While kayaking in Chile to celebrate her husband’s birthday, a respected spinal surgeon faced a life-threatening accident that she now credits with changing her entire belief system.

CBN reported that Dr. Mary Neal, an experienced doctor and adventurer, says she visited heaven during a near-death experience, a moment that transformed her understanding of faith, mortality, and personal identity.

Neal, an avid kayaker, joined her husband and friends for an adventurous trip in South America. The group traveled to Chile to mark a special occasion—her husband’s birthday—combining their love of exploration with celebration. As long-time kayaking partners, Neal and her husband had traveled the world pursuing challenging waters.

Unexpected Crisis Amid Celebration in Chile

During one of their outings on the river, Neal encountered a powerful waterfall. As her kayak tipped and plunged over the edge, she was submerged beneath nearly ten feet of rushing water. The current was so powerful that she couldn’t break free from the water’s force or escape the kayak’s grip.

Despite the danger, Neal maintained her composure. She focused on trying to free herself or maneuver the boat to safety, but her efforts were overpowered by the waterfall’s intensity. She realized escape might not be possible and turned her thoughts away from fear and toward something greater.

“The boat and I were immediately submerged,” she later told CBN Digital. “The force of the current was too great for me to do anything.” With that realization, she silently asked God that whatever happened next would align with His will. At that moment, she described an overwhelming feeling of comfort.

A Descent Into Water Leads to a Spiritual Ascent

Neal said that after her prayer, she was overcome by a sensation of being physically held and reassured. What followed, according to her, was a transition from earthly consciousness to something even more vivid than life itself. She explained that she didn’t feel herself crossing a line between life and death but instead became “more alive” as she moved beyond the physical world.

She believes she was in heaven, being embraced by Jesus Christ. Despite being underwater and not breathing, she did not feel panic or pain. Briefly, she questioned whether she was hallucinating, but clarity grew stronger as the feeling endured.

To rule out confusion, she conducted mental checks. She thought perhaps she’d found an air pocket in the water, but realized she couldn’t detect any breath. Still, she felt no suffering—only peace and what she described as “glorious” love.

Encounters With Spiritual Beings and Return to Life

Neal’s experience continued with what she called a life review, shaped by extraordinary levels of compassion and understanding. As her spirit detached from her body, she said Jesus released her soul to heaven, where she was met by people she sensed had loved her for her entire existence.

She could not identify all of them, but felt deeply connected, as if they had been part of her story since before she was born. She speculated they might have included relatives from generations past or individuals from before her time. Though comforting, the return to her physical body was difficult.

Once resuscitated and brought back to life on Earth, the memories of heaven didn’t fade. However, describing the experience to others would prove complicated. Neal said that many who undergo similar spiritual moments face skepticism, emotional hardship, and intense soul-searching upon return.

Impact on Faith and Personal Identity

“First, there’s this disbelief that you’ve come back,” she explained. “And then depression follows, along with wrestling to understand what it all means,” Neal said. Such experiences are beautiful but isolating due to the way others might react to them.

Before the kayaking trip, Neal had only loosely explored the idea of what comes after life. Although a Christian, she said her faith had once been more cultural than spiritual. It wasn’t something she gave thought to daily.

“If someone had asked me [before], I would have said, ‘Well, I think there’s something more. I hope there’s something more,’” she noted. Death felt distant and abstract at that time. Now, it’s central to her worldview.

Sharing Her Testimony Through Film

Following the extensive impact of her experience, Neal began sharing her story more publicly. She is featured in Angel Studios' film “After Death,” which examines similar spiritual journeys and near-death encounters. Her story serves as one of the key narratives in the production.

The film highlights how such events can provide insight into life’s transient nature and the eternal questions that many often avoid. For Neal, the decision to share her account wasn’t taken lightly—bearing witness also brought personal responsibility and vulnerability.

Today, Neal no longer sees herself primarily through her professional achievements. “My number one identity is that I am a beloved child of God,” she said. That core belief, she emphasized, reshapes everything else in her life.