvis were broken. My lungs, spleen and aorta were damaged. Luckily, the doctors were able to patch me up again. But during the night, just hours after surgery, the patch on my main artery that was used to repair my injury, loosened. I was quickly operated on again and this time the bleeding was stopped.
Your condition after surgery was very critical and you were put into an artificial coma. Was your family aware that your life was in danger?
Yes, the doctors spoke very openly with my family. My relatives even arranged for a pastor to come and anoint me. The terrible thing was that everyone thought I wouldn't know this. But that was not true! I could not move or speak, but I could still hear. It was terrible not to be able to tell them that I would make it. I never thought anything different.
How long were you in the clinic?
I was in a coma for eleven days, in total I was in the clinic for almost three weeks. When I finally got home, I was only there for five days. Because on April 22, the patch on my aorta failed again. Fortunately, my best friend Kai was there at the time, a paramedic. He quickly knew what to do and also alerted the ambulance service to take me to the clinic.
In the following surgery, you were clinically dead for 23 minutes. During these minutes, you had a near-death experience. What did you experience during this?
I suddenly got up from the operating table and saw the room from above, floating as if under the ceiling. I could look into my open chest and watch the surgeon at work. After having this bird's eye view, I found myself in heaven. Scientists like to talk about the hereafter. But for me that's such a cold term and I prefer to use the word 'sky.' There, I was barefoot and I had a floor-length, light blue dress on. My grandparents approached me waving and called my name. It was the first time I had met my maternal grandparents, because both of them died very early. I immediately recognized them because in the 'sky,' they looked as they did in the last pictures taken of them on earth.
The two of them embraced me and told me they wanted to show me their realm. They took me to different places. In one place I could look down to the earth. I quickly realised that I just had to think about a certain person and I could look down on them. I then saw my family in the waiting room of the clinic worried about my life. I still get a lump in my throat when I think about what they had to go through. I wanted to tell them that I'm fine and that I'm not in pain.
Can you describe the hereafter?
The landscape is similar to the earth. But the colours were very different, there was no brown and no black, everything was very pastel. I described it in more detail in my book.
Have you also seen the light described in many near-death reports?
No, but I was surrounded by a light all the time. It was a warm, pastel-colored light that did not dazzle me.
Did you know other people in the afterlife?
I didn't know most of them, but some I did. For example, two former neighbours. They smiled at me, radiating warmth and love. To experience a feeling of love to this extent was completely new to me. I'd only known that from my family until then. You cannot imagine it, and the eyes of the two told me a lot even without words. They looked very happy and were ordinary people, not ghosts or beings of light. When my grandparents gave me a kiss on the cheek, I felt it as I would on earth.
How did the journey end?
At some point, my grandparents said that my visit was over, as I had one more mission to fulfill on Earth, which I had already begun, but which was far from finished. Then they said that we will see each other again in many years time. And then, zap, I was gone. But I don't know exactly how that happened. I was suddenly hovering over the operating table and I heard the surgeons say, "Yes, we've got this baby back again. She's doing it. These were his words and that confirmed that I was really back. My next memory I have is back in the recovery room.
Did you immediately remember the near-death experience in the recovery room?
Yes, I had the experience immediately in mind. At no time did I think that all this was just dreaming or the side effects of anaesthesia. The whole thing was too realistic for that. I knew that it was not a dream, but reality. I stayed in the hospital for a while and talked to the surgeons at some point and told them what I had experienced. At first I thought they would say "Yes, Ms. Stein, these are the side effects of anaesthesia". But both surgeons said, "Ms. Stein, we believe you, that may well be the case, we've heard that before."
Many people consider such experiences to be hocus-pocus. What do you say to the critics ?
I provide evidence to people who have doubts: When I said goodbye to my grandparents, I cried - on the one hand, I was overjoyed to be allowed to return to earth and, on the other hand, sad to have to leave my grandparents. The surgeons were able to tell me later that tears ran down my cheeks during the operation. (crying under anaesthesia is practically unheard of apparently) Everyone has to decide for themselves what they believe in and I don't want to proselytise to anyone with my experience.
Why did you want to tell the public about your near-death experience?
Some time after the accident, I began to write down my experiences, the near-death experience, and my life afterwards. I just realized that it helps me to process what happened. I never really wanted to publish the story. I figured if everyone who had an accident wrote a book about it, the bookstores would be overflowing. But then it also occurred to me that my experience could be helpful to other people. Now I have founded a publishing house myself and I distribute my book "Like an Angel - Once in heaven and back".
Do you receive much feedback about your book?
