I’ll share my real near-death experience shortly. For now, let me recount a few pseudo near-death experiences I’ve had over the years.

The first one happened on a flight from Seattle to Chennai in 2011. Another family we knew was traveling with us. While asleep on the plane, I suddenly felt as though my body had frozen. I couldn’t breathe or move and thought, “This is it—I’m going to die.” I jolted awake, only to realize my limbs were stiff and immobile. To my surprise, the eldest member of the other family was sitting beside me instead of my wife. He reassured me, saying, “Don’t worry, your wife is with my wife.” It took five minutes for me to regain control of my body.

There were other instances when I fainted without any apparent cause. I would collapse, lose consciousness, and remain unaware of my surroundings until my wife poured water on me to wake me.

Reflecting on these incidents now, I suspect they might have been related to the blockages in my heart’s blood vessels.

The heart attack I experienced was also surreal. While sitting with my iPad, a crushing pain gripped my chest, back, and left arm. I tried to lie down but couldn’t. I staggered toward the bathroom, only to collapse at the threshold. For a moment, everything went blank—a strange sense of peace enveloped me. I didn’t feel anything until my wife’s frantic screams brought me back to reality.

Contd. 315. I Meet the Maker - Part 3