The Journey From Here to There Isn’t a Journey: What My NDE Taught Me About Life and Death
How my near-death experience revealed the seamless transition from life to death—and why this understanding can transform how we live.
What if dying isn’t a process of struggle, but instead, a seamless realization? What if everything we fear about the unknown—the pain, the confusion, the loss—simply dissolves in the transition? This is what I learned during my near-death experience (NDE), and it forever changed the way I understand life and death.
A Seamless Transition
When I had my NDE in 2015, it was the result of a clinical death—a very quick but definitive moment when my body stopped functioning. What followed, however, was an experience that lingered in my awareness for much longer. The journey from life to death wasn’t a journey at all—it was more like stepping through a door that was already open. It wasn’t marked by fear, pain, or uncertainty. Instead, it was fluid, natural, and utterly peaceful.
I spent two months in the hospital unconscious, but not once during that time did I feel physical pain. Instead, I was in a different kind of awareness—a state where everything made sense. I wasn’t tethered to the limits of this physical world. Even as I was having extraordinary experiences, I felt completely safe and protected.
The Misconception of Death
One of the most surreal parts of this experience was realizing how differently the people around me were perceiving it. While I was immersed in this profound, life-altering awareness, people in the hospital saw me as “that poor guy”—sick, unconscious, and helpless. But they had no idea. I wasn’t “poor me” at all. I was having the time of my life. It was incredible.
That realization stays with me to this day. When people watch their loved ones die, they often see suffering. But the truth is, they aren’t inside that person’s experience. The one who is transitioning is often at peace, and everything is far more beautiful and expansive than we can comprehend from the outside.
The Signposts: Proof for a Skeptic
When I returned from my NDE, I struggled to accept what had happened. I knew I had gone somewhere, but it was so extraordinary that part of me wondered if it was real. That’s when I began to notice the “signposts” that had been set up for me—events that would happen after my NDE to confirm where I had been.
The first sign came when I had an unshakable sense that my family’s dog, Toto, would be killed by the other dogs in the house. It wasn’t a psychic vision, and it didn’t come with exact timing—I just knew it was coming soon. Sure enough, it happened.
The second sign came when I had a feeling that my older brother would soon cross over. Again, it wasn’t about knowing the specifics, but there was a knowing that his time was near. He passed away not long after, and it was a deeply emotional time.
At first, these events were incredibly painful. I was angry and confused. Why was I allowed to know these things but powerless to stop them? But then came the realization. As I sat rocking back and forth, I heard the message clearly:
“The only reason you were allowed to see these things is because you wouldn’t have believed where you were otherwise.”
These signposts weren’t about predicting death—they were proof. Proof that the place I had been, the awareness I had gained, was real. Without them, I would have brushed off my experience as a dream or hallucination. But because what I saw came true, I couldn’t deny the truth of what I’d been shown.
Coming Back Changed
Returning to my body after this experience was one of the hardest parts. I tried to go back to being the person I was before—a comedian, the “fun guy” who brought laughter and light to people. But it didn’t work. I couldn’t recognize myself in the old clips of my comedy routines. My humor felt hollow, my old life unrecognizable.
The part of me that tried to pick up where I left off just didn’t fit anymore. It wasn’t until I began to reconnect with spirituality—something I had known as a child—that things began to make sense. My NDE wasn’t just a fascinating event; it was a pivot point that called me to live differently. To help others see death not as an end, but as a transition that is as natural and beautiful as life itself.
A Message for You
If there’s one thing I hope you take from this, it’s this: death is not something to fear. For the person making the transition, everything is truly fine. The pain and fear we see from the outside aren’t part of their experience. Knowing this can bring incredible peace—not just in how we view death, but in how we choose to live.
When you understand that life continues, that it is fluid and seamless, you begin to let go of unnecessary fear. You stop clinging to the trivial and start embracing what matters. Connection. Love. Purpose. And maybe most importantly, the realization that we are always safe, no matter what.
