Saved by the Light

1. A Cataclysmic Lightning Strike Initiated a Profound Near-Death Experience

And that was it. The next sound I heard was like a freight train coming into my ear at the speed of light.

Sudden, violent onset. On September 17, 1975, a lightning bolt struck Dannion Brinkley while he was on the telephone, sending a searing jolt of electricity through his body. The force was so immense it welded his shoe nails to the floor and threw him into the air, causing immediate and excruciating pain. This violent event instantly propelled him out of his physical form.

Out-of-body perspective. He found himself hovering above his own body, witnessing his wife's frantic attempts at CPR and the arrival of emergency medical technicians. From this detached viewpoint, he observed the scene without pain or fear, feeling like a dispassionate spectator watching a movie of his own death. This initial separation from his physical self marked the beginning of his extraordinary journey.

Declared clinically dead. Despite resuscitation efforts, his body remained lifeless. He watched as medical personnel in the ambulance declared him dead, covered him with a sheet, and prepared to transport him to the morgue. This clinical confirmation solidified his understanding that his physical life had ended, freeing his consciousness for the spiritual realm that awaited.

2. The Journey Through a Tunnel Led to an Encounter with Pure Light and Love

This was the brightest light I had ever seen, but in spite of that, it didn’t hurt my eyes in the least.

Engulfed by a tunnel. Immediately after realizing he was dead, a tunnel formed and spiraled towards him, accompanied by the sound of seven rhythmic chimes. He was drawn into this tunnel, leaving behind the physical world and its chaos, entering an atmosphere of deep blue and gray that felt peaceful and tranquil compared to the pain he had just experienced.

Moving towards brilliant light. At the end of the tunnel, a light appeared, growing brighter as he moved towards it at great speed, without the use of legs. Upon reaching the end, he found himself in a paradise of brilliant, soothing light that was intensely bright yet caused no discomfort to his perception. This light emanated a profound sense of peace.

Encountering a Being of Light. A silver, shimmering form emerged from the mist, approaching him and radiating an overwhelming sense of love. This love felt like a thousandfold combination of a lover, mother, and best friend, intensifying as the Being drew closer. In its presence, he felt himself become less dense, an unencumbered spirit bathed in nonjudgmental compassion and empathy.

3. The Profound and Painful Life Review

From the moment it began until it ended, I was faced with the sickening reality that I had been an unpleasant person, someone who was self-centered and mean.

Immersive, empathetic experience. Engulfed by the Being of Light, Dannion experienced his entire life review, not just seeing events but feeling them from the perspective of others involved. This meant reliving every action, attitude, and motivation, experiencing the pain, humiliation, and grief he had caused, particularly through his violent and selfish behavior.

Feeling the impact on others. The review highlighted the chain reaction of emotions, showing how his actions deeply affected others and how their reactions, in turn, affected those around them. He felt the anguish of those he fought, the psychological pain of his parents, and the sorrow of families whose loved ones he had killed in military operations. Even cruelty to animals was relived from the animal's perspective.

Learning the importance of intent. The review revealed that the why behind an action was as important as the action itself. Hurting someone for fun caused immense pain in the review, while actions taken for a cause, even violent ones, were less painful, though still showed the suffering caused. The core lesson was that genuine kindness and love, even in small acts, were the most valuable contributions.

4. Meeting the Beings of Light and Entering the Crystal City

As I gazed into its essence I could see prisms of color, as though it were composed of thousands of tiny diamonds, each emitting the colors of the rainbow.

Arrival at a city of light. After the life review, he moved upward with the Being of Light, passing through shimmering mist and energy fields resembling rivers and lakes, towards mountains of deep-blue velvet. They arrived at a city composed entirely of crystalline cathedrals that glowed powerfully from within, radiating a sense of grandeur and learning.

Presence of thirteen Beings. Inside a magnificent lecture hall within one of the structures, thirteen Beings of Light appeared behind a glowing podium. These Beings were distinct from the first, emanating a deep blue light signifying great might and representing different human characteristics. Their presence conveyed a sense of being in a place of profound instruction.

Knowledge through perception. In the presence of these Beings, knowledge was instantly accessible. By merely thinking a question, he could explore the essence of the answer, understanding complex concepts like how light works or the nature of spirit. This was a state of being steeped in knowledge, where perception equaled understanding, unlike any earthly learning.

