Steve Taylor, Ph.D. – Several years ago, I worked with a college tutor called John, who had a heart transplant in 1992. During the operation, he was surprised to suddenly find himself awake and alert, looking down on his own body from above.
He could see the surgeon and the nurses performing the procedure, and sensed from their behavior that there was an emergency — he could see them rushing around, trying to take action to save his life. He was also surprised to find that he could hear classical music in the operating theatre.
He felt himself floating further away from his body, into a darkness which felt strangely peaceful and welcoming. Then he encountered his father, who had died a few years earlier. His father seemed surprised to encounter him, and told him, “You shouldn’t be here — it’s not your time yet.” Then John felt himself moving back down towards his body, and lost awareness again.
The next thing he knew, he was awake in recovery. Shortly afterwards, he asked the surgeon, “How come you were playing classical music in the operating theatre?” The surgeon was amazed that he knew this, since he had been unconscious when they turned the music on.