There are many unanswered questions in life – the essence of life, existence beyond our planet, and what awaits us after death. These mysteries have baffled brilliant minds around the world, with differing views on the afterlife.
While some strongly believe in heaven and hell or in reincarnation, others deny the existence of an afterlife and proclaim that we simply cease to exist. However, the encounter of a man during a near-death experience challenges this disbelief, the report notes jpost.com.
Jose Hernandez, an outspoken atheist, shares how a life-changing event changed his perspective. Speaking to YouTube channel Shaman Oaks, Hernandez talks about his extraordinary journey that began with a routine job as an engineer.
Hernandez’s near-death experience occurred while troubleshooting an electrical problem on top of a box truck.
“I was a staunch atheist. As an engineer, I focused exclusively on logical explanations,” he said.
“But that day everything changed. We arrived late and my partner, concerned for my safety, accidentally crashed our truck into a tree. The impact left me with several broken ribs and I was rushed to the emergency room.”
At the hospital, Hernandez’s breathing stopped and the medical staff fought desperately to save his life.
At that critical moment, he found himself thinking about God and making a promise: “If you help me through this, I will change.”
It was then that he noticed a mysterious presence in the room.
“I saw a shadow standing at the door. At that moment I thought, ‘I’ve been through so much in life. Maybe it’s okay to let go.’ And the moment the shadow touched my toe, an overwhelming sense of relief, calm, peace, and love washed over me. It was euphoric.”
As medical professionals performed CPR on him, Hernandez claims the shadow spoke to him.
“Then I found myself hanging in the corner of the room observing the CPR efforts.
A voice next to me said, ‘Think of your body as a car. This vehicle has traveled 8 million miles and we can no longer repair anything. It’s time to say goodbye to your body.’ The voice said to me, ‘Okay, it’s time to move on.’”
After this, Hernandez describes a descent into a black hole, where he experienced flying and witnessed enchanting cities, breathtaking forests and wild herds of animals on the move.
In this heavenly realm, he was assured that he would be able to see his children and, most importantly, he was reunited with his father.
“When I met my father on the other side, I realized that sometimes we can’t express certain things here, but we can express them elsewhere.”
Near-death experiences often have common elements, with many people reporting similar experiences during CPR.
While some interpret these encounters as evidence of consciousness beyond the physical realm, medical professionals offer an alternative explanation.
Emeritus professor of biochemistry William Revill argues in an article in the Irish Times that near-death experiences reflect brain activity during moments of oxygen deprivation and elevated carbon dioxide levels.
He suggests that reports of light at the end of a tunnel may be due to falling oxygen levels in the retina, causing tunnel vision.
In the case of Jose Hernandez, his near-death experience challenged his atheism and opened his eyes to the possibility of an afterlife.