Chapter 11: The Darker Side – Testimonies of Hell and the Void

Introduction: The Reality We Don’t Want to Face

In the summer of 1985, in a small hospital room in Paris, France, a confirmed atheist professor named Howard Storm lay dying from a perforated intestine. What happened next would transform this cynical, self-centered man into a devoted Christian pastor. His journey didn’t begin with angels and light – it began with darkness, torment, and demonic beings that would attack him in ways that still haunted him decades later.

Howard’s story forces us to confront an uncomfortable truth: not all near-death experiences are pleasant. While popular culture tends to focus on the beautiful, heavenly NDEs filled with unconditional love and deceased relatives, research reveals a darker side to these experiences that demands our attention. As researcher Nancy Evans Bush states in her extensive study of distressing NDEs, “17 percent of near-death states are distressing to experiencers.”¹ Other researchers have found even higher percentages, with some studies suggesting that up to 23 percent of NDEs contain disturbing elements.²

This chapter isn’t meant to sensationalize or create fear. Instead, it serves as a sober examination of what Scripture has always taught – that there are two eternal destinies, and the path we choose in this life has eternal consequences. As the book of Hebrews reminds us, “It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).³

Part 1: Understanding the Spectrum of Distressing NDEs

Before we dive into specific testimonies, it’s crucial to understand that distressing NDEs aren’t all the same. Researchers have identified distinct categories, each with its own characteristics and implications. Dr. Bruce Greyson and Nancy Evans Bush, in their groundbreaking study of 50 distressing NDEs, identified three primary types: inverse NDEs, void experiences, and explicitly hellish NDEs.⁴

The Inverse NDE: When Heaven Becomes Terrifying

The first type, the inverse NDE, contains the same elements as a typical pleasant NDE – out-of-body experience, moving through a tunnel, encountering a light – but instead of peace and joy, the experiencer feels overwhelming fear and panic. These experiences often occur when someone desperately fights against the dying process rather than surrendering to it.

One man who was thrown from his horse described his inverse NDE this way: “No! No! This isn’t right!” He screamed, “Put me back!” But the emergency medical technicians working over his body couldn’t hear him. He was shooting through darkness toward a bright light, flashing past shadowy people who seemed to be deceased family members waiting. But instead of comfort, he felt panic-stricken by the bizarre scenario and his inability to affect what was happening.⁵

Another woman during childbirth felt her spirit separate from her body and fly into space at tremendous speed. She saw a ball of light rushing toward her: “It became bigger and bigger as it came toward me. I realized that we were on a collision course, and it terrified me. I saw the blinding white light come right to me and engulf me.”⁶

What makes these experiences particularly interesting from a theological perspective is that they often transform into positive experiences once the person stops fighting and surrenders. One woman reported: “Concurrent with this realization, I surrendered to the force and powers that be, I gave up and ‘said’ in effect, ‘OK, I give up, I’ll go quietly and peacefully…’ I felt a loving presence surrounding me and in me. The space was composed of that presence of love and peace… It was a lovely place to be; very peaceful, total harmony, everything was there.”⁷

The Void: Experiencing Absolute Nothingness

The second type of distressing NDE involves an encounter with what researchers call “the void” – an experience of absolute emptiness, meaninglessness, and isolation. This isn’t simply darkness; it’s an ontological encounter with non-existence itself, often accompanied by the terrifying realization that one might be trapped there forever.

Nancy Evans Bush herself experienced this type of NDE during childbirth in her late twenties. She describes being mocked by beings who told her: “You are not real. You never were real. You never existed. Your life never existed. The world never existed. It was a game you were allowed to invent. There was never anything, or anyone. That’s the joke—that it was all a joke.”⁸

Another woman in childbirth found herself floating in what seemed like endless space: “It was no longer a peaceful feeling; it had become pure hell. I had become a light out in the heavens, and I was screaming, but no sound was going forth. It was worse than any nightmare. I was spinning around, and I realized that this was eternity; this was what forever was going to be… I felt the aloneness, the emptiness of space, the vastness of the universe, except for me, a mere ball of light, screaming.”⁹

A man who was attacked by a hitchhiker described his void experience: “I suddenly was surrounded by total blackness, floating in nothing but black space, with no up, no down, left, or right… What seemed like an eternity went by. I fully lived it in this misery. I was only allowed to think and reflect.”¹⁰

From a biblical perspective, the void experience might represent what theologians call spiritual death – the ultimate separation from God, who is the source of all life, meaning, and relationship. C.S. Lewis captured this concept when he wrote that hell is ultimately getting what we want – to be left alone, apart from God – but finding that apart from Him, there is only nothingness.

Explicitly Hellish NDEs: Encountering the Realm of the Damned

The third and most disturbing category consists of overtly hellish experiences that may include demonic beings, landscapes of torment, and explicit suffering. These are the rarest type, estimated at about 1 percent of all NDEs, but their impact on experiencers is profound and lasting.¹¹

Researcher Barbara Rommer, in her study of distressing NDEs, documented numerous cases where experiencers encountered what they could only describe as hell. One nurse who attempted suicide reported: “These things were all over me and I was screaming… everything was dark… then I actually saw these things, like horrible human beings, their teeth were all ugly and twisted. The eyes were bulging… there must have been at least fifty, everywhere, all around me… I went to hell! I went to hell!”¹²

Part 2: The Testimony of Howard Storm – From Atheist to Pastor

Perhaps no testimony of a hellish NDE has had more impact than that of Howard Storm, a former art professor at Northern Kentucky University. His experience is particularly compelling because of his dramatic transformation from a committed atheist who ridiculed Christianity to a devoted pastor who now leads a church in Ohio.

