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 surgery. During part of the operation, she had no brain activity and no blood flow to her brain, which made her clinically dead. She reported making several observations during the procedure, which medical staff confirmed were accurate.

In the study of near-death experiences and among those who believe in life after death, this case is often described as well-documented and important. Many supporters believe it provides evidence that consciousness may survive after death. An anesthesiologist who reviewed the case suggested that anesthesia awareness—a condition where a patient may be conscious during surgery—could explain the claims. Reynolds passed away 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 showed she had a large aneurysm in her brain, near the brain stem. Because the aneurysm was in a difficult location, doctors believed she might not survive surgery to remove it. As a final option, Robert F. Spetzler, a neurosurgeon at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, decided to use a rare procedure called deep hypothermic circulatory arrest, also known as a "standstill operation," to increase her chances of surviving the surgery. During the procedure, Reynolds' body temperature was lowered to 50 °F (10 °C), her breathing and heartbeat were stopped, and blood was drained from her head. Tape was used to close her eyes, and small ear plugs with speakers were placed in her ears. The speakers produced audible clicks, which were used to check the brain stem's function and confirm that her brain was not responding, as shown by a flat electroencephalography (EEG). The surgery was successful, and Reynolds fully recovered. The operation took about seven hours and had some minor complications along the way.

Claimed NDE

Reynolds said she heard a sound similar to the musical note "D" during the operation. This sound made her feel as though she was pulled out of her body and allowed her to "float" above the room, where she watched the doctors work. She described feeling more aware than usual and having clearer vision than normal. She saw the surgical "saw," but it looked like an electric toothbrush, which is true. She could hear conversations between the operating room staff, even though she had earphones on that made a loud clicking noise to monitor her brain activity.

At one point, she noticed a light and felt pulled toward it. She saw shapes in the light, including her grandmother, an uncle, other relatives who had passed away, and people she did not know. Reynolds said she enjoyed being there for a while, but later she was reminded she needed to return. Her uncle helped bring her back to her body, but she did not want to go. He pushed her back, and the feeling was like jumping into very cold water.

Reception

Reynolds' near-death experience (NDE) has been used by supporters, like cardiologist Michael Sabom, as evidence for an afterlife in his book Light and Death. Sabom states that Reynolds' experience happened during a time when her brain had stopped working completely.

Critics argue that the time Reynolds was "flatlined" (when the heart stops beating and the brain shows no activity) is often misunderstood. They claim her NDE occurred while she was under general anesthesia, when her brain was still active, hours before she experienced hypothermic cardiac arrest (a treatment for heart failure involving cooling the body).

Anesthesiologist Gerald Woerlee studied the case and concluded that Reynolds' ability to see events during surgery was due to "anesthesia awareness," a condition where patients may be conscious during procedures.

Psychologist Chris French, editor-in-chief of The Skeptic magazine, noted that in a large study on NDEs by Professor Sam Parnia's team, called The Human Consciousness Project, only one of 101 cardiac arrest survivors described details about medical equipment used during resuscitation. None of the patients reported seeing images on a test designed to be viewed only from above.