John Murphy: To Die is Not What I Thought It Would Be!

So, Long-haul COVID took me to another dimension. Twice, I almost died and both times experienced a separation from this physical world–Near Death.

Over the past 5 years as a result of contracting COVID on January 15, 2020, I have been hospitalized 7 times, had 6 major surgeries (& scheduled for another in September), am being treated by 14 Emory COVID specialists/scientists, but most interesting I recently encountered a near death experience as a result of Long-haul COVID. 

In early April 2025 my Long COVID caused me to have trouble breathing.  I was admitted via ambulance to Emory E.D.  Because I wasn’t breathing they placed me on a ventilator.  I don’t remember anything after that.  I was moved to a bed in the ICU and diagnosed with double pneumonia, RSV & Influenza (all at the same time). I was on the vent for many hours and completely removed from the world. At some point while I was in the netherworld, I woke up in a Near Death Experience.  I was no longer in my hospital room, but standing on the other side of a transparent barrier in a very white space.  I could see and hear what was going on in the hospital room, but no matter how I tried I could not communicate with the living.  In the room was a very white portal leading somewhere.  I was aware of not being alive and very aware of being outside of normal time and space. There was a peacefulness and no fear whatsoever, but a frustration that I could see and hear what was going on in the ICU but unable to communicate with the living no matter how I tried. Since I couldn’t communicate, I started to look around the white space that extended for a great distance, but before I could explore I felt the team pull my vent and woke up.

Using A.I., I developed a picture that shows what the NDE dimension looks like. I don’t know where the portal would have taken me, but I am glad that I didn’t have a chance to explore it.

I have to say that this event has forced me to rethink what it means to die and calls into question our understanding of life after death.