Oldest Near-Death Experience Has Been Discovered in a Doctor's Report From 1740

Teresa Neumann : Jul 29, 2014
Bahar Gholipour – Live Science News

A well-known 18th century pharmacist, who after falling unconscious and waking up, reported seeing "a light so pure and bright that he must have been in Heaven [in the Kingdom of the Blessed]."

(London, England)—Out of France comes news that Dr. Phillippe Charlier, a medical doctor as well as an archaeologist, bought an 18th century medical book in an antique shop that was found to contain what experts believe is the first medical report of a near-death experience. (Photo Credit: Archive.org-Book contributor: Fisher-University of Toronto. Digitizing sponsored by University of Ottawa/via LiveScience.com)

According to Live Science News, the report was written around 1740 by Pierre-Jean du Monchaux, a French military physician in his book called "Anecdotes de Médecine."

In it, the book reportedly describes the case of a well-known pharmacist in Paris who, after falling unconscious and waking up, reported seeing a "light so pure and bright that he though he must have been in Heaven (literally: In the Kingdom of the Blessed)."

In his paper, Dr. Charlier wrote: "Near-death experience (NDE) has been scientifically described as 'a profound psychological event with transcendental and mystical elements' after a life-threatening crisis.'"