This again confirms that the accident was (an inevitable ?) part of my life. Recently, an anesthesiologist told me that she and her colleagues had successfully resuscitated a girl. Her colleagues actually wanted to give up the resuscitation attempt, but she urged them to keep going. She remembered a TV interview I'd given and made her colleagues understand that one must never give up hope and sometimes miracles really happen.
Do you still often think about the accident?
Yes, the accident was 13 years ago, but the memory is always there. This begins when I have a shower in the morning and I see all my scars. Or if I hear a helicopter or other specific noises that I associate with the accident. Sometimes a few tears will roll and I get goose bumps. But I have discovered my life again and can now say that I'm back in the midst of it. I am fine and I have no more disabilities except maybe I get tired faster and I'm not as resilient as I used to be. That's because I'm missing a piece of my right lung. When I overwork, my body signals to me and then I know I have to change down a gear.
Had you heard of near-death experiences before your experience?
Yes, I had heard and read about them before. But I could not believe such stories because I wasn't impressed with the evidence and I couldn't envisage it.
Are you religious?
Before the accident, I would have said that I believe in God, but I wasn't really that interested. In my thirteenth year, I had to go to church with my parents every Sunday. But honestly, I just sat there bored and spent most of my time looking at the clock. If you ask me now, I can clearly say that I believe in God. I am a believer and I believe all the prayers my loved ones have said have been answered. And I believe that God has something for me to do here on earth.
Have you ever wondered why this accident happened to you?
No, because I think it was planned by God. The accident is just part of my life. I've accepted that and never blamed God.
How has your life changed after the accident?
I live and experience everything much more intensely today. For example, I am happy when I feel the rain. I feel protected by the deceased in heaven because I know they always keep an eye on me and they are part of my life. Everyday is a gift because I never know when God will take me back to heaven, finally then for good. I would like to share with everyone one more sentence: Make each day your friend and love that day, because you never know if it may already be your last in this world.
The interview was conducted by Ines Elsenhans
(This post was last modified: 2018-03-07, 09:18 PM by Laird.)
[The following is tim's original translation of the original article, „Ich war klinisch tot", copyright Georg Thieme Verlagsgruppe, reproduced here with the kind permission of the publisher, per emailed request. The Google Translate version of the article into English can be found here. I think you will agree that tim does a far better job than Google! --Laird]
23.09.2013
"I was clinically dead"
Christine Stein was operated on for an aortic tear. While the surgeons struggle to save her life, she has a so-called "near-death experience." In the interview, she talks about what she experienced and how the experience changed her life.
Christine Stein
Ms. Stein, you had a serious accident when you were nineteen. What exactly happened there?
I was on my way to my work (in my car) at a kindergarten when a truck hit my driver's side with full force. It pushed my car off the road and then it toppled over onto it. Because I was trapped, the fire department had to cut me free, then I was taken immediately via helicopter to the hospital clinic. During the emergency operation, the doctors diagnosed a number of life-threatening injuries.
I had a brain compression, a cerebral hemorrhage, and a detached eye nerve. The collarbone, eight ribs and pelvis were broken. My lungs, spleen and aorta were damaged. Luckily, the doctors were able to patch me up again. But during the night, just hours after surgery, the patch on my main artery that was used to repair my injury, loosened. I was quickly operated on again and this time the bleeding was stopped.
Your condition after surgery was very critical and you were put into an artificial coma. Was your family aware that your life was in danger?
Yes, the doctors spoke very openly with my family. My relatives even arranged for a pastor to come and anoint me. The terrible thing was that everyone thought I wouldn't know this. But that was not true! I could not move or speak, but I could still hear. It was terrible not to be able to tell them that I would make it. I never thought anything different.
How long were you in the clinic?
I was in a coma for eleven days, in total I was in the clinic for almost three weeks. When I finally got home, I was only there for five days. Because on April 22, the patch on my aorta failed again. Fortunately, my best friend Kai was there at the time, a paramedic. He quickly knew what to do and also alerted the ambulance service to take me to the clinic.
In the following surgery, you were clinically dead for 23 minutes. During these minutes, you had a near-death experience. What did you experience during this?
I suddenly got up from the operating table and saw the room from above, floating as if under the ceiling. I could look into my open chest and watch the surgeon at work. After having this bird's eye view, I found myself in heaven. Scientists like to talk about the hereafter. But for me that's such a cold term and I prefer to use the word 'sky.' There, I was barefoot and I had a floor-length, light blue dress on. My grandparents approached me waving and called my name. It was the first time I had met my maternal grandparents, because both of them died very early. I immediately recognized them because in the 'sky,' they looked as they did in the last pictures taken of them on earth.
The two of them embraced me and told me they wanted to show me their realm. They took me to different places. In one place I could look down to the earth. I quickly realised that I just had to think about a certain person and I could look down on them. I then saw my family in the waiting room of the clinic worried about my life. I still get a lump in my throat when I think about what they had to go through. I wanted to tell them that I'm fine and that I'm not in pain.