On June 1, 1985, Howard was leading an art tour in Paris when he experienced severe abdominal pain. After being rushed to the hospital, he was told he had a perforated duodenum and needed emergency surgery. However, no surgeon was available, and Howard lay dying for hours. He describes what happened next:

“I was aware that I had died. I was standing next to my bed looking at my body. The room was brightly lit, and I looked at my body with a sense of detachment.”¹³

Then Howard heard voices calling him from outside his hospital room. They seemed friendly at first, urging him to come with them. He followed these beings down a long, dark hallway that seemed to go on forever. As they traveled, the beings became increasingly hostile.

“I started becoming concerned that the people around me weren’t friendly. I could hear them whispering things like, ‘Shhh… don’t scare him off; he’s going to be good.’ I could sense their hostility,” Howard later recounted.¹⁴

When Howard tried to turn back, the beings attacked him viciously. He describes the horror: “They began to tear at me, striking me, scratching and biting. It was unbearably painful and horrifying. I was conscious that these were not people, but demonic beings intent on destroying me.”¹⁵

The attack continued for what seemed like an eternity. Howard, who had spent his adult life mocking religion, found himself in a place that perfectly matched biblical descriptions of hell – darkness, torment, and the presence of evil beings. But then something extraordinary happened.

An interior voice – which Howard believes was the Holy Spirit – told him to “Pray to God.” Howard protested that he didn’t believe in God and didn’t know how to pray. The voice insisted. In desperation, Howard began to mumble half-remembered phrases from his childhood: “The Lord is my shepherd… Our Father who art in Heaven…”¹⁶

“The beings around me became extremely agitated and told me in the most filthy, horrible language that there was no God,” Howard recalls. “Mention of God offended them so much that it drove them away.”¹⁷

As Howard continued his fumbling attempts at prayer, crying out “Jesus, save me!” a small light appeared in the vast darkness. The light grew brighter and approached him. Howard describes what happened next:

“The light came to me and enveloped me in complete, unconditional love. I knew immediately that this was Jesus Christ. There was no question in my mind. The same Jesus I had spent years denying and ridiculing had come to save me from hell.”¹⁸

Jesus lifted Howard out of that dark place and showed him a life review, revealing how his selfishness and cruelty had hurt others. But there was no condemnation, only love and the opportunity for redemption. Jesus then told Howard he had to return to earth – he had more to do.

Part 3: Common Elements in Hellish NDEs

When we examine multiple accounts of hellish NDEs, certain patterns emerge that remarkably align with biblical descriptions of hell and the demonic realm. Understanding these patterns helps us see that these aren’t random hallucinations but structured experiences that point to spiritual realities.

1. The Presence of Malevolent Beings

One of the most consistent elements in hellish NDEs is the presence of evil entities that seem intent on causing suffering. These beings are described in various ways, but certain characteristics appear repeatedly:

Researchers at Washington State University, in their study of negative NDEs, included in their very definition: “visions of demonic creatures that threaten or taunt the subject.”¹⁹ The Gallup Organization’s research on negative NDEs found they “include some of the following features: featureless, sometimes forbidding faces; beings who are often merely present, but aren’t at all comforting; a sense of discomfort—especially emotional or mental unrest; feeling of confusion about the experience; a sense of being tricked or duped into ultimate destruction.”²⁰

One particularly disturbing aspect of these encounters is how these beings often lie to and mock the experiencer. From a negative NDE during childbirth: “Voices were laughing at me, telling me all of life was a ‘dream,’ that there was no Heaven, hell, or Earth, really, and that all I had experienced in life was actually a hallucination.”²¹

From an attempted suicide: “Demons were all around me… It was as if they knew they had me and had all eternity to drag me down into hell, to torment me.”²²

These descriptions align remarkably with biblical teachings about demonic beings. Jesus himself spoke of Satan as “a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44), and Paul warned that “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14).²³ The deceptive, mocking nature of these beings in hellish NDEs matches exactly what Scripture tells us about the character of demonic forces.

2. Darkness and Isolation

Another consistent element is the experience of profound darkness – not simply the absence of light, but a tangible, oppressive darkness that seems alive with malevolence. This isn’t the peaceful darkness of sleep, but what many describe as “outer darkness” – a term used by Jesus himself in Matthew 8:12, 22:13, and 25:30.²⁴

Brenda, who attempted suicide at age twenty-six, described her descent into hell: “I then felt my body slipping down—not straight down, but on an angle, as if on a slide. It was cold, dark, and watery. When I reached the bottom, it resembled the entrance to a cave, with what looked like webs hanging. The inside of the cave was gray and brown in color.”²⁵

The isolation experienced in these NDEs is absolute. Even when surrounded by other suffering souls or demonic beings, experiencers describe feeling utterly alone, cut off from all love, hope, and connection. This aligns with the theological understanding that hell is, fundamentally, separation from God – and since God is the source of all relationship and community, separation from Him means ultimate isolation.

