Cristael Ann Bengston: We are God’s Thought
What Researchers Found
The Story
Crystal Anne Bangen experienced a near-death experience (NDE) after succumbing to a fatal flu in 1998. During her NDE, she first encountered deep blackness and saw thousands of gray souls passing by. She then left her body and floated through endless blackness, feeling alert and asking questions. She saw her mother, who urged her to join her, and encountered frightening creatures. Eventually, she entered a vast cathedral filled with light, where she felt peace and connected with the heart of God. After being given a choice to stay or return, she chose to go back to her family. After the experience, she felt a new sense of purpose and healed quickly from her illness.
“touched the light and I felt like a >> And I thought, where am I? And I was”
The account does not contain any specific veridical perception claims regarding real-world information that the experiencer could not have known. The descriptions are largely subjective and do not provide verifiable details about events or conversations occurring during the NDE.
Score reflects verifiable perceptions reported. A low score indicates the experience was primarily spiritual or subjective, not that it didn't occur.
Score reflects transformation as described. Domains scored 0 indicate the topic was not discussed, not that no change occurred.
Are you here because someone you love has died?
These accounts were gathered because death may not be the end. Thousands of people have experienced something beyond — and come back to tell us about it.
What Researchers Found
The account does not contain any specific veridical perception claims regarding real-world information that the experiencer could not have known. The descriptions are largely subjective and do not provide verifiable details about events or conversations occurring during the NDE.
Score reflects verifiable perceptions reported. A low score indicates the experience was primarily spiritual or subjective, not that it didn't occur.
Score reflects transformation as described. Domains scored 0 indicate the topic was not discussed, not that no change occurred.