Interview with Jacob Cooper (NDEr & OBEr) on His Book, Life After Breath
What Researchers Found
The Story
Jacob Cooper, a three-year-old boy, had his near-death experience in September 1993 due to whooping cough. At a playground, he climbed a ladder to a slide and suffocated from lack of oxygen. He left his body and observed his body's suffering. He gained profound understanding of his brain and body. He felt a snap in his brain, released pain, and entered eternal breath. He crossed over and became aware of spiritual guides, angels, God as the highest source, and Christ consciousness as unconditional love. He met his male and female spirit guides from before this life and family members. He had a life review of his three years and past incarnations. He saw his future purpose of helping others and chose to return to share this awareness. He woke in a hospital. After the NDE, he experienced insights and premonitions that initially frustrated him but later became blessings. He integrated the experience in college, became a clinical social worker, Reiki master, psychotherapist, and hypnotherapist. He authored books like Life After Breath, speaks on grief and consciousness, and leads seminars to help people find purpose and overcome fear of death through mindfulness.
This NDE features a severe hypoxic crisis in a 3-year-old with an out-of-body experience observing their own body, but contains no veridical perceptions of external physical events, staff actions, or conversations. All reported perceptions are internal, spiritual insights (guides, life review, future vision) without verification or specificity to real-world details, limiting evidential strength.
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 features a severe hypoxic crisis in a 3-year-old with an out-of-body experience observing their own body, but contains no veridical perceptions of external physical events, staff actions, or conversations. All reported perceptions are internal, spiritual insights (guides, life review, future vision) without verification or specificity to real-world details, limiting evidential strength.
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.