Charlotte Holmes from Wichita, Kansas, reported that she encountered both heaven and hell after being declared clinically dead for 11 minutes before returning to life.
In 2019, Holmes went for a routine check-up with her cardiologist when her blood pressure unexpectedly surged.
Doctors suspected she was experiencing either a stroke or a heart attack, leading to her being rushed to the hospital and placed on an intravenous drip.
As medical professionals worked quickly to assist her, Holmes started to describe to her husband Danny—who had been by her side during the entire ordeal—how she saw and smelled beautiful flowers.
Danny felt that she was not ‘in this world’ at that moment, as he scanned the room and saw no flowers present.
In an interview with The 700 Club, Holmes shared, “I looked around at the beauty. I could see the trees, I could see the grass. Everything was swaying to the music because everything in heaven worships God.”
By this point, Holmes’ heart had stopped for a total of 11 minutes, leading to her declaration of clinical death.
The grandmother expressed that she couldn’t fully describe what heaven was like, stating, “It’s beyond anything we can imagine, a million times over.”
Holmes recounted that as angels guided her into heaven, she felt “no fear, just joy.” She then began to recognize familiar faces—her deceased family members.
She said, “I see my mom, I see my dad, I see my sister, I see my family members standing behind.”
She claimed that none of her deceased family appeared sick or old; instead, they looked to be in their 30s.
Behind her parents was a “light so bright” that she couldn’t bear to look at it, but she believed this was the Heavenly Father.
Holmes also recalled seeing a toddler. Initially unsure of the child’s identity, she was told by the Heavenly Father that it was her child whom she had sadly lost.
“I lost that child,” she explained. “I was five-and-a-half months pregnant. I remember them holding the baby up and saying, ‘Charlotte, it’s a boy.’ Then he was gone.”
“So when I [saw] this toddler, I asked, ‘God, how is that possible?’ And He replied, ‘They continue to grow in heaven.’”
At that moment, God guided her to show her something final—He wanted to reveal to her “the edge of hell.”
The Journal of Palliative Medicine states: “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 these dreams and visions provide for patients at the end of life.
“Clinicians have noted that while hallucinations often cause anxiety or confusion, end-of-life dreams and visions (ELDVs) evoke feelings of peace, comfort, and wonder. Additionally, ELDVs assist patients in reconciling past life events and accepting death.”
What Holmes described next was horrifying.
“I looked down, and the smell—like rotten flesh—that’s what it smelled like—along with screams,” she recounted. “After experiencing the beauty of heaven, the contrast of seeing hell is almost unbearable.”
“And He said, ‘I show you this to tell you that if some of them do not change their ways, this is where they shall reside.’”
It was at that moment that Holmes was brought back to life. She described feeling as though her spirit was being drawn back into her body.
The grandmother went on to make a full recovery and was released from the hospital after a two-week stay.
Since then, she has shared her story during public appearances, hoping to inspire others with the belief that there is a heaven.
“People need hope,” Holmes said. “They want to know that there is something out there, that everything’s okay. Heaven is more than you can imagine.
“I can look you straight in the eye and tell you for certain, heaven is real.”
