I died for eight minutes... my encounter proves the soul never dies
Brianna Lafferty, a 33-year-old woman from Colorado, was battling a life-threatening neurological disorder when, as she describes it, her body simply 'gave up.'
She was pronounced clinically dead, but according to her, her consciousness did not die with her.
'Death is an illusion because our soul never dies. Our consciousness remains alive. And our very essence simply transforms,' Lafferty said.
'I did not see or remember my human self. I was completely still, yet I felt fully alive, aware, and more myself than ever before.'
Lafferty suffers from myoclonus dystonia, a rare neurological condition that causes involuntary muscle jerks and can disrupt bodily functions. During one of her medical crises, she flatlined.
Before she lost full physical awareness, she said she heard a voice asking if she was ready, then everything went dark.
What happened next, she said, defies scientific explanation. She described her soul 'floating' above her lifeless body and entering a realm where time did not exist.
Near-death experiences (NDEs) are complex and not fully understood, but scientific research suggests they are likely neurological phenomena arising from specific brain activity during moments of critical illness or near-death.
While various theories exist, a key aspect involves the brain's continued activity, even after the heart stops, potentially leading to altered states of consciousness and vivid perceptions.
But Lafferty is sure she died, experienced life after death and returned to the world of the living.
'I was suddenly separated from my physical body,' Lafferty said.
'There was no pain, just a deep sense of peace and clarity. This detachment from my physical form made me realize how temporary and fragile our human experience is.'
She also claimed that she noticed something extraordinary, her thoughts began to shape her surroundings in the afterlife.
'My thoughts instantly materialized,' said Lafferty. 'I realized that our thoughts shape reality there, it just takes time, which is a blessing.'
After she was revived, Lafferty had to relearn how to walk and speak.
She underwent experimental brain surgery to treat damage to her pituitary gland.
Though she fears the possibility of another near-death experience, she no longer fears death itself.
'It changed the course of my life,' she said. 'What I feared no longer had power over me, and what I used to chase didn't seem important anymore.'
Though her account is deeply personal, it resonates with findings from a recent study that suggests awareness may persist long after the heart stops.
Researchers across 25 hospitals in the US, UK, and Bulgaria tracked 567 patients who suffered cardiac arrest in hospital settings.
The study, published in Resuscitation, used EEG monitors to measure brain wave activity during CPR.
Nearly 40 percent of the patients monitored during resuscitation showed signs of brain activity associated with consciousness, some as long as 60 minutes after their hearts had stopped.
Dr Sam Parnia, the study's lead author and director of critical care and resuscitation research at New York University (NYU) Langone, said the findings may offer a glimpse into what happens as we die.
'These experiences provide a glimpse into a real, yet little-understood dimension of human consciousness that becomes uncovered with death,' Parnia said.
In one case, a woman believed she was being tortured in hell as a nurse inserted an IV, a traumatic, semi-conscious moment that may have been interpreted through a haze of near-death awareness.
Lafferty described a similarly surreal experience as she encountered 'other beings' that didn't seem human but felt oddly familiar.
She also described the presence of a 'higher intelligence' watching over her with what she called 'unconditional love,' a moment that altered her perception of life and death.
'There's a presence, or intelligence, higher than ourselves that guides and watches over us with unconditional love,' she said.
The NYU-led study is among the strongest scientific evidence yet that consciousness may persist after clinical death, and that memory, perception, and awareness do not necessarily stop the moment the heart does.
As for Lafferty, the experience left her with a sense of clarity, and a belief that life's pain has meaning.