3. Physical and Emotional Torment

The suffering described in hellish NDEs encompasses both physical and emotional dimensions. Experiencers report sensations of:

• Burning – despite often seeing no visible fire
• Tearing or being torn apart
• Extreme cold alternating with unbearable heat
• Crushing pressure
• Piercing sounds and horrible smells

Kat Dunkle, who had a hellish NDE during a car accident, provides a vivid description: “I was terrified in the darkness that surrounded me but very aware of the horrible pain burning and searing my entire body, agonizing pain beyond description that would never leave. There were the tortured screams of others but I could see nothing but the darkness. There was no fire, just this dreadful burning pain over every part of me and I knew that this was hell.”²⁶

But perhaps even worse than the physical torment is the emotional and psychological suffering:

“I felt hopelessness—knowing this was for eternity! There was no escape from the nightmare: I wouldn’t wake up; I wouldn’t hit bottom and die; I wouldn’t be rescued by anyone. I would fall and burn in this gruesome place forever and ever and ever, screaming out with all these other lost souls crying out in the darkness, totally helpless as we fell further into the pit of hell.”²⁷

4. The Presence of Other Souls

Many hellish NDEs include encounters with other human souls who appear to be trapped in this realm of suffering. These souls are often described as:

• Gray, shadowy figures
• Moaning or wailing in anguish
• Fighting with each other
• Completely self-absorbed in their own misery
• Unable or unwilling to help others

Dr. George Ritchie, whose NDE in 1943 influenced many later researchers including Raymond Moody, described seeing different regions in the hellish realm. In one area, he saw “beings who were locked in battles with each other, their anger and hatred having consumed them to the point where they could focus on nothing else.”²⁸

Another experiencer reported: “It’s a dusky, dark, dreary area, and you realize that the area is filled with a lot of lost souls… The feeling I got was that they were all looking downward, and they were kind of shuffling, and there was a kind of moaning. There were hundreds of them, looking very dejected.”²⁹

Part 4: The Statistical Reality – How Common Are Distressing NDEs?

One of the most important questions about distressing NDEs is their frequency. If they were extremely rare anomalies, we might dismiss them as outliers. But research suggests they’re more common than many realize, though often underreported.

Dr. Maurice Rawlings, a cardiologist who spent years resuscitating patients, made a startling claim in his book “Beyond Death’s Door.” He stated that when patients were interviewed immediately after resuscitation, nearly half described hellish features in their near-death episodes. However, when interviewed days or weeks later, these same people usually recalled only positive, uplifting imagery.³⁰

Rawlings hypothesized that the hellish experiences were so traumatic that people repressed the memories, similar to how victims of severe trauma often have no conscious recall of the event. He wrote: “The hell experiences are soon suppressed deeply into the unconscious mind because they are so painful and disturbing to recall.”³¹

While other researchers haven’t replicated Rawlings’ exact findings, they have confirmed that distressing NDEs are significantly underreported. Nancy Evans Bush, after decades of studying these experiences, estimates that 17 percent of near-death states are distressing to experiencers.³² Other studies have found even higher percentages:

• A study of 1,369 subjects across twelve research projects found that 23 percent had disturbing NDEs³³
• Researcher P.M.H. Atwater found that 15 percent of adult NDEs were distressing³⁴
• The Kerr study of hospice patients found up to 18 percent experienced distressing deathbed visions³⁵

But why are these experiences so underreported? Bush, who herself had a distressing NDE, didn’t speak about it publicly for decades. She explains several reasons for the silence:

1. Shame and fear of judgment – People worry others will think they’re “bad” or deserving of hell
2. Social stigma – Our culture celebrates positive NDEs but doesn’t know how to handle negative ones
3. Trauma – The experiences are so disturbing that people can’t bear to relive them
4. Confusion – Experiencers don’t understand what happened and fear they’re losing their sanity
5. Religious concerns – Some fear their experience means they’re damned

As Bush notes: “Few people are forthcoming about such an event; they hide; they disappear when asked for information; if inpatient, they are likely to withdraw; they are under great stress.”³⁶

Part 5: Who Has Hellish NDEs? Destroying the Stereotypes

One of the most important findings from research into distressing NDEs is that they don’t follow the pattern we might expect. Many assume that “good people” have heavenly NDEs while “bad people” have hellish ones. The evidence strongly contradicts this simplistic view.

Researcher Nancy Evans Bush states emphatically: “There is no evidence whatsoever that links frightening or hellish experiences with ‘bad’ people or those who hold more fundamentalist religious views. Quite the contrary, such states are encountered most often by ordinary people, many who were family-oriented and active in their communities and business.”³⁷

Consider the backgrounds of those who’ve reported hellish NDEs:

• Devoted mothers and fathers
• Healthcare workers
• Business professionals
• Atheists and believers alike
• People with no criminal history
• Church members in good standing

Dr. Barbara Rommer, in her study of distressing NDEs titled “Blessing in Disguise,” found that many who experienced hellish NDEs were not living particularly sinful lives. Some were even trying to live morally upright lives. She writes: “Not all such accounts are from people with a religious background. Some readily admit to earlier antisocial behaviors: heavy drinking, drug use, violence, or trouble with the law; while others describe a more internalized history of quick temper, selfishness, or problems forming relationships.”³⁸

This raises profound theological questions. If hellish NDEs don’t necessarily correlate with obvious wickedness, what are we to make of them? Several interpretations have been proposed:

The Warning Interpretation

Many experiencers and researchers interpret distressing NDEs as divine warnings – wake-up calls meant to redirect a person’s life before it’s too late. Bush notes: “It is my impression that among the people whose NDE was terrifying, those who heal most quickly and satisfactorily are likely to fit this model: people who interpret their NDE as a warning, who are able to connect it with previous behaviors they identify as unwise or downright wrong, and who then find avenues by which to modify their lives in satisfying ways.”³⁹

This interpretation aligns with 2 Peter 3:9, which states that God is “not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”⁴⁰ If God allows someone to experience a glimpse of hell and then return to life, it could be His mercy providing an opportunity for course correction.

