“I Died and Met Jesus”: The NDE of Dean Braxton

What happens when a near-death experience becomes a full blown journey to heaven? In May 2006, Dean Braxton went in for a routine medical procedure to deal with kidney stones, but unfortunately for him, an infection caused him to go septic. It wasn't long before Dean's heart stopped.

For 1 hour and 45 minutes, Dean was considered dead by Medical staff, but in that time he says he traveled beyond the hospital ceiling into a realm of light, love, and unmistakable presence.

Crossing Over

Dean describes leaving his body and shooting up through the hospital floors and into the sky, traveling faster than a blink. Darkness gave way to what looked less like a tunnel and more like a bright window. Stepping through that threshold, everything felt right. Nothing irritated. Even the landscape seemed to welcome him.

Trees and flowers were not just scenery. They felt aware and glad he had arrived. He says he realized heaven is not merely a place. It is a relationship, defined by the Father and Jesus. He sensed Jesus through a forest and moved toward that presence while the trees parted as if announcing, “He is going to see the King.”

Encounters and Messages

Dean did not approach standing tall. He fell to hands and knees at the feet of Jesus, overwhelmed by the realization that he was there only because of what Jesus had done. Gratitude poured out in a cascade of thank yous. As he looked up, he felt loved by every part he could see. Ankles. Knees. Hands. Face.

Then came a look he has never forgotten. He says Jesus looked at him as if he had never disobeyed. That single glance communicated total forgiveness and a memory wiped clean. To Dean, it was the living proof of a promise. In that presence he understood himself as an eternal being. The body had died. He had not.

He describes two “downloads,” moments of communication that felt instant and complete. Twice Jesus told him it was not his time. Twice Dean drifted back toward the edge of that realm, realized his body was not ready, and returned to explore. On one side he saw mountains that moved like ocean waves. On the other, vivid waters and countless animals. Color itself felt more alive than earthly color.

On his third return to Jesus, Dean noticed a crowd behind him. Family. His grandmother Mary stood at the front, radiant and smiling. Generations stretched behind her, pure joy on every face. Some relatives, he admits, were people he would not have expected to see. They had met God’s criteria, not his. His grandmother gave him a charge: “Bring as many of us back with you as you can.” Moments later, he says Jesus gave a firm command. Not your time. Go back.

Dean Braxton

“He looked at me like I had never disobeyed in my entire existence. In that moment I knew I would never die. My body died, but not me.”

The Return

Dean says he hovered back over the hospital bed as staff were putting instruments away and a doctor was, he recalls, preparing to sign his death certificate. He re-entered his body, the heart monitor began to beep again, and the team rushed back, intubating him and stabilizing his breathing. Emotionally, he did not want to return. He sensed a reason though and that was enough to for him to stay. Afterward, daily life shifted. He held things more loosely. He measured choices by an eternal scale, not a grasping one.

Reflections

Dean’s account blends tenderness and clarity. He stresses that heaven welcomed him. That love felt precise and personal. He also underscores a message about family. Heaven, he says, cares deeply about family bonds and the hope of reunion. His grandmother’s words still guide him. He lives now with a lighter grip on possessions and a heavier focus on people.

Key Takeaways

• He remembers the dying process as strangely free of fear. “I’m dying,” he thought, then immediately, “I’m going home.”
• Dean reports traveling faster than thought, crossing a lighted “window” into a place of total welcome.
• The central figure was Jesus, whose look communicated complete forgiveness and enduring love.
• He returned with a family-focused message and a changed perspective on what matters most.

Curious about my writing process? Learn how I made this post.

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