'I feel empowered and trust life's events, especially the hard ones,' she said. 'Everything happens for a reason.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Nursing homes struggle with Trump's immigration crackdown
Nursing homes already struggling to recruit staff are now grappling with President Donald Trump's attack on one of their few reliable sources of workers: immigration. Facilities for older adults and disabled people are reporting the sporadic loss of employees who have had their legal status revoked by Trump. But they fear even more dramatic impacts are ahead as pipelines of potential workers slow to a trickle with an overall downturn in legal immigration. 'We feel completely beat up right now,' says Deke Cateau, CEO of A.G. Rhodes, which operates three nursing homes in the Atlanta area, with one-third of the staff made up of foreign-born people from about three dozen countries. 'The pipeline is getting smaller and smaller.' Eight of Cateau's workers are expected to be forced to leave after having their Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, revoked. TPS allows people already living in the U.S. to stay and work legally if their home countries are unsafe due to civil unrest or natural disasters and during the Biden administration, the designation was expanded to cover people from a dozen countries, including large numbers from Venezuela and Haiti. While those with TPS represent a tiny minority of A.G. Rhodes' 500 staffers, Cateau says they will be 'very difficult, if not impossible, to replace' and he worries what comes next. 'It may be eight today, but who knows what it's going to be down the road,' says Cateau, an immigrant himself, who arrived from Trinidad and Tobago 25 years ago. Nearly one in five civilian workers in the U.S. is foreign born, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but as in construction, agriculture and manufacturing, immigrants are overrepresented in caregiving roles. More than a quarter of an estimated 4 million nursing assistants, home health aides, personal care aides and other so-called direct care workers are foreign born, according to PHI, a nonprofit focused on the caregiving workforce. The aging of the massive Baby Boom generation is poised to fuel even more demand for caregivers, both in institutional settings and in individuals' homes. BLS projects more growth among home health and personal care aides than any other job, with some 820,000 new positions added by 2032. Nursing homes, assisted living facilities, home health agencies and other such businesses were counting on immigrants to fill many of those roles, so Trump's return to the White House and his administration's attack on nearly all forms of immigration has sent a chill throughout the industry. Katie Smith Sloan, CEO of LeadingAge, which represents nonprofit care facilities, says homes around the country have been affected by the immigration tumult. Some have reported employees who have stopped coming to work, fearful of a raid, even though they are legally in the country. Others have workers who are staying home with children they have kept out of school because they worry about roundups. Many others see a slowdown of job applicants. 'This is just like a punch in the gut,' she says. Rachel Blumberg, CEO of the Toby and Leon Cooperman Sinai Residences in Boca Raton, Florida, has already lost 10 workers whose permission to stay in the U.S. came under a program known as humanitarian parole, which had been granted to people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. She is slated to lose 30 more in the coming weeks with the end of TPS for Haitians. 'I think it's the tip of the iceberg,' says Blumberg, forecasting further departures of employees who may not themselves be deported, but whose spouse or parent is. Blumberg got less than 24 hours' notice when her employees lost their work authorization, setting off a scramble to fill shifts. She has already boosted salaries and referral bonuses but says it will be difficult to replace not just aides, but maintenance workers, dishwashers and servers. 'Unfortunately, Americans are not drawn to applying and working in the positions that we have available,' she says. Front-line caregivers are overwhelmingly female and a majority are members of minority groups, according to PHI, earning an average of just $16.72 hourly in 2023. Long-term care homes saw an exodus of workers as COVID made an already-challenging workplace even more so. Some facilities were beginning to see employment normalize to pre-pandemic levels just as the immigration crackdown hit, though industry-wide, there is still a massive shortage of workers. Some in the industry have watched in frustration as Trump lamented how businesses including farming and hospitality could be hurt by his policies, wondering why those who clean hotel rooms or pick tomatoes deserve more attention than those who care for elders. Beyond rescinded work authorizations for people living in the U.S., care homes are having difficulty getting visas approved for registered nurses and licensed practical nurses they recruit abroad. What used to be a simple process now stretches so long that candidates reconsider the U.S. altogether, says Mark Sanchez, chief operating officer of United Hebrew, a nursing home in New Rochelle, New York. 'There are lines upon lines upon lines,' says Sanchez, 'and now they're saying, 'I'm going to go to Canada' and 'I'm going to go to Germany and they're welcoming me with open arms.'' Looking around a facility with a majority-immigrant staff, the son of Filipino immigrants wonders where his future recruits will come from. 