I died for eight minutes... my encounter proves the soul never dies

She died for eight minutes, no pulse, no breath, and no brain activity, and then came back to life with a chilling, vivid story about death.

Brianna Lafferty, a 33-year-old woman from Colorado, was battling a life-threatening neurological disorder when, as she describes it, her body simply 'gave up.'

She was pronounced clinically dead, but according to her, her consciousness did not die with her.

'Death is an illusion because our soul never dies. Our consciousness remains alive. And our very essence simply transforms,' Lafferty said.

'I did not see or remember my human self. I was completely still, yet I felt fully alive, aware, and more myself than ever before.'

Lafferty suffers from myoclonus dystonia, a rare neurological condition that causes involuntary muscle jerks and can disrupt bodily functions. During one of her medical crises, she flatlined.

Before she lost full physical awareness, she said she heard a voice asking if she was ready, then everything went dark.

What happened next, she said, defies scientific explanation. She described her soul 'floating' above her lifeless body and entering a realm where time did not exist.

Near-death experiences (NDEs) are complex and not fully understood, but scientific research suggests they are likely neurological phenomena arising from specific brain activity during moments of critical illness or near-death.

While various theories exist, a key aspect involves the brain's continued activity, even after the heart stops, potentially leading to altered states of consciousness and vivid perceptions.

But Lafferty is sure she died, experienced life after death and returned to the world of the living.

'I was suddenly separated from my physical body,' Lafferty said.

'There was no pain, just a deep sense of peace and clarity. This detachment from my physical form made me realize how temporary and fragile our human experience is.'

She also claimed that she noticed something extraordinary, her thoughts began to shape her surroundings in the afterlife.

'My thoughts instantly materialized,' said Lafferty. 'I realized that our thoughts shape reality there, it just takes time, which is a blessing.'

After she was revived, Lafferty had to relearn how to walk and speak.

She underwent experimental brain surgery to treat damage to her pituitary gland.

Though she fears the possibility of another near-death experience, she no longer fears death itself.

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'It changed the course of my life,' she said. 'What I feared no longer had power over me, and what I used to chase didn't seem important anymore.'

Though her account is deeply personal, it resonates with findings from a recent study that suggests awareness may persist long after the heart stops.

Researchers across 25 hospitals in the US, UK, and Bulgaria tracked 567 patients who suffered cardiac arrest in hospital settings.

The study, published in Resuscitation, used EEG monitors to measure brain wave activity during CPR.

Nearly 40 percent of the patients monitored during resuscitation showed signs of brain activity associated with consciousness, some as long as 60 minutes after their hearts had stopped.

Dr Sam Parnia, the study's lead author and director of critical care and resuscitation research at New York University (NYU) Langone, said the findings may offer a glimpse into what happens as we die.

'These experiences provide a glimpse into a real, yet little-understood dimension of human consciousness that becomes uncovered with death,' Parnia said.

In one case, a woman believed she was being tortured in hell as a nurse inserted an IV, a traumatic, semi-conscious moment that may have been interpreted through a haze of near-death awareness.

Lafferty described a similarly surreal experience as she encountered 'other beings' that didn't seem human but felt oddly familiar.

She also described the presence of a 'higher intelligence' watching over her with what she called 'unconditional love,' a moment that altered her perception of life and death.

'There's a presence, or intelligence, higher than ourselves that guides and watches over us with unconditional love,' she said.

The NYU-led study is among the strongest scientific evidence yet that consciousness may persist after clinical death, and that memory, perception, and awareness do not necessarily stop the moment the heart does.

As for Lafferty, the experience left her with a sense of clarity, and a belief that life's pain has meaning.

'I feel empowered and trust life's events, especially the hard ones,' she said. 'Everything happens for a reason.'