Man who was declared de.d

Dannion Brinkley, a 74-year-old former US Marine, has survived three near-death experiences, the first occurring in 1975 when he was struck by lightning while on the phone. The bolt traveled through a nearby lightning pole, down the line, and into Brinkley’s body, leaving him paralyzed, on fire, and declared dead for 28 minutes. During that time, Brinkley claimed he left his body, floated alongside the ambulance, and watched as doctors pronounced him dead. He described traveling through a tunnel and encountering a being of light in a “Crystal City,” where he relived his life in a 360-degree panorama.

Brinkley said the being asked him, “What difference did you and God make?” and this profound moment shaped his outlook. He later had two more near-death experiences—during heart surgery in 1989 and again during brain surgery—where he claimed to reconnect with spiritual guides and gain new psychic abilities. Brinkley has written a book, Saved by the Light, and uses his experiences to help others, especially terminally ill veterans. He volunteers in hospice care and encourages people to live without fear, believing that death is not the end but a transition into spiritual existence.