'I don't have ICE coming in my door and taking my people,' Sanchez says, 'but the pipeline that was flowing before is now coming in dribs and drabs.' Long-term care workers are routinely lured away not just by hospitals and doctors' offices, but restaurants, stores and factories. Half of the average nursing home's staff turns over each year, according to federal data, making the attraction and retention of every employee vital to their operation. Robin Wolzenburg of LeadingAge in Wisconsin began working to place an influx of people from Afghanistan after the U.S. pulled out its final troops four years ago and thousands of refugees arrived in her state. Care homes began hiring the refugees and were so delighted with them, some facilities began hiring refugees who arrived from Ukraine, Somalia and Congo. Though many homes had employee retention rates around 30%, Wolzenburg said the figure was above 90% with refugees. Trump has halted most refugee admissions, meaning Wolzenburg's successful outreach program has no new arrivals to target. 'It's been really devastating,' Wolzenburg says. 'Our communities that were actively working with the resettlement agencies are not seeing those referrals to long-term care like we were. There's no refugees coming in.' Lynne Katman, the founder of Juniper Communities, which runs 21 facilities across five states, says it's hard enough to find the right workers with a passion for older adults. Now, just as homes gird for an influx of residents brought on by the country's demographic shift, they're facing another challenge to a stable workforce. 'The work is hard. It's not always been the highest paying job that one can get,' she says. 'But many of the immigrants who actually have chosen this work consider caregiving a noble profession.' ___
Daily Mail
6 hours ago
- Daily Mail
I'm a longevity expert, here's three things I'm doing that will mean I'm living to 100
After a tiring week at work, a weekend lie in and a slap up brunch seem like a no-brainer—but could a few extra hours and a healthy breakfast do more than simply restore your energy levels? Mounting research suggests that sleeping in on our days off, eating a diet rich in healthy fats and protein, and making time for regular exercise can seriously reduce the risk of developing a number of conditions, from dementia to obesity. Now a leading longevity expert has gone one step further, telling MailOnline that living by these simple pillars could help turn back the biological clock—and even help you reach a very grand old age. Dr Naheed Ali, a Harvard-trained lifestyle expert, believes that living to 100 isn't just down to luck and genetics, and there are easy ways to give ourselves a helping hand to reach our centenaries. 'From a medical standpoint, we encounter three distinct spurts of ageing,' he said. 'Infancy, the teen years and after 60—and each phase carries its own metabolic demands.' As adults, there isn't a lot we can do to influence the first two stages, but we do have the luxury of taking preventative steps to prepare for the final one, and Dr Ali says that it is possible to reverse our biological ages in just six months. The final spurt when we are officially entering old age, comes with an acceleration in muscle wastage, brain shrinkage and skin decline—all things that make us appear older. With this in mind, longevity experts suggest it might be time for us to stop seeing ageing as a steady decline marked by an increasing number of candles on a birthday cake, but rather a series of instalments that can potentially be waylaid. Support for this theory can be found in research published by the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge. Their scientists found that up until the age of around 70, most people are able to make new blood cells, which are vital for supplying the body with oxygen. But after 70, our blood cell count drops significantly, raising the risk of anaemia, immune disorders and cancer. This is because red blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen around the body. Fewer blood cells means there's less oxygen and nutrients being delivered to our internal organs and skin and this causes poor tissue regeneration—triggering visible signs of ageing, like loose, papery, sallow skin and deep facial wrinkles. This age is regarded as a tipping point because it is when our body finally succumbs to the damage which has been accumulating at a cellular level for decades, which is why it's crucial to prioritise our health and reduce this inevitable damage right now. According to Dr Ali, it is possible to reverse biological aging by focusing on neural health—and he says 'it's never too late to start'. 'Protecting the brain starts with blood supply, so I emphasise a Mediterranean-style eating pattern rich in olive oil, legumes and brightly coloured vegetables', he explained. Dr Ali shared this as one of three key tips to help increase your chances of living for a century. He said: 'These foods deliver polyphenols that keep blood pressure in check and maintain the delicate vessels feeding cortical tissue [the outer protective layer of our internal organs].' Polyphenols are a nutrient found in plant foods like fruits, vegetables, dark chocolate and spices which help reduce inflammation and have been found to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and heart disease. His second tip was to incorporate movement and exercise throughout the day. This could be as simple as switching to a standing desk, or taking the stairs rather than the lift to boost activity levels. It has long been thought that those who get up and move more tend to live longer than those who lead a more sedentary lifestyle. 