Can you describe the hereafter?
The landscape is similar to the earth. But the colours were very different, there was no brown and no black, everything was very pastel. I described it in more detail in my book.
Have you also seen the light described in many near-death reports?
No, but I was surrounded by a light all the time. It was a warm, pastel-colored light that did not dazzle me.
Did you know other people in the afterlife?
I didn't know most of them, but some I did. For example, two former neighbours. They smiled at me, radiating warmth and love. To experience a feeling of love to this extent was completely new to me. I'd only known that from my family until then. You cannot imagine it, and the eyes of the two told me a lot even without words. They looked very happy and were ordinary people, not ghosts or beings of light. When my grandparents gave me a kiss on the cheek, I felt it as I would on earth.
How did the journey end?
At some point, my grandparents said that my visit was over, as I had one more mission to fulfill on Earth, which I had already begun, but which was far from finished. Then they said that we will see each other again in many years time. And then, zap, I was gone. But I don't know exactly how that happened. I was suddenly hovering over the operating table and I heard the surgeons say, "Yes, we've got this baby back again. She's doing it. These were his words and that confirmed that I was really back. My next memory I have is back in the recovery room.
Did you immediately remember the near-death experience in the recovery room?
Yes, I had the experience immediately in mind. At no time did I think that all this was just dreaming or the side effects of anaesthesia. The whole thing was too realistic for that. I knew that it was not a dream, but reality. I stayed in the hospital for a while and talked to the surgeons at some point and told them what I had experienced. At first I thought they would say "Yes, Ms. Stein, these are the side effects of anaesthesia". But both surgeons said, "Ms. Stein, we believe you, that may well be the case, we've heard that before."
Many people consider such experiences to be hocus-pocus. What do you say to the critics ?
I provide evidence to people who have doubts: When I said goodbye to my grandparents, I cried - on the one hand, I was overjoyed to be allowed to return to earth and, on the other hand, sad to have to leave my grandparents. The surgeons were able to tell me later that tears ran down my cheeks during the operation. (crying under anaesthesia is practically unheard of apparently) Everyone has to decide for themselves what they believe in and I don't want to proselytise to anyone with my experience.
Why did you want to tell the public about your near-death experience?
Some time after the accident, I began to write down my experiences, the near-death experience, and my life afterwards. I just realized that it helps me to process what happened. I never really wanted to publish the story. I figured if everyone who had an accident wrote a book about it, the bookstores would be overflowing. But then it also occurred to me that my experience could be helpful to other people. Now I have founded a publishing house myself and I distribute my book "Like an Angel - Once in heaven and back".
Do you receive much feedback about your book?
This again confirms that the accident was (an inevitable ?) part of my life. Recently, an anesthesiologist told me that she and her colleagues had successfully resuscitated a girl. Her colleagues actually wanted to give up the resuscitation attempt, but she urged them to keep going. She remembered a TV interview I'd given and made her colleagues understand that one must never give up hope and sometimes miracles really happen.
Do you still often think about the accident?
Yes, the accident was 13 years ago, but the memory is always there. This begins when I have a shower in the morning and I see all my scars. Or if I hear a helicopter or other specific noises that I associate with the accident. Sometimes a few tears will roll and I get goose bumps. But I have discovered my life again and can now say that I'm back in the midst of it. I am fine and I have no more disabilities except maybe I get tired faster and I'm not as resilient as I used to be. That's because I'm missing a piece of my right lung. When I overwork, my body signals to me and then I know I have to change down a gear.
Had you heard of near-death experiences before your experience?
Yes, I had heard and read about them before. But I could not believe such stories because I wasn't impressed with the evidence and I couldn't envisage it.
Are you religious?
Before the accident, I would have said that I believe in God, but I wasn't really that interested. In my thirteenth year, I had to go to church with my parents every Sunday. But honestly, I just sat there bored and spent most of my time looking at the clock. If you ask me now, I can clearly say that I believe in God. I am a believer and I believe all the prayers my loved ones have said have been answered. And I believe that God has something for me to do here on earth.
Have you ever wondered why this accident happened to you?
No, because I think it was planned by God. The accident is just part of my life. I've accepted that and never blamed God.
How has your life changed after the accident?
I live and experience everything much more intensely today. For example, I am happy when I feel the rain. I feel protected by the deceased in heaven because I know they always keep an eye on me and they are part of my life. Everyday is a gift because I never know when God will take me back to heaven, finally then for good. I would like to share with everyone one more sentence: Make each day your friend and love that day, because you never know if it may already be your last in this world.
The interview was conducted by Ines Elsenhans
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