The Spiritual Warfare Interpretation

Another perspective views some distressing NDEs as spiritual attacks that don’t necessarily reflect the person’s eternal destiny. Just as Job was attacked by Satan despite being righteous, perhaps some people encounter demonic forces during their NDE not because they’re damned, but because they’re under spiritual assault.

This view is supported by cases where calling on God or Jesus immediately transforms the hellish experience. The demons flee at the name of Jesus, suggesting they had no legitimate claim on the person’s soul but were attempting to cause fear and despair.

The Incomplete Journey Interpretation

Some researchers note that many distressing NDEs are incomplete experiences that transform into positive ones when the experiencer surrenders to God or calls for help. Perhaps if these people had actually died permanently, their experience would have continued to unfold differently.

Part 6: Theological Implications – What Distressing NDEs Teach Us About Hell

When we examine distressing NDEs through a biblical lens, several important theological truths emerge that both confirm and elaborate on scriptural teaching about hell and judgment.

1. Hell Is Real, Not Metaphorical

While some modern theologians have attempted to explain away hell as merely metaphorical or symbolic, distressing NDEs provide experiential evidence that hell is an actual place or state of being, not just a concept. The consistency of these experiences across cultures, religions, and backgrounds suggests they’re encountering an objective spiritual reality.

Dr. Jeffrey Long, who has studied thousands of NDEs through the Near-Death Experience Research Foundation (NDERF), notes: “Although this is a low percentage, so many NDEs have been shared with NDERF over the years that we have more hellish NDEs available for research than ever before.”⁴¹ The sheer volume and consistency of these accounts makes it difficult to dismiss them as mere hallucinations.

2. The Biblical Descriptions Are Accurate but Partial

Distressing NDEs remarkably confirm various biblical descriptions of hell while also showing that Scripture provides partial glimpses rather than exhaustive descriptions. The Bible describes hell using various images:

• Outer darkness (Matthew 8:12, 22:13, 25:30)
• Unquenchable fire (Matthew 3:12)
• Furnace of fire (Matthew 13:42)
• Separation from God’s presence (2 Thessalonians 1:9)
• Bottomless pit (Revelation 9:1)
• Lake of fire (Revelation 19:20)

NDEs confirm these descriptions aren’t contradictory but rather different aspects of a complex reality. Some experiencers report darkness without fire, others fire without light, still others pits or cave-like environments. This diversity matches the biblical picture while suggesting hell may have different regions or that different people experience it differently based on their spiritual state.

Margot Grey’s research found that distressing NDEs included: “being tricked into death,” “the brink of a pit,” “the edge of an abyss,” “visions of wrathful or demonic creatures,” being “intensely cold or unbearably hot,” “a feeling of extreme fear or panic,” and “sounds that resemble the wailing of ‘souls’ in torment.”⁴² Each of these elements can be found in biblical descriptions of hell, confirming Scripture’s accuracy while showing that no single passage captures the full reality.

3. Hell Involves Both Justice and Choice

One of the most striking aspects of many hellish NDEs is that experiencers often recognize they chose their fate through their earthly decisions. Kat Dunkle, after her hellish NDE, reflected: “There is no way to describe the terror that filled me, realizing that I actually sent myself to hell through my choice of not believing. I had chosen this. I had chosen not to believe in God.”⁴³

This aligns with C.S. Lewis’s famous observation that “the doors of hell are locked from the inside.” Hell isn’t simply God throwing people into torment against their will, but the natural consequence of choosing to live separated from Him. As one Catholic text explains: “Hell is produced by the condemned themselves and it occurs in two degrees. The first degree of Hell is internal to a soul, and occurs at judgment when that soul rejects and abandons God.”⁴⁴

4. Even in Hell, God’s Mercy Can Reach

Perhaps the most hope-filled finding from distressing NDEs is that crying out to God can bring deliverance, even from the depths of hell. Howard Storm’s experience is paradigmatic – even as demons tormented him, a simple, desperate prayer brought Jesus to rescue him.

This pattern appears repeatedly in the accounts. Kat Dunkle writes: “As I was falling, burning in this horrifying place, I cried out to God, begging him to forgive me. I pleaded that he would release me from this place. Then the torture stopped. It just stopped!”⁴⁵

This doesn’t mean everyone in hell will eventually be saved (universalism), but it does suggest that during the NDE – which is not yet final death – God’s mercy remains available to those who genuinely repent and call upon Him. It aligns with biblical promises like Joel 2:32: “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”⁴⁶

Part 7: Specific Case Studies – Learning from Individual Experiences

To better understand the nature and impact of distressing NDEs, let’s examine several detailed case studies that illustrate different aspects of these experiences.

Case Study 1: The Atheist Professor (Howard Storm Continued)

We’ve already discussed Howard Storm’s initial descent into hell, but his complete experience offers additional insights. After Jesus rescued him from the demonic beings, Howard was shown a comprehensive life review that revealed the impact of his selfishness:

“I was shown how every action, every thought, every feeling affected everyone around me. I saw how my anger and sarcasm had wounded my wife and children. I saw how my arrogance and condescension had crushed the spirits of my students. I saw how my selfishness had created ripples of pain that spread far beyond what I could have imagined.”⁴⁷

But remarkably, this life review was conducted not in condemnation but in love. Jesus stood beside him, helping him understand not just what he had done wrong, but why it mattered and how it could be redeemed. Howard describes: “There was no judgment from Jesus, only sadness for the pain I had caused and joy for the possibility of transformation.”⁴⁸

Jesus then showed Howard visions of the future – both what would happen if he continued on his current path and what could happen if he chose to follow God. He saw that his purpose was to return to earth and share his experience, helping others understand both the reality of hell and the availability of God’s love.

