Woman declared dead for 8 minutes jolts awake and says 'death is an illusion'

A woman who was pronounced dead for eight minutes has revealed what she saw, and has said that death is an illusion. Brianna Lafferty's soul "floated" above her before she passed over into a place where time did not exist.

The 33-year-old had been battling a rare, life-limiting neurological disorder and said her body had already "given up", having exhausted all medication available. She heard a voice asking if she was ready - and agreed - as she entered into complete darkness. It was in this void that Ms Lafferty came to understand that death is not the end, as the soul persists beyond our earthly existence. "Death is an illusion because our soul never dies," she said. "Our consciousness remains alive. And our very being only transforms. My thoughts instantly manifested into the afterlife. I noticed that our thoughts create a reality there - it just takes time - which is a blessing.

"We're capable of converting our negativity into positivity, turning this into reality. I feel empowered and trust life's events, particularly the challenging ones. Reflecting on my past, everything is so crystal clear as to why I battled with illness and other tough struggles.

"There's knowledge that everything does really happen for a reason, as I go with the flow and don't get angry or upset when bad things happen. Also knowing that my thoughts and feelings are that powerful helps me live a gratitude filled life."

Ms Lafferty had been suffering from myoclonus dystonia, a rare and severe neurological condition that causes sudden, brief muscle jerks and contractions. She was unaware of how bad her condition could get and whether it was fatal. After experiencing intense insomnia, where she was unable to sleep for more than a minute across four days, she thought her time was almost up.

She said that during her out-of-body experience, she was taught a valuable lesson.

"I was suddenly separated from my physical body. I didn't see or remember my human self," she said. "I was completely still, yet I felt fully alive, aware and more myself than ever before. There was no pain, just a deep sense of peace and clarity."

She added that this detachment from her physical form made her realise "how temporary and fragile our human experience is". She claimed there is a presence, or intelligence, higher than ourselves that guides and watches over us "with unconditional love" in a place where time does not appear to exist.

"I experienced the beginning of everything and learned that our universe is made up of a bunch of numbers. I met other beings that I'm not sure were human, but they felt familiar," she continued. "It changed the course of my life - what I feared no longer had power over me and what I used to chase didn't seem important anymore.

"I came back with a sense of mission and deep reverence for both life and death."

Ms Lafferty recalled feeling as though she had been away for months when she returned to her body, despite only being declared dead for eight minutes. She then spent four days in hospital, trying to work out what had happened. Over this time, she had to readjust, both physically and spiritually.

"I had to relearn how to walk and talk. I've also had lasting side effects and damage to my pituitary gland, which I got experimental brain surgery for to treat - and has been a success so far.

"I am a little fearful of having another near death experience, only because the recovery is tough. I'm not sure I can avoid it if it's meant to happen again, though. But because of this, I have a heart of gratitude instead of anger.

"And I'm able to help others going through chronic illness, dying and spiritual awakenings using my own experience. I believe I survived because I have a purpose here on Earth."