Aaron & Kari Moulton, Distressing NDE From Pontine Stroke
What Researchers Found
The Story
Aaron Molton, a nurse anesthesiologist, had a near-death experience triggered by a sudden pontine stroke after his hospital shift. He felt dizzy, entered the ER, and received a CT scan and clot-busting medication. During the scan and in the ER bay, he slipped into a dark realm. He felt pulled into a swirling vortex of gray boards with serrated edges, like being sucked into a mirror in The Matrix. He experienced torment scenes, such as being stretched on a rack or limbs torn, in a jagged, volcanic landscape with erupting storms and misty bad spirits surrounding him. The spirits fed on his fear and tried to claim him. He prayed to God, bargained to return to his family, and commanded evil to depart in Jesus' name. His wife prayed for protection, and a friend gave a priesthood blessing for healing. After the blessing and medication, the dark episodes shortened until they stopped. Aaron recovered fully with no lasting effects. He now increases his faith devotion, reviews his life daily for repentance, and focuses on greater love for his family and others to achieve spiritual growth.
“God basically like I'm praying to God in my mind and I and that's how I described”
This NDE features no veridical perceptions of external events or details inaccessible by normal senses; all experiences are subjective internal visions of a distressing dark realm during a pontine stroke. The medical severity is high, but lack of specific, verified, or impossible perceptions limits 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.
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What Researchers Found
This NDE features no veridical perceptions of external events or details inaccessible by normal senses; all experiences are subjective internal visions of a distressing dark realm during a pontine stroke. The medical severity is high, but lack of specific, verified, or impossible perceptions limits 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.