The transformation in Howard’s life was immediate and radical:

• He went from mocking Christianity to embracing it fully
• He left his prestigious position as an art professor to attend seminary
• He became a United Church of Christ minister
• He dedicated his life to serving others rather than himself
• His relationships with family were completely restored
• He wrote extensively about his experience to warn others

Howard later reflected: “I was given a second chance not because I deserved it, but because of God’s infinite mercy. My experience in hell was real, but it was not my final destination – it was a wake-up call that saved my eternal soul.”⁴⁹

Case Study 2: The Suicide Attempt (Brenda’s Story)

Brenda was twenty-six years old when depression drove her to attempt suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills. Her hellish NDE began when a doctor told her she was dying:

“The muscles in my body began to jerk upward, out of control. I could no longer speak, but I knew what was happening. Although my body slowed down, things around me and things happening to me went rather fast.”⁵⁰

She then experienced the classic “descent” that many hellish NDEs describe: “I then felt my body slipping down—not straight down, but on an angle, as if on a slide. It was cold, dark, and watery.”⁵¹

What Brenda encountered at the bottom of this descent was horrifying: “When I reached the bottom, it resembled the entrance to a cave, with what looked like webs hanging. The inside of the cave was gray and brown in color. I heard cries, wails, moans, and the gnashing of teeth. I saw these beings that resembled humans, with the shape of a head and body, but they were ugly and grotesque.”⁵²

The biblical parallel here is striking – Jesus himself used the phrase “gnashing of teeth” to describe hell (Matthew 8:12, 13:42, 13:50, 22:13, 24:51, 25:30).⁵³

Brenda continues: “They were frightening and sounded like they were tormented, in agony. No one spoke to me. I never went inside the cave, but stood at the entrance only. I remember saying to myself, ‘I don’t want to stay here.’ I tried to lift myself up, as though trying to pull myself—my spirit—up out of this pit. That’s the last thing I remember.”⁵⁴

Despite the terrifying nature of her experience, Brenda’s NDE ultimately led to positive transformation. She writes: “Despite the hellish character of my NDE, my new belief that death is not the end gave me hope and motivation to turn my life around.” She overcame her depression, began attending Alcoholics Anonymous, and eventually became a counselor helping others dealing with depression and substance abuse.⁵⁵

Case Study 3: The Car Accident (Kat Dunkle’s Experience)

Kat Dunkle was a twenty-six-year-old atheist when a severe car accident caused massive internal bleeding. Her experience provides one of the most detailed descriptions of hell in NDE literature:

“I felt myself take my last breath, was hurled down a tunnel. Then the floor dropped out and I fell into total darkness with the horrid pain of burning engulfing my entire body.”⁵⁶

What makes Kat’s description particularly valuable is her detailed account of the nature of the suffering in hell:

“Instantly I started plummeting downward, falling into darkness, a horrible endless black space. Imagine standing in an elevator and all of a sudden the floor drops out and down you go, that terrible sensation of falling. I was terrified in the darkness that surrounded me but very aware of the horrible pain burning and searing my entire body, agonizing pain beyond description that would never leave.”⁵⁷

She emphasizes that while she experienced burning, she saw no visible fire: “There was no fire, just this dreadful burning pain over every part of me and I knew that this was hell.”⁵⁸ This detail is significant because it suggests the suffering in hell may be spiritual rather than merely physical, though experienced as physical by the consciousness.

The isolation Kat experienced was absolute: “I heard many people screaming but I saw no one. It was a dark, desolate, horrible place with no hope of escape. I felt the hopelessness of being lost in torment, separated from God for eternity.”⁵⁹

But like Howard Storm, Kat’s story includes redemption. Despite being an atheist, she called out to God:

“As I was falling, burning in this horrifying place, I cried out to God, begging him to forgive me. I pleaded that he would release me from this place. Then the torture stopped. It just stopped! The loud, piercing, howling noise that rang through my ears and the horrendous feeling of burning and tearing through the middle of my body stopped, and I knew without any doubt: ‘There is a God.'”⁶⁰

Kat’s transformation was immediate: “So I went from being a total nonbeliever to a person who has no doubt.”⁶¹

Case Study 4: The Void Experience (Nancy Evans Bush)

Nancy Evans Bush’s experience during childbirth in her late twenties represents the “void” type of distressing NDE. As a researcher who has spent decades studying these experiences, her personal account provides unique insights:

During the experience, she encountered circular beings who told her that nothing she had experienced in life was real. They mocked her, saying: “You are not real. You never were real. You never existed. Your life never existed. The world never existed. It was a game you were allowed to invent. There was never anything, or anyone. That’s the joke—that it was all a joke.”⁶²

The theological implications of this type of experience are profound. The beings were attempting to convince Nancy that:

• Life has no meaning
• Relationships are illusions
• Love doesn’t exist
• Everything is ultimately nothing

This is the exact opposite of the Christian message that God is love (1 John 4:8), that life has purpose (Jeremiah 29:11), and that relationships are eternal (1 Corinthians 13:13). The void experience represents the ultimate lie – that existence itself is meaningless.

Bush didn’t speak publicly about her experience for decades, illustrating how traumatic these experiences can be. She writes: “Few people are forthcoming about such an event; they hide; they disappear when asked for information.”⁶³ Her eventual decision to research and write about distressing NDEs has helped thousands of experiencers understand they’re not alone and their experiences don’t necessarily mean they’re damned.

