Charlotte Holmes from Wichita, Kansas, claimed to have experienced both heaven and hell after being declared clinically dead for 11 minutes before miraculously returning to life.
Holmes had gone for a routine check-up with her cardiologist in 2019 when her blood pressure suddenly spiked.
Doctors suspected she was having a stroke or heart attack, and she was rushed to the hospital and placed on an intravenous drip.
As medical professionals worked to stabilize her, Holmes began telling her husband, Danny, about seeing and smelling beautiful flowers, even though none were present in the room. Danny believed she was not “in this world” at the time.
In an interview with The 700 Club, Holmes recalled, “I looked around at the beauty. I could see the trees, I could see the grass. And everything was swaying with the music because everything in heaven worships God.”
During this time, her heart had stopped for 11 minutes, and she was declared clinically dead.
Describing heaven as indescribable, Holmes said, “It’s so above what we can even imagine a million times.”
As angels guided her into heaven, Holmes claimed she felt “no fear, just joy” and began recognizing familiar faces—her deceased family members.
The woman said: “I see my mom, I see my dad, I see my sister, I see my family members standing behind.”
She noted that they all appeared young and healthy, around their 30s.
Behind her parents was a bright light that she believed to be the heavenly father.
Holmes also encountered a toddler she didn’t initially recognize but was told by God it was the child she had tragically lost during pregnancy.
“I lost that child,” she explained. “I was five-and-a-half months pregnant. I can remember them holding the baby up and saying, Charlotte, it’s a boy. Then he was gone.”
“So when I [saw] this toddler, I said, ‘God, how is that possible?’ [And] he says, ‘They continue to grow in heaven.'”
But her journey wasn’t over. God showed her the edge of hell. ”
The Journal of Palliative Medicine says: “End-of-life dreams and visions can occur in wakeful or sleep states and typically manifest with clear consciousness. A common element reported by bereaved family members and clinical staff is the personal or spiritual solace provided by the dreams/visions for patients at the end of life.”
“Clinicians have reported that whereas hallucinations frequently elicit anxiety or perplexity, ELDVs evoke peacefulness, comfort, and a sense of wonder. In addition, ELDVs help patients reconcile past life events and accept death.”
What she said next was terrifying.
“I looked down, and the smell, and then rotten flesh – that’s what it smelled like – and then screams,” she recounted. “After seeing the beauty of heaven, the contrast to seeing hell is almost unbearable.”
“And He says, ‘I show you this to tell you, if some of them do not change their ways, this is where they shall reside.'”
At that moment, Holmes was brought back to life. She described feeling her spirit being drawn back into her body.
Following her recovery, she spent two weeks in the hospital and later shared her experience in public appearances, offering hope and reassurance that heaven is real.
“People need hope,” Holmes said. “They want to know that there really is something out there, they want to know that everything’s okay. Heaven is more than you can imagine.”
“I can look you square in the eye and tell you for sure, heaven is real.”
According to The Ozark County Times, Charlotte Holmes passed away on November 28 of last year at age 72, following a heart attack.
