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From Near death experiences - Ornella Corazza

We currently know that children of any age can have an NDE (Morse 1990: Sutherland 1995). Very young children, as soon as they are able to speak have reported NDEs they had as infants or in the process of being born. 

One of these was Mark Botts, who had an NDE at the age of 9 months. His story emerged in a study that was carried out by Kenneth Ring and Evelyn Valarino (2000). At that time, the little boy was suffering from severe bronchiolitis, which caused a full cardiopulmonary arrest. It apparently took more than 40 minutes for doctors to revive him, and afterwards he was in a coma for a further three months.

A trachea tube, which prevented him speaking, remained in place until he was aged 3. And then another two years passed before, one day totally out of the blue he surprised his parents by talking about 'when he had died'. He described how, during his experience, he left his body and crawled through a dark tunnel into a bright golden light where he was greeted warmly by some 'white clouded figures'. He then glided down a golden road until suddenly a being, whom he understood to be God, appeared in front of him. They conversed telepathically until Mark was told he had to return to his body. He was told:

'You have a purpose in life, and when you fulfil it, you can come back and visit me again someday.'

Interestingly, while out of body Mark saw things that could be subsequently verified. He observed the doctors and nurses working on him, and then he watched as his grandmother tried to find his mother who was 'at least a hundred yards away through many corridors, rooms and doors'. As Mark's mother said, in response to the cynicism she faced when talking about Mark's experience.

'How can you not believe when he can tell you where you stood, when it's impossible to see you? How can you not believe him when the things he said, happened?'