The Near-Death Experience of René Volken
What Researchers Found
The Story
Renee, a Catholic man who did not believe in life after death, experienced a near-death event from a heart attack two days after his wife's funeral. Severe burning pain in his stomach led his son to drive him to the hospital 15 miles away, where his heart stopped for nine and a half minutes. During the NDE, Renee lost consciousness and saw a bright white light. His deceased wife appeared wearing the clothes from her coffin. She greeted him, kissed him, and said she was doing fine. She took his arm and told him to return, look after their children, and promise not to stay alone. The surroundings were a pleasant white space with no other features. After the experience, Renee woke in the hospital and saw a woman he knew slightly at his bedside. This prompted him to visit her restaurant. They talked, shared visions from that time, and fell in love. Now living together as Evelyn and Renee, he has no fear of death, a more positive outlook, less temper, no stress, and sees the heart attack as the best event in his life.
The account features a striking veridical claim of perceiving a specific acquaintance (Evelyn) at bedside applying her hand to the forehead during clinical death, despite her confirmed remote presence at a Turkish airport at the exact time (12:30), with mutual psychic confirmation. High medical severity and access impossibility bolster strength, though tempered by lack of pre-verification reporting.
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 features a striking veridical claim of perceiving a specific acquaintance (Evelyn) at bedside applying her hand to the forehead during clinical death, despite her confirmed remote presence at a Turkish airport at the exact time (12:30), with mutual psychic confirmation. High medical severity and access impossibility bolster strength, though tempered by lack of pre-verification reporting.
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.