Ryan: An Ocean of Souls and a Message for His Aunt

Medical Details

Ryan had a medical emergency that appeared to be from a spider bite in a couple of places, though this could not be confirmed and tests ruled out other causes. He says he was near death when brought into the hospital and was told surgery could save his life. He woke in the recovery room sooner than staff expected, while still under the influence of sedatives.

The Experience

Ryan was rushed to the hospital after what appeared to be a spider bite, and doctors told him surgery could save his life. After he was put under, he says, he found himself somewhere that was clearly not here, out of his body, before what he calls an ocean of souls. It stretched farther than he could see: every soul that had ever lived, flowing in all directions like a vast field of energy, many coming and going to and from Earth just beyond the veil. Everyone, he sensed, was doing something purposeful.

Curious, he focused on one person, a woman with wavy blonde hair who looked to be in her late fifties. Instantly he could see her up close. She turned, smiled and nodded, and he nodded back. It felt completely natural.

He sensed different levels. One area was very bright, and all he felt there was peace and calm. Beyond it was something he cannot describe. The peace he felt seemed to extend beyond everything, a knowing that everything is okay and will be okay, and that our pain, sorrow and losses are temporary and a small part of a much bigger picture.

Wanting to see what was happening on Earth, he found himself in the hospital waiting room with his family. He listened as his significant other talked with his aunt about her mother using scripture to make her feel guilty, and his aunt advised her to learn the Bible better so she could answer back. Ryan found himself cheering the advice on. He did not remember this at first. Later, when his partner raised the subject again, he repeated the conversation, and she told him it had happened while he was in surgery. Then he remembered every detail of the room, including that half the lights were off, which she confirmed.

At some point he wanted to stay, but understood he needed to come back. Though he felt he had a choice, he knew in his heart returning was right. He pushed himself into his body and sat straight up in recovery, startling the nurses. Operating his body, he says, felt like using chopsticks, and the light was almost unbearable, yet with his eyes closed he could still see the room.

Still half out of his body, he saw his grandmother, who had died long before. She asked him to tell his aunt, her daughter, that she didn't want her up at night crying for her anymore, that she was okay. His aunt told him no one knew she did that, and afterward she was much more at peace.

How It Changed Their Life

He says he carries a deep peace that everything is okay and will be okay, and that when he loses someone he no longer mourns them as if they don't exist. He describes himself as generally happier, more hopeful and better adjusted to whatever life brings.