Pam Reynolds Lowery (May 31, 1956 – May 22, 2010), from Atlanta, Georgia, was an American woman who, in 1991, said she had a near-death experience (NDE) during a brain operation performed by Robert F. Spetzler at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona. Reynolds was closely monitored by medical professionals throughout the entire operation. During part of the surgery, she had no brain-wave activity and no blood flowing to her brain, which made her clinically dead. She claimed to have seen things during the procedure that medical staff confirmed were accurate.

In the study of near-death experiences and among people who believe in life after death, this case is often described as well-documented and important. Many supporters view it as evidence that consciousness may continue after death. An anesthesiologist who studied the case suggested that anesthesia awareness—a condition where a person may be aware during surgery without feeling pain—could explain such claims. Reynolds died from heart failure at the age of 53 on May 22, 2010, at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia.

Diagnosis and operation

Pam Reynolds told her doctor she was having symptoms such as dizziness, trouble speaking, and difficulty moving parts of her body. Her doctor sent her to a neurologist, and a CAT scan later showed that Reynolds had a large aneurysm in her brain, near the brain stem. Because the aneurysm was in a difficult location, doctors thought she would not survive surgery to remove it. As a last option, Robert F. Spetzler, a neurosurgeon at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, decided to use a rarely performed procedure called deep hypothermic circulatory arrest, also known as a "standstill operation," to increase Reynolds' chances of surviving the surgery. During the procedure, Reynolds' body temperature was lowered to 50 °F (10 °C). Her breathing and heartbeat stopped, and blood was drained from her head. Her eyes were closed with tape, and small ear plugs with speakers were placed in her ears. The speakers made audible clicks, which were used to check the function of the brain stem. This ensured she had a flat electroencephalography (EEG), meaning her brain was not responding, before the operation began. The surgery was successful, and Reynolds recovered completely. The entire operation took about seven hours and had some complications during the process.

Claimed NDE

Reynolds described hearing a sound similar to the musical note "D" natural during the operation. This sound made her feel as though she was lifted out of her body and able to "float" above the operating room, where she watched the doctors work. She said she felt "more aware than usual" and that her vision was clearer and more focused than normal. Reynolds mentioned seeing the surgical tool used during the operation, but it appeared to her like a small electric toothbrush, which is accurate. She also heard conversations between the operating room staff, even though she was wearing earphones that made a loud clicking sound many times each second to monitor her brain activity.

At one point during the operation, Reynolds noticed a light and felt pulled toward it. She saw figures in the light, including her grandmother, an uncle, other relatives who had passed away, and people she did not recognize. Reynolds said she enjoyed being in this place for a time, but eventually she was reminded she needed to return to her body. She claims her uncle helped bring her back, but she did not want to go. He pushed her into her body, and she described the feeling as similar to jumping into very cold water.

Reception

Reynolds' near-death experience (NDE) has been used by supporters, such as cardiologist Michael Sabom, to argue that an afterlife exists. In his book Light and Death, Sabom states that Reynolds' experience happened during a time when her brain was not functioning at all.

Critics claim that the time Reynolds was described as "flatlined" (with no brain activity) is often misunderstood. They suggest her NDE actually occurred while she was under general anesthesia, when her brain was still active, hours before she experienced hypothermic cardiac arrest (a condition where the heart stops due to extreme cold).

Anesthesiologist Gerald Woerlee studied the case and concluded that Reynolds' ability to notice events during surgery was likely due to "anesthesia awareness," a rare condition where patients remain conscious during procedures despite being given anesthesia.

Psychologist Chris French, who led The Skeptic magazine, noted that in a large study on NDEs, Professor Sam Parnia's team, The Human Consciousness Project, found one person out of 101 cardiac arrest survivors who described details about medical equipment used during resuscitation. However, none of the patients reported seeing specific test images designed to be visible only to someone outside the operating room.