Part 8: The Transformative Power of Hellish NDEs

One of the most remarkable findings about distressing NDEs is their potential for positive transformation. While the experiences themselves are horrifying, the long-term effects often include profound spiritual growth and life changes.

Common Positive Outcomes

Researcher Barbara Rommer, in her study “Blessing in Disguise,” found that distressing NDEs often lead to:

• Spiritual awakening – Many atheists become believers
• Moral transformation – Selfish people become altruistic
• Increased compassion – Understanding suffering increases empathy
• Sense of purpose – Many feel called to warn others or serve God
• Loss of fear – Having faced the worst, earthly fears diminish
• Appreciation for life – Every day becomes precious

Bush notes that those who integrate their distressing NDEs most successfully are those who “interpret their NDE as a warning” and “find avenues by which to modify their lives in satisfying ways.”⁶⁴

The Pattern of Transformation

The transformation typically follows a pattern:

1. Initial trauma and confusion – The experiencer struggles to understand what happened
2. Searching for meaning – They research NDEs, explore spirituality, seek counseling
3. Recognition of the warning – They understand the experience as a wake-up call
4. Repentance and change – They turn from destructive patterns and toward God
5. Service to others – Many become counselors, ministers, or NDE researchers

This pattern aligns with the biblical concept of redemptive suffering – that God can use even the worst experiences for ultimate good (Romans 8:28).

Part 9: Distinguishing Genuine Hellish NDEs from Other Experiences

Not every frightening experience near death is a genuine hellish NDE. Researchers have identified several important distinctions that help separate authentic spiritual experiences from other phenomena.

Characteristics of Genuine Hellish NDEs

Authentic hellish NDEs typically share certain characteristics:

• Lucidity and clarity – Despite the horror, thinking remains clear
• Structured narrative – The experience has beginning, middle, and end
• Consistent themes – Elements match across different accounts
• Lasting impact – The experience permanently changes the person
• Spiritual content – Includes beings, moral lessons, or spiritual truths
• Veridical elements – Sometimes includes accurate information the person couldn’t have known

Experiences That May Be Confused with Hellish NDEs

Several types of experiences can produce frightening visions but aren’t genuine NDEs:

1. ICU Psychosis
Patients in intensive care units often experience hallucinations due to:

• Sleep deprivation
• Medication effects
• Metabolic imbalances
• Environmental stress

These hallucinations are typically disorganized, inconsistent, and forgotten once the person recovers, unlike the structured, memorable nature of genuine NDEs.

2. Drug-Induced Experiences
Certain drugs, particularly ketamine and DMT, can produce experiences with some NDE-like features. However, Dr. Karl Jansen, who extensively studied ketamine’s effects, noted important differences:

• Drug experiences are often bizarre and nonsensical
• They lack the moral and spiritual depth of genuine NDEs
• They don’t produce the same lasting life changes
• Users recognize them as drug effects rather than spiritual realities

3. Anoxia (Oxygen Deprivation)
Some skeptics claim NDEs result from oxygen deprivation to the brain. However, research has shown:

• Anoxia produces confusion and memory loss, not clarity
• Many NDEs occur when oxygen levels are normal
• The structured narrative of NDEs is unlike anoxic hallucinations
• Anoxia doesn’t explain veridical perceptions during NDEs

Dr. Pim van Lommel’s study of cardiac arrest patients found that “the extent of brain anoxia does not correlate with the depth or content of the NDE.”⁶⁵

The Importance of Discernment

From a Christian perspective, spiritual discernment is crucial when evaluating any supernatural experience. The Bible instructs us to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God” (1 John 4:1).⁶⁶ When evaluating a distressing NDE, consider:

• Does it lead toward or away from God? Genuine warnings from God lead to repentance
• Does it produce good fruit? Look at the long-term life changes
• Does it align with Scripture? While details may vary, core truths should match biblical teaching
• Does it bring ultimate hope or despair? God’s warnings include the possibility of redemption

Part 10: Cultural and Religious Perspectives on Hellish NDEs

One fascinating aspect of hellish NDEs is how they manifest across different cultures and religious backgrounds, often transcending expected cultural boundaries while maintaining core similarities.

Cross-Cultural Consistency

Dr. Jeffrey Long’s analysis of NDEs from around the world found that “the core features of NDEs are present in NDEs worldwide.”⁶⁷ This includes distressing NDEs, which show remarkable consistency across cultures:

• Darkness appears in hellish NDEs from Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, and secular backgrounds
• Isolation and suffering are universal themes
• Malevolent beings appear across all cultures, though their specific appearance may vary
• The possibility of redemption through calling on divine help appears globally

Unexpected Religious Outcomes

Interestingly, distressing NDEs don’t always follow religious expectations:

• Atheists sometimes have heavenly experiences
• Devout believers sometimes have hellish experiences
• Non-Christians sometimes encounter Jesus in their NDEs
• Christians sometimes don’t see explicitly Christian imagery

This unexpected distribution suggests that distressing NDEs aren’t simply projections of religious belief but encounters with objective spiritual realities that transcend human expectations.

The Challenge to Universalism

Distressing NDEs pose a significant challenge to universalist theology – the belief that all people will ultimately be saved. If everyone goes to heaven, why do some people experience hell during their NDEs?

Some universalists argue that hellish NDEs are temporary purifying experiences rather than glimpses of eternal damnation. They point to cases where the hellish experience transforms into a heavenly one as evidence that hell is not permanent.

