The near death experience of Ray Kinman
What Researchers Found
The Story
Raymond was a nine-year-old devout Catholic boy in 1966. His near-death experience occurred after a school accident where his friend threw him headfirst onto concrete during a judo move. He hit his head hard, ran toward the nurse's office, collapsed, and hit his head again, losing consciousness for about 12 minutes. During the experience, Raymond's awareness continued without interruption as time and space vanished. He became a floating sphere in a void, felt scared and crazy, then let go into peace and bliss. He moved toward a white light, merged with it in infinite love, and saw everything made of living light. He met his deceased dog Skippy as a sphere and communicated telepathically. A masculine presence absorbed him, downloading universal knowledge and purpose. He viewed himself as a point of light connected to all beings in God, singing love as 'I am that I am.' He resisted returning but was told to go back after fulfilling his purpose. After the NDE, Raymond suffered a concussion with lasting memory issues. He suppressed the experience after dismissal by his mother and priest. In his 20s, he recognized it as an NDE and processed it, gaining a new purpose to love, a looser view of reality, and peace in the present moment. He shares it to help others with grief and views death as a transition of the divine essence.
“knew he had to go toward the light and as i did that the light got bigger”
This NDE lacks any veridical perception claims of external events during unconsciousness, featuring only internal mystical experiences like light, deceased pet, and cosmic insights with no impossible access or verification. Medical severity is high due to 12 minutes without breathing, but absence of specific, verifiable details limits evidential strength entirely.
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
This NDE lacks any veridical perception claims of external events during unconsciousness, featuring only internal mystical experiences like light, deceased pet, and cosmic insights with no impossible access or verification. Medical severity is high due to 12 minutes without breathing, but absence of specific, verifiable details limits evidential strength entirely.
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.