A tycoon claims he knows what really happens when we pass on after encountering three near-death experiences himself.
Dannion Brinkley, 74, has transformed from an afterlife skeptic to a person who believes that ‘nobody dies.’
The New York Times bestselling author and former U.S. Marine was first confronted by death in 1975 when a surging bolt of lightning electrocuted him after it hit a telephone pole.
The electricity then traveled through the phone line and took over his body – melting the phone in his hand.
‘It went into the side of my head above my ear, it went down my spine,’ Brinkley, of Nevada, told KLAS.
‘It welded the nails of the heels of my shoes to the floor. It threw me up in the air, I see the ceiling, it slams me back down, a ball of fire comes through the room and blinds me. I am burning. I am on fire. I am paralyzed.’
It was at that moment that Brinkley said his soul left his body while he was riding in the speeding ambulance to the hospital.
He told the outlet he watched as doctors declared him dead, but nearly 30 minutes later he miraculously woke up in the morgue.
Dannion Brinkley, 74, claims his three near-death experiences have revealed what really happens when people pass on
The New York Times bestselling author and former Marine was first confronted by death in 1975 when a surging bolt of lightning electrocuted him after hitting a telephone pole. (Pictured: File photo of lightning)
During that time, Brinkley said he traveled through a tunnel, experienced a recap of his life and witnessed a spiritual light before being placed back in his severely burned body.
It took him two years to learn how to walk again, and although he kept his experience pretty tight-lipped, the family members he did tell did not believe what he saw.
His second near-death experience, or NDE, took place in 1989 while Brinkley was on the operating table during open heart surgery.
His heart ‘gave out during an attack of pneumonia,’ according to one of his book descriptions.
While he was dead, Brinkley said he experienced what he described as the afterlife.
In that time, he found himself in a ‘crystal city,’ was ‘reunited with his angelic instructors,’ and even learned how to ‘use his new psychic and spiritual gifts to aid the dying and the desperate,’ the blurb, on the back of his first book, ‘Saved by the Light: The True Story of a Man Who Died Twice and the Profound Revelations He Received,’ read.
The novel also touched upon Brinkley’s relationship with Dr. Raymond Moody, another author and philosopher who researches NDEs.
Moody, who wrote the introduction for Brinkley’s book, received a large dose of skepticism from religious critics and medical professionals, along with Brinkley, for their revelations.
His second near-death experience, or NDE, took place in 1989 while Brinkley was on the operating table during open heart surgery. (Pictured: An undated image of Brinkley as a young man)
Despite that, Moody and Brinkley, who said he had his third NDE during brain surgery, continued to defend their experiences and theories.
Brinkley told the outlet that his experiences have proved to him that ‘nobody’s going to hell.’
‘So, when you learn you don’t die, when you learn you’re a spiritual being, you’re not going to go to hell. That’s enough to inspire you to change,’ he continued.
His other best-selling novels include ‘Peace in Light’ and ‘The Secrets of the Light.’
Brinkley has even gone on to share his experiences with a specific demographic – dying veterans.
He started a program called the Twilight Brigade – an initiative with the Veterans Administration that makes sure no military veteran dies alone.
Brinkley has sat at the bedside of thousands of dying veterans and watched them take their final breath.
He went on to write about his NDEs in his first book ‘Saved by the Light: The True Story of a Man Who Died Twice and the Profound Revelations He Received’
Following his experiences, Brinkley has transformed from an afterlife skeptic to a person who strongly disputes critics and believes that ‘nobody dies’
In September 2024, he started the Brinkley Center Foundation, which provides people who are dealing with grief, loss, transitions, and caregiving, with help ‘to center their hearts and minds’ and one day ‘live a life of gratitude,’ according to his website.
The center helped support those impacted by Hurricane Helene by ‘providing a safe haven where individuals can find shelter, emotional support, and essential resources for recovery,’ it added.
More than anything, Brinkley has wanted to use his personal experiences to better the lives of others who are suffering.
He told the outlet he has chosen this career path ‘because nobody dies. It never happens.
‘It’s not a part of the nature of reality, it’s not.’