5. Receiving Knowledge and Visions of the Future (The Boxes)

On this day, September 17, 1975, the future came to me a box at a time.

Visions delivered in boxes. One by one, the Beings of Light presented boxes, each containing a tiny television-like picture of a future world event. As each box opened, he was drawn into the vision, experiencing the event firsthand. This process occurred twelve times, showing him significant global changes and conflicts yet to come.

Specific, detailed predictions. The visions included:

• The spiritual and economic decline of America, marked by debt, social unrest, and loss of faith.
• Strife in the Middle East, including agreements, the potential disappearance of Jordan, Israeli isolation, and the use of oil as a weapon.
• Nuclear disasters (Chernobyl, a second sea accident) and their long-term environmental and health consequences, leading to environmentalism as a new "religion."
• Conflicts between China and Russia over territory and resources.
• Global economic collapse, bank failures, and devastating earthquakes in the US leading to bankruptcy and widespread starvation.
• Desert warfare (Gulf War) and the proliferation of chemical/biological weapons in the Middle East.
• Terrorism in Europe (chemical attack in France) and the rise of religious fanaticism in countries like Egypt.
• Mass migration from Central/South America into the US due to civil wars and economic collapse.
• A future technological ruler who mandates subcutaneous computer chips for control and population management.

A conditional future. A thirteenth, final vision summarized the others, accompanied by a telepathic message: these events were not set in stone. The future could be changed if humanity altered its course, particularly by reducing fear and recognizing its spiritual nature. The years 1994-1996 were highlighted as critical in determining whether a devastating world war would occur.

6. A Divine Mandate Was Given: Build Centers for Spiritual Growth

"You are there to create spiritualistic capitalism," he said.

A specific mission assigned. After the visions of the future, the most powerful Being of Light revealed Dannion's purpose for returning to Earth. He was tasked with creating "spiritualistic capitalism" by changing people's thought processes, encouraging them to rely on their spiritual selves rather than solely on government or religious institutions.

The concept of the "centers". The core of this mission was to build physical "centers" designed to help people reduce stress and realize their nature as higher spiritual beings. He was shown a vision of seven specific rooms or components, each representing a step in a process aimed at facilitating spiritual awakening and connection with God.

Components of the centers:

• Therapy room for group discussion.
• Massage clinic involving reciprocal massage.
• Sensory-deprivation chamber for deep introspection.
• Biofeedback room to demonstrate control over emotions.
• Reading area for psychic insights.
• Musical bed for deep relaxation and out-of-body experiences.
• Reflection chamber (polished steel/copper) whose purpose remained somewhat mysterious.
• An eighth step involving guided spiritual journeys using biofeedback.

These components were presented as modern forms of ancient oracles, temples of spirit and mystery. He was told the necessary elements would come to him and he would know how to assemble them, despite his lack of prior knowledge in these areas.

7. Returning to the Body Meant Re-entering a World of Intense Pain

This return to my human body put me in possession of its pain.

Abrupt return to agony. Despite his reluctance to leave the spiritual realm, he was sent back. He found himself hovering above his dead body in the hospital hallway just as orderlies arrived to take him to the morgue. Focusing on his friend Tommy's love and prayers, he felt himself become denser and was suddenly back inside his physical form.

Overwhelming physical suffering. Re-entry brought immediate and intense pain, described as being burned from the inside out, with every cell feeling bathed in battery acid. He experienced a loud ringing in his ears, a swollen tongue, and the burning sensation of blue lightning lines crisscrossing his body. He was paralyzed and unable to move or speak initially.

Hospital chaos and disbelief. The medical staff was shocked by his sudden return to life after being declared dead. They resumed resuscitation efforts, but his condition remained critical. Doctors and nurses were visibly surprised he was still alive, viewing him as a medical mystery and expecting him to die soon, which added to the surreal and difficult experience of his initial recovery.

8. The Near-Death Experience Unlocked Extraordinary Psychic Abilities

My ability to read minds improved rapidly—so rapidly, in fact, that it almost ruined negotiations on a business deal.

Spontaneous onset of abilities. After returning from the NDE, Dannion began to experience psychic phenomena without conscious effort. Initially, this manifested as hearing people's thoughts or knowing their questions before they spoke, which was as surprising and baffling to him as it was to others.

