>>> BEFORE WE HAD THE NEWS OF
ARETHA FRANKLIN'S PASSING WE HAD
PLANNED THIS SHOW ON WHAT
HAPPENS AFTER WE DIE.
AS WE MOURN THE QUEEN OF SOUL,
IT SEEMS A PARTICULARLY GOOD
TIME TO ASK, IS THERE SOMETHING
MORE?
SOMETHING ON THE OTHER SIDE.
"TODAY" SHOW TRIES TO ANSWER
THOSE QUESTIONS.
MY FIRST GUEST, SHERRY WAS
RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL AFTER
WEEKS OF FEELING SHORT OF
BREATH.
JUST 10 MINUTES AFTER SHE
ARRIVED, SHE FLAT LINED IN HER
HUSBAND'S ARMS.
SHERRY WAS DEAD FOR 90 MINUTES
BUT MIRACULOUSLY CAME BACK TO
LIFE AND NOW HAS A PROFOUND NEAR
DEATH EXPERIENCE TO SHARE.
WATCH.
IN EARLY 2008, SHERRY WAS LIVING
LIFE TO THE FULLEST.
>> I REALLY WAS LIVING A REALLY
WONDERFUL LIFE IN MY 20s MAKING
GOOD MONEY, EXPERIENCING
FREEDOM, AND REALLY FEELING
ONTON OF THE WORLD.
>> SHERRY'S GOOD LIFE CAME TO
HALT LATER THAT YEAR WHEN SHE
WAS DIAGNOSED WITH HODGKINS
LYMPHOMA.
>> WAITED UNTIL THE DOOR WAS
CLOSED, SAT DOWN.
I KNEW SOMETHING WAS UP.
THAT'S WHEN HE LOOKED AT ME AND
SAID, YOU HAVE CANCER.
>> SHE IMMEDIATELY UNDERWENT
FOUR INTENSIVE ROUNDS OF
CHEMOTHERAPY, CRIPPLING HER
BODY.
>> THERE'S NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE
WHAT THAT CHEMOTHERAPY TREATMENT
WAS LIKE.
IT WAS SO EXTREME.
I WOULD NOT WISH THOSE SIDE
EFFECTS ON ANYBODY.
>> AFTER BATTLING THE DISEASE
FOR THREE MONTHS, HER CANCER
WENT INTO REMISSION AND SHE WAS
DECLARED CANCER-FREE.
>> IT'S AN INCREDIBLE FEELING TO
GO IN FOR THOSE TESTS AND
REALIZE THEY ARE SAYING IT'S
SHRINKING.
>> IN APRIL OF 2010, SHERRY
SUFFERED ANOTHER SETBACK,
CARDIAC ARREST.
>> THE DOCTORS WERE RUSHED IN.
THEY IMMEDIATELY PERFORMED CPR.
WITHIN THE FIRST FIVE, TEN
MINUTES WERE UNSUCCESSFUL AND
READY TO CALL MY TIME OF DEATH.
>> ONE DOCTOR ORDERED CPR TO
CONTINUE.
>> HE JUST TURNED INTO A DRILL
SERGEANT, AND HE TOLD EVERYBODY
WHAT TO DO.
THEY DID CHEST COMPRESSIONS OVER
90 MINUTES, STILL WITHOUT
SUCCESS.
>> SHE WAS PUT ON LIFE SUPPORT
AND RUSHED TO NEW YORK
PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL AND
UNDERWENT OPEN-HEART SURGERY.
>> I KNEW I WAS SOMEWHERE ELSE.
I KNEW I HAD DIED.
I WOULD SAY INSTANTANEOUSLY WHEN
I FLAT LINED I IMMEDIATELY
CROSSED INTO INTO THIS OTHER
REALM.
I REMEMBER MY BODY FLOATING IN
THIS WHITE SPACE.
I FELT AS LIGHT AS A FEATHER.
HE FELT FREE.
>> SHERRY JOINS US NOW.
SHERRY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
BEING HERE.
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> SO CAN WE -- LET'S GO TO THAT
MOMENT IN THE HOSPITAL WHERE YOU
WERE FLAT LINING.
THEY SAY THAT'S THE MOMENT YOU
ARE DEAD, YOUR HEART IS NOT
WORKING, YOUR HEART IS NOT
PUMPING.
IS IT TRUE THEY WANTED TO STOP
CPR.
THERE WAS THE ONE DOCTOR WHO
SAID, UH-UH.
>> THEY WERE READY TO CALL MY
TIME OF DEATH.