However, many experiencers strongly disagree with this interpretation. They report an overwhelming sense that the hell they experienced was eternal in nature, and only God’s intervention allowed them to escape. As Kat Dunkle stated: “I felt hopelessness—knowing this was for eternity!”⁶⁸

Part 11: Pastoral and Therapeutic Responses to Distressing NDEs

For those who have experienced distressing NDEs, finding appropriate support can be challenging. Many counselors and even clergy don’t know how to respond to these experiences.

Common Unhelpful Responses

Unfortunately, many distressing NDE experiencers encounter responses that increase their trauma:

• “It was just a hallucination” – Dismissing the experience denies its reality to the experiencer
• “You must have done something terrible” – Increases guilt and shame
• “You’re going to hell” – Causes despair rather than hope
• “Just forget about it” – Impossible and prevents healing
• “It was the devil deceiving you” – May increase fear without offering solutions

Helpful Pastoral Approaches

Based on research and clinical experience, helpful responses include:

1. Validate the Reality
Acknowledge that the experience was real for them, even if its ultimate nature is mysterious. As one counselor notes: “The experience is absolutely real to the experiencer, and dismissing it as ‘just a dream’ or hallucination is deeply invalidating.”⁶⁹

2. Emphasize God’s Mercy
Focus on the fact that they survived and have an opportunity to respond. The very fact they’re alive to tell about it suggests God’s mercy is at work.

3. Frame It as a Warning, Not a Sentence
Help them see the experience as a wake-up call rather than a final judgment. As Proverbs 27:20 states, “Hell and destruction are never full,”⁷⁰ but God “is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).⁷¹

4. Encourage Spiritual Exploration
Many experiencers need to explore their spirituality deeply. This might include:

• Bible study focusing on God’s love and forgiveness
• Prayer and meditation
• Spiritual direction or counseling
• Connection with a supportive faith community

5. Address Practical Life Changes
Help them identify and change destructive patterns in their lives. This might involve:

• Addiction recovery programs
• Relationship counseling
• Career changes that align with their new values
• Service opportunities to help others

The Role of Support Groups

The International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS) provides support groups specifically for NDE experiencers, including those who’ve had distressing experiences. These groups offer:

• A safe space to share without judgment
• Connection with others who understand
• Resources for integration and healing
• Information about the nature of NDEs

Nancy Evans Bush emphasizes: “Finding others who have had similar experiences can be profoundly healing. The isolation many feel after a distressing NDE compounds the trauma.”⁷²

Part 12: Warnings and Discernment – Avoiding Spiritual Deception

While distressing NDEs can serve as powerful spiritual warnings, it’s important to approach them with biblical discernment. Not every spiritual experience is from God, and even genuine experiences can be misinterpreted.

Biblical Warnings About Deception

Scripture repeatedly warns about spiritual deception in the last days:

• “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14)⁷³
• “False messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matthew 24:24)⁷⁴
• “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons” (1 Timothy 4:1)⁷⁵

Red Flags in NDE Accounts

Certain elements in NDE accounts should raise caution:

1. Contradictions to Core Biblical Truth
If an NDE teaches that:

• Jesus is not the only way to God
• There is no judgment for sin
• Everyone automatically goes to heaven
• Humans can become gods
• Reincarnation replaces resurrection

These contradict clear biblical teaching and should be rejected, regardless of how compelling the experience seemed.

2. Focus on Secret Knowledge
Some NDEs claim to reveal secret spiritual knowledge that supersedes Scripture. This echoes ancient Gnosticism, which the early church firmly rejected. As Paul warned: “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!” (Galatians 1:8)⁷⁶

3. Promotion of Occult Practices
If an NDE leads someone toward:

• Channeling spirits
• Astral projection
• Divination
• Communication with the dead (necromancy)
• New Age practices

These are explicitly forbidden in Scripture (Deuteronomy 18:10-12) and suggest demonic influence.⁷⁷

The Test of Fruit

Jesus gave us a practical test for spiritual experiences: “By their fruit you will recognize them” (Matthew 7:16).⁷⁸ When evaluating a distressing NDE, look at the outcomes:

Good Fruit:

• Increased love for God and others
• Genuine repentance from sin
• Humility and service
• Alignment with biblical truth
• Peace and joy despite the frightening experience
• Desire to warn others about hell’s reality

Bad Fruit:

• Pride or sense of spiritual superiority
• Rejection of biblical authority
• Promotion of unbiblical teachings
• Obsession with death or the occult
• Persistent fear without hope
• Division and confusion in the church

Part 13: The Mystery of Distressing NDEs – Unanswered Questions

Despite decades of research, many questions about distressing NDEs remain unanswered. These mysteries remind us of the limits of human understanding when it comes to spiritual realities.

Why Do Some “Good” People Have Hellish Experiences?

This is perhaps the most troubling question. As Nancy Evans Bush notes: “There is no evidence whatsoever that links frightening or hellish experiences with ‘bad’ people.”⁷⁹ Several theories have been proposed:

The Hidden Sin Theory: Perhaps these people had hidden sins or attitudes that needed addressing. As 1 Samuel 16:7 states, “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”⁸⁰

The Intercessory Theory: Some suggest that certain people experience hell on behalf of others, similar to how Jesus experienced separation from the Father on the cross. This would be a form of participatory suffering.

The Incomplete Salvation Theory: Maybe these “good” people had never truly accepted Christ as Savior, despite their moral lives. As Isaiah 64:6 states, “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags.”⁸¹

The Spiritual Attack Theory: Perhaps some hellish NDEs are demonic attacks permitted by God for reasons we don’t understand, similar to Job’s sufferings.

Why Don’t More People Report Them?

