So, what’s it like when you die? 68-year-old Charlotte Holmes got a taste of Heaven in a way she never expected. It happened during a heart check-up that was supposed to be normal. Her heart just stopped beating out of the blue, and she was gone for a full 11 minutes. When she came back to life, she had quite the tale to tell.
She says she saw both heaven and hell, and her experience is something that’ll tug at your heartstrings and even scare you a bit. She shared her near-death experience with The 700 Club.
It was just another regular day in September 2019, the kind you’d expect, when all of a sudden, Charlotte’s blood pressure shot up to 234 over 134. The doctors knew it was serious, so they rushed to admit her to the hospital.
As they were setting up an IV to help get her blood pressure under control, she just couldn’t hold on anymore and collapsed. Her husband, Danny, was there, feeling completely powerless as he watched the medical team jump into action, calling a code and trying to save her.
What’s outlandish is what Charlotte says happened after that. She swears she was floating above herself, looking down on the scene like she was watching a movie, and she even caught a glimpse of Danny looking scared out of his mind. It’s hard to explain medically.
“I could smell the most beautiful flowers and hear music,” she said. “When I opened my eyes, I knew I was in heaven.”
Charlotte Holmes on the Afterlife
Holmes described heaven as a place of peace and beauty, where everything was basking in the glow of an otherworldly serenity. Trees and grass seemed to dance to a divine tune.
She was reunited with her loved ones who had passed on, noting, “They didn’t look old or sick. None of them wore glasses. They looked like they were in their 30s.”
Her parents, sister, and even a son she had lost during pregnancy nearly half a century ago were there, looking vibrant and full of life. She revealed, “God told me children continue to grow in heaven,” which was a comforting revelation for her.
Her parents were standing in front of a blinding light, so radiant that she couldn’t bear to look straight at it. But she understood that it was her Heavenly Father. The light filled her with warmth and belonging.
“There’s no fear,” she said, “when the angels take over, you know you’re going home.” The absence of fear was real. It was replaced by an all-consuming happiness that came from being in the presence of angels. It was as if they were her escorts, leading her to a place where she truly belonged.
Then came the contrast.
Holmes shared, “God took me to hell. The smell—rotten flesh. The screams. It was almost unbearable.” She believes this vivid experience wasn’t just for her understanding; it was intended as a warning. “He said, ‘This is where they shall reside.’”
Holmes insists she was given a mission during this ordeal. “I heard my father say, ‘You have time to go back and share.’” When she woke up, she was suffering. But also filled with a sense of purpose.
Holmes Wants Her Story to Give People Hope
Woman who ‘died and visited hell’ shares the ‘unbearable’ horrors she saw https://t.co/wp8xBAX6lj pic.twitter.com/FDwrQJZw9D
— The Independent (@Independent) October 15, 2024
Once Holmes was out of the hospital after two weeks, she started sharing her story openly, particularly with folks in Christian communities. She’d say, “People need hope. They want to know that everything’s OK.”
Holmes has become pretty vocal about her belief in the afterlife. She goes around saying, “I’ve been privileged to bring people to Christ as He asked me to do. Heaven is more than you can imagine.”
Her belief is rock solid. She’ll say without a doubt, “Heaven is real.”
