A Child's Encounter with the Devil: An Unusual Near-Death Experience...

A Child's Encounter with the Devil: An Unusual Near-Death Experience with Both Blissful and Frightening Elements

Richard J. Bonenfant

I describe the near-death experience (NDE) of a 6-year-old boy who encountered both the devil and God following a near-fatal car accident, and compare recent recollections of the event with those made four years earlier. I discuss the aftereffects of this experience, and review the findings of earlier studies of frightening NDEs.

Scott did not recall how he was rescued from the clutches of the devil. He stated simply that he desperately tried to keep his faith in God. He believes that God rescued him but he cannot remember exactly how it occurred. Scott emphasized that he had no control over what was happening to him and compared the experience to being moved through the house of horror on a carnival ride. By whatever means, Scott next found himself being whisked through the tunnel toward a distant point of light. When asked about the characteristics of the tunnel, Scott could remember only that it seemed to contain the faces and voices of all those who had ever known and loved him.

For a short period of time following the NDE, it seemed that both Scott and his parents were experiencing symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. All four family members of the family began visiting a counselor to find out whether Scott's symptoms and its effect on their lives were a normal consequence of his accident. These visits proved to be reassuring because the counselor's evaluation of their situation was consistently positive.