If Dr. Maurice Rawlings is correct that up to 50% of immediate post-resuscitation NDEs are hellish, why do we hear about so few? Possible explanations include:

• Repression – The mind blocks traumatic memories
• Shame – People fear being judged as “bad”
• Disbelief – Others won’t believe them
• Theological confusion – They can’t reconcile it with their beliefs
• Social pressure – Our culture celebrates positive NDEs but shuns negative ones

Are They Literal or Symbolic?

Do distressing NDEs show literal spiritual realities, or are they symbolic representations of spiritual truths? The answer may be “both.” As Paul wrote about his own mystical experience: “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows” (2 Corinthians 12:2).⁸²

The experiences are certainly real to the experiencer, but whether they represent exact spiritual geography or symbolic spiritual states remains mysterious.

Part 14: Hope in the Midst of Darkness

Despite the terrifying nature of distressing NDEs, they ultimately point toward hope rather than despair. This hope rests on several foundations:

1. They Are Warnings, Not Final Sentences

The very fact that people return from these experiences suggests they’re warnings rather than final judgments. God, in His mercy, allows some to glimpse the consequences of rejecting Him while there’s still time to repent.

As one experiencer reflected: “I believe God allowed me to experience hell not to condemn me, but to save me. It was the most terrible experience of my existence, but it led to the most wonderful – finding Christ.”⁸³

2. Calling on God Brings Deliverance

Repeatedly in these accounts, we see that sincere prayer – even from those who barely believe – brings divine intervention. This aligns with biblical promises:

• “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13)⁸⁴
• “Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you” (Psalm 50:15)⁸⁵
• “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth” (Psalm 145:18)⁸⁶

3. They Confirm God’s Justice AND Mercy

Distressing NDEs show that God takes sin seriously – there are real consequences for rejecting Him. But they also demonstrate His incredible mercy in providing warnings and opportunities for repentance.

As 2 Peter 3:9 states: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”⁸⁷

4. They Lead to Transformation

Perhaps most remarkably, those who experience hellish NDEs often become the most passionate advocates for God’s love. Having experienced the horror of separation from God, they deeply appreciate His grace.

Howard Storm, reflecting on his transformation, writes: “I had to experience hell to truly understand heaven. I had to know the depth of darkness to appreciate the light. My descent into hell became the pathway to my salvation.”⁸⁸

Conclusion: The Mercy Hidden in the Warning

As we conclude this challenging chapter on distressing NDEs, it’s important to step back and consider what these experiences mean for our understanding of God, eternity, and the human condition.

First and foremost, distressing NDEs confirm biblical teachings about the reality of hell and judgment. They’re not medieval superstitions or psychological projections, but genuine encounters with spiritual realities that await those who reject God. The consistency of these experiences across cultures, religions, and time periods suggests they touch on objective truth rather than subjective imagination.

Yet these experiences also reveal something profound about God’s character. The very existence of distressing NDEs as warnings demonstrates divine mercy. God could simply allow people to die in their sins and face judgment without warning. Instead, He permits some to glimpse the consequences of their choices while there’s still time to change course.

Dr. Maurice Rawlings, after years of studying hellish NDEs, concluded: “God apparently allows some people to experience hell as an act of mercy, not judgment. They return with an urgent message for others: hell is real, but it can be avoided through faith in Christ.”⁸⁹

For those who have experienced distressing NDEs, the message is clear: This is not your final destination. The experience was a warning, a wake-up call, an opportunity for transformation. As Ezekiel 33:11 declares: “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways!”⁹⁰

For those who haven’t had such experiences, distressing NDEs serve as vicarious warnings. We don’t need to experience hell personally to heed its reality. The testimonies of those who have been there should motivate us to:

• Examine our own spiritual state
• Ensure our relationship with God is genuine
• Warn others about the reality of hell
• Share the gospel with urgency
• Live with eternity in view

Perhaps most importantly, distressing NDEs remind us that no one is beyond redemption. If God can reach into hell itself to save those who call upon Him, then no living person is beyond hope. The atheist professor who mocked God for decades was saved. The suicidal woman in despair was rescued. The hardened skeptic was transformed.

This should give us hope for ourselves and for others. No matter how far someone has wandered from God, no matter how deeply they’ve sunk into sin, no matter how hardened their heart has become – God’s arm is not too short to save (Isaiah 59:1).⁹¹

The testimonies in this chapter are difficult to read. They challenge our comfortable assumptions about the afterlife and force us to confront realities we’d rather ignore. But they also serve a vital purpose – they shake us from spiritual complacency and remind us that eternity is at stake.

As Jesus himself warned: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).⁹²

The distressing NDEs we’ve examined confirm this teaching. There really are two paths, two destinations, two eternal realities awaiting humanity. But – and this is crucial – the choice remains ours while we live. God has provided the way of escape through Jesus Christ. He has given warnings through Scripture and, for some, through direct experience. He stands ready to save all who call upon Him.

The question that remains is not whether hell is real – the evidence is overwhelming. The question is: What will we do with this knowledge? Will we dismiss it as disturbing but irrelevant? Will we assume we’re exempt from such consequences? Or will we allow these testimonies to accomplish their purpose – to turn us toward God while there’s still time?

The apostle Paul, writing to the Corinthians, said: “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20).⁹³

This is ultimately the message of every distressing NDE: Be reconciled to God. Hell is real, but it need not be your destination. God’s love is greater than the darkness, His mercy triumphs over judgment, and His arms are open to all who turn to Him.

Let the testimonies in this chapter serve their intended purpose – not to terrify but to transform, not to condemn but to convert, not to destroy hope but to direct it toward the only One who can save us from the darkness and bring us safely home to the light.

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