What happens when your heart stops beating? What if you get to peek behind the curtain — and return with insights that change your life forever? Vincent Tolman survived one of the rarest scenarios imaginable. This is his story.
I was young, athletic, and deep into bodybuilding. One day I took a relatively new supplement — something that sounded promising. But my body reacted violently to it. In a public restroom, things went wrong: I lost consciousness, started vomiting and ultimately choked on my own vomit. There, on a cold tile floor, my life ended.
Or rather: that’s where something began that defied medical logic. Suddenly I was sitting in a kind of comfortable movie theater seat, as if I was watching a film. On the screen: a lifeless body on the ground. Only later did I realize I was looking at myself, but in that moment it felt strangely detached. As if it was someone else.
The emergency services arrived, but by then it was really too late. Yet I heard a young paramedic in the back of the ambulance. He was eating himself up with frustration. He whispered to himself: “Why didn’t I do more? Why didn’t I say anything to the other two?” That inner struggle touched me, even in that state of consciousness.
The moment of realization came only when they wheeled my body into the hospital. Until then I had been watching everything, but now it suddenly hit me: this was my death. I even felt them strapping me to the stretcher. My body convulsed still, reflexively, as if resisting the loss of life. And yet I was no longer part of it.
The Power of Love in a Dark Tunnel
What followed was intense. A review of everything I had done wrong. Not like a movie this time, but from all perspectives at once. I felt what I had done to others — through their eyes. That confrontation cut deep. The shame, the fear, the sorrow.
But then something unexpected happened. There was warmth coming from behind me. Subtle at first, then stronger. It seemed to touch my back, but also my being. For the first time I felt how valuable I was. Not because of what I had achieved, but simply because of my existence.
Then a man appeared. Everything about him radiated peace and strength. He wore white, smiled warmly and immediately reassured me. My first thought was: this must be God. But he said: “I’m your guide. Not a deity, just someone who helps you choose where you want to go.”
And so another journey began. One where I got to choose: back to my body, or further. There was no pressure. Only presence and space to understand.
That guide — he introduced himself as Drake — radiated an energy I didn’t know from this life. It felt like coming home. Like a kind of memory of something essential I had lost. When I asked what that energy was, he answered: “This is the energy of home.” And suddenly I understood why I felt such a deep longing.
Drake began explaining things to me. Not religious dogma, but lessons. Clear, human lessons. The most important: you must know who you truly are. Without that insight, you can’t feel love, let alone give it. Authenticity was the key to everything.
Why Love Begins With Yourself
According to Drake, we can only truly love when we first understand who we are. That love had to come from within. Not as an idea, but as an experience. When I began to feel that, it became clear that our origin is love. Our creator — or however you want to call it — has placed that love in us. All we have to do is learn to recognize it again.
Drake said that we all have an inner voice. Call it intuition, gut feeling, spirit. That voice is always there, but we don’t always hear it. One of the biggest disruptors? Our relationship with technology. Not that technology is bad — it amplifies what’s already there. It lifts you up, or it pulls you down. And that’s exactly where many people unconsciously make a choice.
At a certain point in my journey, Drake showed me something I hadn’t expected: a kind of gate. In the middle of the road. He called it ‘prejudice’. That was the obstacle that prevented me from going further. No punishment, no judgment — just something I still held onto, something that held me back.
My first reaction was almost proud: “Drake, you’re talking about the wrong person. I have two Korean sisters. Prejudices? I don’t have any.” I really believed that. But he just looked at me, kindly, patiently. As if he knew I would discover it myself.
What came next was confronting. He showed me someone — someone I had always considered prejudiced. And then he gave me insight into their life. Not as an excuse, but to show the bigger picture. For a moment I walked in their shoes, felt their background, their struggles. I still didn’t agree with that person, but the judgment did soften a bit.
Drake explained that change usually doesn’t come from the one who shouts the loudest, but from someone who unexpectedly deviates from the stereotype. Someone who simply shows something that doesn’t fit the picture — without struggle, without force.
What You Think, You Become
After that, the conversation turned to something more fundamental: the power of thoughts. Drake made me realize that thoughts shape reality. What you give your attention to grows. Not as a spiritual slogan, but as an energetic fact.
If you learn to master your thoughts, you can also influence the outcome of your life. Not everything, but much more than we think. Negative influences undermine that process. They interrupt the ability to create with purpose. That awareness was my next step.
The last lesson before I could move on was about unity. Not an abstract idea, but something I felt as bodily truth. Everything is connected. Everything comes from one source. And every time we harm someone else, we hurt something in ourselves.
Drake put it simply: “You can’t cut off a finger from your hand and expect to win.” That image stuck with me. It wasn’t about right or wrong. It was about coherence — and the choice to respect that coherence.
Then I landed in a place I can only describe as heavenly. Not a dream image, not a metaphor. It felt real. There were rolling hills, clear light, a deep peace. And what touched me most: the grass seemed to know me. As if each blade had a form of consciousness. Every particle radiated love.
A stream began to flow — water that glided over my feet. Not wet, but tangible. Warm and cool at the same time. Everywhere it touched me, something disappeared. Old tension, physical pain, mental scars. The water brought back something I had lost: wholeness. A kind of original state I had forgotten existed.
The Shadow After the Light
Returning to earthly life after such an experience is hard. For me it was crushing. Depression came like a wall. I felt lost, torn away from something I belonged to. Drake’s voice kept repeating in my head: “Vinny, this is going to be difficult. But it’s worth it.”
What ultimately helped me? Andrea. My wife. In her I found something that resembled what I had felt up there. Something of home. Something that reminded me that heaven can also be here — in connection, in eyes, in unconditional love.
Later, in a small town in Wyoming, I saw an old black and white photo in a history class. It was Drake. The same look. The same presence. As if he wanted to tell me one more time: you’re on the right path.
I saw glimpses of what’s to come. Not as a prediction, but as a direction. Our future is not singular. It branches off. There’s a choice coming. Humanity as we know it is changing. Those who choose light will build something new. Cities of energy, love and truth.
It took years to make sense of everything I saw there. But one thing is clear: we are heading toward something great — if we dare to choose what is pure.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Near-Death Experience (NDE)?
A near-death experience (NDE) is a profound experience that occurs when someone is close to death, or in a situation of extreme physical or emotional danger. These experiences can range from feelings of peace and serenity to seeing a bright light or meeting deceased loved ones. NDEs are often reported as transformative, with a lasting impact on the person’s beliefs and values.
