A childhood rooted in atheism took a profound turn when 16-year-old Heidi Barr claimed to have met Jesus after a life-threatening horseback riding accident.

According to CBN, once an atheist from a Jewish family, Barr says a near-death experience during a riding accident forever transformed her beliefs and inspired her to share a detailed account of seeing Jesus face-to-face and visiting Heaven.

Raised in an Orthodox Jewish family with strong atheistic values, Barr said her father actively discouraged belief in God, calling religion a "hoax" and claiming life was the result of a scientific accident. Discussions about God were only allowed if they dismissed the idea of His existence, she said.

Despite a religious heritage, Barr said faith was absent from her upbringing. She described her father's intolerance for the idea of divinity and recalled being told repeatedly that concepts like Heaven and Hell were fictional.

By age 15, Barr had distanced herself further from spirituality, falling into risky behavior and drug use, which she now views as part of a spiral fed by emotional trauma and isolation.

Horseback Ride Takes a Life-Altering Turn

It was during a sunny ride on her horse, Heather, that Barr said her life forever changed. As she relaxed in the hills, another horse—a spirited Arabian—charged toward her unexpectedly.

Moments later, her horse reared twice. The second time, Heather tipped backward off the trail and landed on Barr’s chest, fracturing her pelvis and breaking her back. She described the moment of impact as the instant her soul left her body.

From what she believes was a vantage point around 40 feet in the air, Barr said she saw her body on the ground, her sisters reacting in horror, and the Arabian running toward the barn with its rider flailing in the saddle.

A Man She Instantly Recognized

While observing the scene from above, Barr said she became aware she was not alone. She turned and saw a man smiling at her. Despite never being taught about Jesus, she described knowing exactly who He was without explanation.

"Every cell in my soul" knew His identity, she recalled. Even though her father dismissed Jesus as "the greatest hoax" of mankind, she believed in that moment that she had always known and loved Him deeply.

"All there was for me was Jesus," she said, calling Him the embodiment of love and joy. Though she questioned why she, a Jewish girl from an atheist home, would see Christ, the presence felt undeniable to her.

Seeing Her Entire Life Through New Eyes

During the experience, Barr was led through what she called a "3-D life review." She said she re-lived events from every period of her life, often with Jesus present in the memories—even ones from the womb and infancy.

She said the emotional impact of this review was intense, especially when she saw the pain she had caused others. Jesus paused the scenes at times, showing how her words and choices had affected not only people, but His heart as well.

"You have to be aware that God is watching," she said. "Every little thing we do matters." According to Barr, both good and bad actions appeared with full emotional weight during her journey.

A Glimpse Into a Place of Infinite Light

Following the life review, Barr said Jesus brought her into a brilliant, living light that she experienced as God. The light enveloped her and radiated love in ways she found indescribable.

"God was every molecule of love in the universe," she said. She described the scene as being so overwhelmingly peaceful and joyous that she wished she could remain in it forever, sitting in God's lap like a toddler.

While in this place, Barr also claimed to see Heaven itself—lush meadows where each blade of grass moved and sang praises. She believed that Earth’s beauty pales in comparison to what she saw there.

A Message and a Mission Upon Return

Eventually, Barr said she was told by Jesus that her life was "in good hands," and she returned to her body carrying that assurance with her. The experience, she said, erased every doubt she had once held.

Now a retired nurse, mother, and grandmother, Barr believes her story offers hope to those who feel alone or unloved. She has shared her account in a recently published book titled “What I Saw in Heaven: The Incredible True Story of the Day I Died, Met Jesus, and Returned to Life a New Person.”

The book details her upbringing, personal struggles, near-death moment, and the spiritual transformation that followed. Through her testimony, she hopes to remind others that they are never truly alone.