EVERYBODY IN THAT STAFF, IN THAT
ROOM, THE EMERGENCY ROOM, THEY
WERE READY TO CALL MY TIME OF
DEATH.
ONE LAN MATT ROOM SAID, NO,
WE'RE NOT LOSING HER AND ORDERED
EVERYBODY, LIKE A DRILL
SERGEANT, ACCORDING TO MY
FATHER, TO CONTINUE WITH CPR.
WHAT THEY HAD TO DO WAS CONTINUE
IT LONG ENOUGH FOR HIM TO
INSTALL TEMPORARY LIFE SUPPORT.
>> WHAT IS THE FIRST MEMORY YOU
HAVE OF YOUR OTHER WORLDLY
EXPERIENCE?
>> YEAH.
IT WAS PRETTY INSTANTANEOUS FOR
ME.
I REMEMBER ONE MINUTE BEING IN
THIS WORLD AND THE NEXT MINUTE
BEING LIKE, I DIED.
I KNEW IMMEDIATELY I WAS IN THIS
WHITE SPACE WHERE I FELT LIKE I
WAS FORMLESS.
I FELT LIGHT AS A FEATHER.
I FELT FREE.
I REMEMBER FEELING REALLY FREE
OF THE BURDENS OF EVERY DAY
LIFE.
>> WAS THERE A FEELING OF PANIC
AT ALL?
I'VE DIED.
OH, MY GOD, I'VE DIED.
>> IT WAS MORE, WOW, THIS IS SO
BEAUTIFUL.
>> REALLY?
>> YEAH.
>> YOU REMEMBER THAT?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> WAS IT ONE OF THOSE THINGS
WHERE YOU WERE ABOVE THE ROOM.
>> IT WASN'T LIKE AN OUT OF BODY
EXPERIENCE, I LITERALLY WAS IN A
WHOLE OTHER REALM.
I WAS NO LONGER IN THE PHYSICAL
HOSPITAL ROOM, I WAS COMPLETELY
IN ANOTHER REALM.
I ACTUALLY FELT CONNECTED TO MY
FAMILY ON THE OTHER SIDE, AND I
FELT CONNECTED TO THE HEAVENS.
SO THERE WAS NO DISTINCTION OF,
OKAY, I'M DEAD AND IN THIS OTHER
WORLD, IT WAS MORE I JUST
GRACEFULLY WALKED THROUGH THIS
TORE AND MADE THIS BEAUTIFUL
TRANSITION INTO ANOTHER REALM.
>> SO THERE'S MUCH MORE TO HER
EXPERIENCE AND WHAT HAPPENED IN
THOSE MOMENTS, INCLUDING AN
>>> I'M BACK NOW WITH SHERRY WHO
SAYS SHE HAD A LIFE CHANGING
NEAR DEATH EXPERIENCE DURING
CARDIAC ARREST WHEN SHE WAS DEAD
FOR 90 MINUTES.
SO SHERRY, I KNOW YOU'VE SAID
THAT IN THE MOMENT IT FELT LIKE
YOU DID A LIFE REVIEW.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
>> YEAH.
IT'S FUNNY, BECAUSE IT ACTUALLY
WASN'T JUST A LIFE REVIEW OF MY
CURRENT LIFE, IT WAS ACTUALLY A
LIFE REVIEW OF ANY EXPERIENCE MY
SOUL HAD EVER UNDER GONE, WHICH
IS SO CRAZY, SO CRAZY TO ME.
>> DID YOU BELIEVE IN PAST LIVES
PRIOR TO THAT MOMENT.
>> I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT A NEAR
DEATH EXPERIENCE WAS UNTIL I GOT
BACK.
THIS WAS ALL VERY FOREIGN TO ME.
I HAD HEARD MAYBE OF PEOPLE THAT
HAD HAD AN OUT OF BODY
EXPERIENCE.
I DID NOT KNOW WHAT THIS MEANT.
SO YEAH, THIS WAS DEFINITELY
VERY, VERY FOREIGN FOR ME.
>> DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU GOT A
WINDOW INTO PRIOR LIVES?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
I MEAN, THE BIGGEST THING I
REALLY LEARNED WAS, I LEARNED --
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE HAVE THIS
COMMON RECURRING THEME THAT'S
HAPPENING IN OUR LIVES, WHETHER
IT'S POOR FINANCES OR
RELATIONSHIP TROUBLE, I GOT TO
LEARN DURING MY LIFETIME REVIEWS
WHAT THAT COMMON THEME WAS AND
HOW TO CLEAR IT.
