The most famous account of a person being clinically dead for approximately 28 minutes comes from Dannion Brinkley, an American Army veteran and businessman.

His experience, which he had in 1975 after being struck by lightning, is widely referred to as a near-death experience (NDE) and forms the basis of his book “Saved by the Light.”

It is important to note that, from a medical perspective, “clinical death” refers to the cessation of breathing and heartbeat, which can be reversed. “Biological” (or brain) death is irreversible.

Dannion Brinkley’s Account
According to Dannion Brinkley, during the 28 minutes he was lifeless (and woke up in the morgue), he saw and felt, among other things:

Out-of-Body Experience
At the moment the lightning struck, he felt intense pain.
Afterward, he felt as if he had left his physical body and was floating. He reports watching from above as paramedics and doctors at the hospital attempted to revive him.

He claims to have heard the medical staff declare his death and watched as his body was transported to the morgue.
The Journey and the Light
Brinkley describes his journey through a tunnel toward a blue-gray light, which he describes as filled with peace, love, and warmth.

He felt no fear, but rather a profound sense of calm and well-being. He claims to have been greeted by a figure or “being of light” (which he describes as an “angelic teacher”) who guided him through the experience.
Panoramic Life Review
One of the most striking aspects of his account is his life review. He says he relived every moment of his life, but in a special way: He felt the effects of his actions on others.
According to his account, he not only saw what he did, but also felt the pain, joy, anguish, and frustration his actions caused in everyone he met. Brinkley claims that judgments are self-made; we judge ourselves by feeling the effects of our own actions.

Future Visions
Brinkley also claims to have been taken to a “crystal city” and to have received “revelations,” or visions, about future events for humanity (although these claims are the most controversial and unverified in his account). The Effects of the Experience
After returning to life, Brinkley was paralyzed for six days and took two years to walk again due to injuries caused by the lightning.
However, he claims the experience changed his life. He dedicated himself to counseling the terminally ill, reinforcing the message that “no one dies” and that consciousness continues after physical death. The goal was to alleviate the fear of death.

Note: Near-death experience reports have been the subject of neurological and psychological study. Some scientists, such as Dr. Sam Parnia, who studies consciousness in death, point out that near-death experiences are vivid and universal experiences. However, science is still trying to fully understand the brain mechanisms that cause them.