Mind-reading and precognition. His ability to read minds developed quickly, allowing him to know specific details about people's thoughts or intentions, even in complex situations like business negotiations. He also found he could predict future events, such as football scores, though he later felt compelled to stop using these abilities for personal gain like gambling.

Seeing "home movies". Another ability was seeing snippets or "movies" from people's lives by looking at them or touching them or their possessions. These visions often focused on stressful or crisis moments, revealing personal conflicts, illnesses, or past events. While sometimes alarming to others, he found this ability particularly useful in understanding and helping people, especially in hospice settings.

9. Finding Community and Validation Among Other Near-Death Experiencers

I was energized by Dr. Moody’s talk.

Discovering Raymond Moody. Reading a newspaper article about Dr. Raymond Moody's research on near-death experiences was a pivotal moment, providing a name for his experience and the realization that he was not alone. This led to a meeting with Moody, who validated his story and confirmed that others had similar experiences, alleviating his fear of being insane.

Connecting with fellow NDEers. Attending Moody's lectures and helping manage his schedule provided opportunities to meet hundreds of other people who had survived brushes with death. Sharing their stories created a sense of community and mutual understanding, as they discussed common elements like the tunnel, the light, life reviews, and encounters with deceased relatives or Beings of Light.

Confirmation of reality. Hearing similar accounts from diverse individuals across the country and even internationally reinforced the reality of his own experience. The consistency of these complex narratives, shared by people who had no prior contact or knowledge of NDEs, convinced him and others that they had genuinely died and visited a spiritual realm, confirming they were "normal people who have had something paranormal happen."

10. Facing Death Again Reinforced the Absence of Fear

I was ready to go back.

Second brush with death. In 1989, years after the lightning strike, Dannion faced death again due to a staph infection that severely damaged his already weakened heart valve. This led to cardiac arrest and a critical condition where doctors gave him only hours to live without surgery.

Refusal of life-saving surgery. Despite the dire prognosis and the urging of doctors and family, he refused heart surgery. Having experienced the afterlife and found it beautiful and freeing, he was not afraid to die and felt ready to return "home." He saw earthly life as confining compared to the spiritual realm.

Demonstrating lack of fear. His cheerful demeanor and jokes on his deathbed, even while struggling for breath and coughing up blood, demonstrated his genuine lack of fear to those around him, including Dr. Moody. This second near-death event, though physically agonizing, reinforced the profound transformation in his perspective on life and death brought about by the first NDE.

11. The Mission Manifested in Service: Working with the Dying

I found great pleasure in helping people at the time of their greatest need.

Guided to hospice work. The visions and the Beings of Light directed Dannion to work with the dying, particularly through hospice. This was part of his mission to understand kindness and stress reduction from the perspective of others, preparing him for the larger goal of building the centers.

Providing comfort and insight. As a hospice volunteer, he spent thousands of hours at the bedsides of dying individuals, often providing relief to exhausted family caregivers. He shared his NDE story, offering comfort and a different perspective on death as a transition rather than an end, which often helped patients and families confront their fears and unresolved issues.

Using psychic abilities in service. His ability to see "home movies" or sense the emotional core of a person's struggles proved invaluable in hospice work. By gently revealing insights gained psychically, he could help dying patients and their families address hidden conflicts, guilt, or unexpressed emotions, facilitating moments of healing and peace before death.

12. The NDE is a Call to Recognize Human Potential and the Power of Love

We are normal people who have had something paranormal happen to us.

Profound personal transformation. The near-death experience fundamentally changed Dannion Brinkley, altering his personality, priorities, and physical capabilities. He moved from a violent, self-centered life to one dedicated to spiritual growth, service, and sharing his message, despite the immense physical and psychological challenges he faced.

The core message: Love and spiritual power. The central teaching from the Beings of Light was the inherent spiritual power of humans and the transformative force of love. He learned that small acts of kindness are crucial and that reducing fear allows individuals to realize their potential as co-creators with God. This message became the driving force behind his mission.

A call to action for humanity. The visions of the future served as a warning, emphasizing that negative outcomes like war and collapse are not inevitable but depend on humanity's choices. His mission to build the centers and share his story is a direct response to this, aiming to help people reduce stress, overcome fear, and connect with their spiritual selves to create a better future for the world.

Last updated: May 21, 2025