>> WOW.
>> WHAT HAPPENED WAS, IT WAS
ATTACHING TO MY SOUL DURING
EVERY LIFETIME.
>> I'M SORRY, BUT I BELIEVE
THAT.
I FEEL LIKE THAT'S PART OF
KARMA.
YOU KEEP GETTING THE CHANCE TO
GET IT RIGHT AND EVENTUALLY
HOPEFULLY YOU DO AND MOVE ONTO
THE NEXT PLANE.
I REALLY THINK THERE'S SOMETHING
TO THAT.
>> YES.
>> THE NOTION OF BEING DEAD BUT
NOT DEAD IS CONFUSING TO PEOPLE.
>> YEAH.
>> WE HAVE A DOCTOR HERE, HIS
NAME IS DR. SAM PARNIA, AUTHOR
OF "ERASING DEATH" WHICH SOUNDS
LIKE A GREAT IDEA, DOC.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> PLEASURE.
>> HOW COULD SHE BE DEAD BUT NOT
DEAD FOR 90 MINUTES.
>> IT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION, OF
COURSE.
THE REALITY IS WE ALL HAVE A
PERCEPTION OF DEATH.
THIS GOES BACK MILLENNIA, DEATH
IS A MOMENT.
YOU'RE EITHER ALIVE OR DEAD.
THE REASON WE THINK THAT, WHEN
THE HEART STOPS, YOU HAVE NO
MORE BLOOD FLOWING INTO YOUR
BRAIN, ORGANS, BRAIN SHUTS DOWN,
A PERSON ISS LIFELESS,
MOTIONLESS, DEAD.
EVEN IF YOU DO BACK TO THE
FRENCH REVOLUTION WHEN SOMEBODY
LOST THEIR HEAD, THERE'S NO MORE
BLOOD GETTING TO THE BRAIN AND
IT SHUTS.
WHAT'S AMAZING 50 OR 60 YEARS
AGO WE FOUND CPR.
WE FOUND YOU COULD ARTIFICIALLY
PRODUCE CIRCULATION, GET BLOOD
FLOWING AROUND THE BODY EVEN
AFTER A PERSON DIED.
THAT MADE OUR DEFINITION SZ MORE
AMBIGUOUS.
WHAT IS MORE INTERESTING, WE
UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S ONLY AFTER
A PERSON DIED, WHICH MAKES
PERFECT SENSE, THE CELLS INSIDE
THE BODY START TO UNDERGO THEIR
OWN PROCESS OF DEATH.
SO WHEN SOMEBODY'S HEART STOPS,
IT'S ONLY THEN THAT THE CELLS
WILL START TO DIE.
THAT PROCESS TAKES MANY HOURS,
POSSIBLY DAYS.
>> HOW HAS YOUR OUTLOOK ON DEATH
AND LIFE CHANGED AS A RESULT OF
THIS EXPERIENCE?
>> I AM DEFINITELY NO LONGER
AFRAID OF DEATH.
THAT WAS SOMETHING I HAD FEARED
MY ENTIRE LIFE.
WHAT I LEARNED IS THAT THAT FEAR
OF DEATH REALLY PREVENTS YOU
FROM TRULY LIVING.
AND SO IF YOU WERE TO KNOW ME
PRIOR TO MY NEAR DEATH
EXPERIENCE AND NOW, IT'S LIKE
I'M TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
PEOPLE.
I LIVED PRE-NEAR DEATH, I LIVED
MY LIFE -- ALL MY DECISIONS WERE
BASED AROUND FEAR.
FEAR OF WHAT OTHER PEOPLE
THOUGHT, FEAR OF WHAT OTHER
PEOPLE WOULD SAY, FEAR OF NOT
BEING GOOD ENOUGH, OR FEAR OF
BEING UNWORTHY.
EVEN THOUGH I WAS SUCCESSFUL IN
MY EARLIER YEARS, EVERY DECISION
WAS STILL BASED UPON THAT.
NOW I FLIPPED THE SCRIPT.
I'M DOING EVERYTHING DIFFERENT.
>> I LOVE THAT.
I COMPLETELY BELIEVE IN THAT.
I THINK IF YOU'RE MAKING
DECISIONS OUT OF FEAR IN
GENERAL, YOU'RE MAKING THEM OUT
OF THE WRONG PLACE.
I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE WELL.
YOU GOT YOUR NEW HEART.
YOU LOOK AMAZING.