'This is because movement helps the body respond better to insulin, reducing glucose spikes that can damage cells and tissue in the body,' he said. Frequent or prolonged spikes in our blood sugar levels can lead to the formation of harmful molecules which form when excess sugar binds to protein or fats in the body. These compounds are known to damage cells in the body, especially in sensitive areas like the brain, contributing to ageing and increasing the risk of degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia diagnosed in the UK. Dr Ali added that people should aim for a 'brisk thirty-minute walk five days a week', to ward off the cognitive decline associated with dementia. Experts have previously found that people aged between 45 and 65 who increased their activity levels to around two and a half hours a week were less prone to one toxic protein— amyloid —spreading in the brain. Significant clumps of this protein can form plaques in the brain which are thought to be behind the symptoms of Alzheimer's. The longevity expert added that exercise also helps preserve volume in the part of the brain linked to thinking and memory. 'Good sleep completes the triad,' Dr Ali added. 'Seven to nine hours in a cool, dark room with minimal caffeine after midday allows the body to do its nightly cleansing job.' 'Patients who improve their sleep often notice crisper attention within a fortnight', he added. Studies show that consistently failing to get enough shut eye can increase the risk of obesity, heart disease and even dementia. Some studies have suggested that even just one night of restless sleep can increase inflammation in the body, contributing to the effects of ageing. However, too much sleep can also be bad for you. Researchers now say that consistently sleeping for longer than nine hours a night can fuel brain ageing that leads to memory problems in later life. Concluding, Dr Ali said: 'When someone combines activity, nutrient dense meals, and restorative sleep we often see epigenetic movement markers move in a younger direction within six months. 'This evidence of biological reverse is a powerful motivator and reminds patients that it is never too late to start caring for their nervous system.' More and more Britons are living to 100, and beyond. At the age of 115, Ethel Caterham, from Surrey, is the oldest living person in the UK. Dr Daniel Glazer, a clinical psychologist, agrees, stating: 'In late adulthood, those with a clear sense of purpose often report sharper memory and greater satisfaction than age-matched peers. One of his top tips is finding time to meditate every day. 'Brief daily sessions of paced breathing or mindfulness meditation drop stress levels that erode tissue in the brain,' he said. 'Emotional regulation keeps the biochemical environment hospitable.' Lower cortisol levels—the stress hormone—also helps to reduce inflammation, protecting blood vessels around the body. 'The practice is simple yet biologically potent, giving clients something tangible they can control,' the psychologist added. Physical activity, a diverse diet packed with wholegrains, fruits and vegetables, love, companionship, and a sense of purpose make up the backbone of so-called 'Blue Zones,' or areas of the world where people typically live to 100 and beyond.
The Independent
10 hours ago
- The Independent
Trump's ‘Big Beautiful Bill' is estimated to leave millions without health care. He insists ‘it's not going to cause death'
President Donald Trump defended his 'Big, Beautiful, Bill' during a Fox News interview broadcast on Saturday night, claiming "it's not going to cause death, it's going to keep people alive" even as millions are estimated to lose health coverage under the legislation signed into law on July 4. About 11.8 million people are at risk of losing their health insurance, according to the Congressional Budget Office, but not all at once. The legislation cuts federal health care programs over the course of a decade to remove close to $1 trillion from Medicaid, Obamacare, and the Children's Health Insurance Program. Earlier this month, the House voted 218 to 214 to pass the bill after Vice President JD Vance had to break a tie in the Senate to get it passed. The cuts to healthcare benefits were made to pay for tax cuts that mainly benefit the wealthy, an extension of Trump's 2017 tax cuts, which were set to sunset at the end of 2025. The CBO estimates that the bill will add $3.4 trillion to federal deficits over the next 10 years, a forecast rejected by many congressional Republicans and the White House. Medicaid provides health care sponsored by the government to low-income and disabled Americans. The new legislation enacts work requirements for some able-bodied adults and more eligibility checks. The president called on Republicans to 'explain the bill because it's so big and so good,' while blasting Democrats for only doing one thing well — 'complain.' 'I tell Republicans, you have to speak positively about it,' the president said in an interview with his daughter-in-law, Fox News' Lara Trump. 'The Democrats, they only do one thing good, and that's complain, and they say it's going to cause death, and this and that … it's a sound bite. Somebody gave them a sound bite,' Trump added. 'It's not going to cause death. It's going to keep people alive, and it's going to make our country successful,' he said. Trump claimed that the bill has already led to major investments. 'We are getting investment because of that bill. We're having investment made in this country that nobody's ever believed. We're up to close to $15 trillion,' he claimed. 'We're having car companies come in and build their plants here, which they wouldn't have even thought about. They would have never done it,' he added. The president went on to call AI 'the big hot thing,' claiming that trillions of dollars were being spent in the industry. 'They wouldn't have done that without what we just did last week,' he said.
