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A man who briefly lost his life during emergency treatment says the experience changed how he understands the world. His account, shared publicly after his recovery, has drawn attention to how near-death experiences can reshape personal beliefs about life and reality.
The story was reported by the Mirror, which detailed his medical emergency and the reflections that followed.
A sudden crisis
Matthew Melton was attending a concert when he began eating sunflower seeds. Shortly afterwards, he noticed a rash forming on his neck and realised, as he put it, that “something major” was happening.
According to the Mirror, Melton went to the nearest emergency room, where doctors treated him with antihistamines and steroids. During the procedure, he says his heart stopped while he was on the operating table.
Medics later told him they had “lost him for a moment” before he was resuscitated.
An altered state
Melton described the experience as being “blasted through a wormhole” and finding himself in what he called an “unusual place.” Speaking on The Other Side Near Death Experience YouTube channel, he said: “The second that you die you’re not in the physical world anymore, it’s a whole different ball game.”
He added that he had no sense of a physical body and that what felt like darkness may not have related to light at all. “That feeling was so incredible, it was like the weight of the world finally removed,” he said.
Melton characterised the sensation as “pure bliss” and said it felt like discovering “what we truly are.”
A changed outlook
After regaining consciousness, Melton said returning to his body was deeply unsettling. “The feeling of re-entering a human body is the worst feeling that I’ve ever experienced,” he said, describing gravity and physical form as restrictive.
He told the Mirror that the experience led him to believe life on Earth is “some type of illusion” and that time itself is not real. Despite this, he said he felt humans are here “for a purpose,” likening life to a test or game.
Medical explanation
Doctors told Melton that his reaction was triggered by pesticides on the sunflower seeds, followed by an anaphylactic reaction to the steroids used in treatment, the Mirror reported.
The incident left him questioning his life and wanting to become more compassionate. He said he now believes there is something after death that would “blow your mind.”
Not alone
The Mirror also noted that Melton’s story is not unique. The paper referenced similar accounts, including that of a Canadian woman who reported a sense of leaving her physical identity behind during a medical emergency.
Such experiences, while deeply personal, continue to fuel debate about consciousness, belief and how people interpret moments close to death.
Sources: Mirror
