A self-proclaimed atheist American woman, suffering from a rare disease, experienced “death” twice and had a near-death experience during which she saw God. This extraordinary near-death experience completely changed her atheist perspective, leading her to believe in the existence of God.
The woman, named Riley Courtright, 35 years old, recently shared her near-death experience on an American podcast called “Round Trip Death.” The program aired in April this year.
Courtright stated on the program that she had been an atheist since childhood, not believing in the existence of God. Due to being diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a rare genetic disorder, she “died” twice over an 18-month period.
According to the renowned medical institution Cleveland Clinic, EDS weakens the body’s connective tissues, typically affecting the skin, joints, and muscles, with certain types potentially leading to life-threatening complications.
For example, vascular type EDS can cause blood vessel ruptures, resulting in dangerous internal bleeding and strokes – the exact type of EDS Courtright was diagnosed with.
Courtright explained that her first “death” occurred at home. Prior to this, doctors informed her that there was no cure for her condition. Her second “death” happened as she was preparing to spend her final days with her husband.
She described, “Death is a strange thing because it seems to happen in an instant.” However, her second “death” was not an actual death. During this time, she had a near-death experience where her soul left her body and flew to heaven to meet God. She saw God accompanied by Jesus and other angels.
She explained, “Without a doubt, I was there at that moment. He was bigger than the entire universe. I embraced him with both arms around his neck, sat on his lap, played by his ankles, and worked alongside him.”
She added that she felt she watched God expand the universe, witnessing him construct the next Earth where people would move. God also explained everything about the universe to her, allowing her to access every piece of information that ever existed in the cosmos.
God told her that he would give her new heart and lungs. When she suddenly returned to her physical body in the mortal world, she woke up and saw her husband holding her cold body. According to her husband, he held her for an hour, reluctant to let medical personnel take her away.
After waking up, she took the “clearest breath” she had ever taken. Her heart, lungs, liver, and kidneys had all returned to normal, and she began to feel hungry. She believed that God had healed her disease.
She was immediately taken to the hospital for examination, but doctors could not explain the changes in her body.
Doctors told her, “We can’t explain this situation, but you appear to be a healthy 34-year-old woman. Your organs look fine. We no longer see any signs of heart attacks, strokes, or internal bleeding scars.”
When asked what they could do for her, she refused treatment. She stated, “I knew I shouldn’t take medication anymore, so I didn’t say anything.”
During the broadcast of the program, Courtright confirmed that she was no longer an atheist. She mentioned that she had been “healed” for seven months.
In conclusion, she stated that although she used to be an atheist, she had now seen God. She expressed that people should not fear God because God does not want to be feared; “He wants to be loved, right? … His love is completely unconditional.”