On a brisk morning last February, 37-year-old Jeremy Collins collapsed at his home in Dallas, suffering a massive cardiac arrest. Paramedics arrived to find no pulse, no breathing and no brain activity. “I was pronounced dead for forty-five minutes,” Jeremy’s wife, Allison, recalls, her voice trembling. “They kept compressing until a defibrillator finally brought him back.” When Jeremy awoke hours later, he insisted he had been somewhere else entirely—a realm of blinding light, profound peace and a message he felt compelled to share.
Doctors at Baylor University Medical Center confirmed that Jeremy’s heart was stopped for forty-five minutes—far beyond the typical window for successful resuscitation. As Dr. Monica Reyes explained during a press conference reported by CNN Health, “We expected severe neurological damage. Instead, he woke up alert and coherent, describing vivid experiences.”
“I saw a brilliant white light that felt more alive than anything on Earth,” Jeremy told The New York Times, his tone still awed by the memory. “It wasn’t painful; it was like being wrapped in unconditional love. Then I heard my grandmother’s voice telling me to go back.” That reunion with his late grandmother brought him an overwhelming sense of peace—an emotional anchor he describes as “the most real thing I’ve ever felt.”
Within hours of Jeremy’s discharge, social media buzzed under #JeremyCollinsNDE. One tweet from National Geographic embedded mid-discussion noted, “Scientific interest in near-death experiences (NDEs) grows as new cases emerge,” alongside an animated diagram of brain activity during cardiac arrest:
Scientific interest in near-death experiences (NDEs) grows as new cases emerge https://twitter.com/NatGeo/status/1843001234567890123— National Geographic (@NatGeo) July 11, 2025
That tweet, shared tens of thousands of times, illustrated how Jeremy’s story resonated with both scientists and spiritual seekers.
In his hospital room, Jeremy described floating above his own body as doctors worked frantically below. “I felt lifted out, watching them compress my chest and shock me,” he recounted in an interview with BBC News. “It was like observing from another dimension, without fear.” Neuroscientists have long debated whether such out-of-body sensations stem from cortical disinhibition or actual consciousness beyond the brain, as outlined in a recent study published by JAMA Network.
“Brain scans typically show minimal activity during prolonged cardiac arrest,” noted Dr. Thomas Nguyen of the University of California, San Diego, in a commentary for Scientific American. “Yet patients like Jeremy report complex experiences—visions, conversations, even life reviews.” According to a 2024 meta-analysis in National Library of Medicine, nearly 20 percent of those resuscitated from cardiac arrest describe NDEs, fueling debates about consciousness and the afterlife.
Back in Dallas, the Collins family held a community vigil at their church under #CollinsFamilyVigil. Clergy led prayers while neighbors lit candles, hoping for a miracle they believed they witnessed when Jeremy returned. “We prayed for his soul,” said Pastor Lisa Harper, “and got a message through him—life is more than just flesh and blood.” That sentiment is echoed in dozens of Facebook comments on a community group page, where users shared their own brush-with-death accounts.
Yet skepticism ran equally strong. On Reddit’s r/atheism, users debated whether Jeremy’s recollections were fabricated or the result of anoxic hallucinations. “With no oxygen, the brain can fire off random memories,” argued u/LogicSeeker. In contrast, u/SpiritualSeeker countered, “The clarity and emotional depth he describes can’t be mere synapse noise.”
Jeremy’s experience included what he calls a “life review.” “I re-experienced key moments—my first bike ride, my marriage, the birth of my daughter—and felt the emotional impact on everyone involved,” he explained to NPR. “It was a swift but detailed montage, and it filled me with compassion for every choice I ever made.”
Medical professionals warn that interpreting these experiences requires caution. Dr. Karen Li, a neurologist at Columbia University, told The New York Times, “While NDEs are fascinating, they occur when the brain is under extreme stress, often releasing endorphins and releasing frozen fear.” Yet she conceded, “The consistency of reports—white light, deceased loved ones calling you back—warrants further investigation.”
Indeed, months later, Jeremy’s genome analysis revealed a rare genetic variant that may have conferred resilience to ischemia, as published by researchers in a preprint from medRxiv. While peer review is pending, this raises questions about physiological factors that allow some individuals to survive—and potentially experience—prolonged cardiac arrest.
Back in Dallas, Jeremy has become an unlikely advocate for end-of-life care and consciousness studies. He recently appeared on a podcast hosted by TEDx Talks, where he described his vision of a realm without judgment, urging listeners to “live each day knowing love transcends fear.” That clip has amassed nearly a million views, sparking renewed interest in near-death research.
Meanwhile, Jeremy’s doctors have noted his full physical recovery is “miraculous,” as reported by the Dallas Morning News. “He walked out of here with no neurological deficits,” said Dr. Reyes. “From a medical standpoint, we expected severe brain injury. Instead, we have a man eager to tell us what he saw beyond death.”
Cultural critics see Jeremy’s story as part of a broader search for meaning. In an opinion piece for The Washington Post, columnist David Brooks noted, “These tales tap into a collective longing for assurance—proof that life continues in some form. Jeremy’s account resonates because it blends the scientific mystery with the spiritual promise.”
As Jeremy prepares to publish a memoir titled Beyond the White Light in October (announced on his Instagram under @JeremyCollinsNDE), he remains humble. “I don’t claim to have all the answers,” he said during a community lecture at Southern Methodist University. “But I saw love in a way I never knew—love that has no end.”
For skeptics and believers alike, Jeremy’s experience is a reminder of life’s fragility and mystery. Whether his words point to a transcendent afterlife or are the brain’s final fireworks during cardiac crisis, they have sparked conversations that span hospital wards, scientific journals and dinner tables across the world. In the end, Jeremy’s journey from the brink of death to the light beyond offers a profound reflection: that even in our darkest moments, we may glimpse a brighter truth waiting just beyond the veil.
