A woman who technically d:ied for 24 minutes has opened up about her extraordinary brush with d:eath, describing what it felt like to slip away and then return to life.

Accounts of people who “d:ie and come back” have fascinated scientists, doctors, and everyday readers for decades. These near-d:eath experiences often raise more questions than answers, blurring the line between science and spirituality. While modern technology has made it possible to revive patients who would have been lost a century ago, stories like these continue to spark awe—and sometimes even controversy.

Back in the early 1900s, illnesses like influenza, tuberculosis, and pneumonia commonly cut lives short, with the average global life expectancy hovering in the early to mid-30s, according to Statista. Today, that number has more than doubled to around 72 years. Yet for one woman, Lauren Canaday, her story nearly ended long before reaching that age milestone.

Lauren recounted her experience on Reddit, inviting others to ask questions about what it’s like to d:ie and return to life. She wrote: “I went into sudden cardiac arrest at home this past February. My husband called 911 and started CPR. It took 24 minutes for EMTs to resuscitate me. After 9 days in the ICU, I was declared 'cognitively intact' and have no visible brain damage on MRIs.”

She further explained: “I also have a normal EEG despite a history of seizures and status epilepticus for over 30 minutes right after resuscitation.”

One curious user asked if she remembered anything from her 24 minutes of “d:eath.” Lauren admitted that the medical ordeal had left her with gaps in memory: “I was in a coma for 2 days and when I woke up I was very confused about being intubated and didn't have any short-term memory for several more days. I never regained memory of the week prior or most of the time in ICU and am foggy on about a month prior. I remember only a feeling of extreme peace that I honestly seriously miss!”

This “feeling of peace,” she said, lingered for weeks after she regained consciousness, even though she couldn’t recall the medical chaos around her. Interestingly, her description echoes countless other near-d:eath survivors who claim they felt calm, weightless, or detached from pain. Scientists often attribute such sensations to brain chemistry and oxygen deprivation, while others interpret them as a glimpse of something beyond.

Yet survival did not come without challenges. Lauren confessed that she often forgot why she was still in the hospital and struggled emotionally with her new reality. When asked if she felt guilt about surviving, she was brutally honest: “Yep. 100%. So much guilt/confusion. And grief to deal with all the consequences. Ugh. My emotional state was exceptionally poor for a while. I would not have gotten through it without my husband's support.”

Her physical recovery forced her to step back from work, while the emotional scars pushed her toward therapy and weekly support groups. Writing and community became an unexpected lifeline: “It helps to meet people through the newsletter I started. That helps me process things. I email a lot with my subscribers.”

Lauren’s candid testimony serves as both a medical miracle and a deeply human reminder of how fragile life can be. Though her story is rooted in science—defibrillators, CPR, and critical care—it also brushes against the mysterious unknown of what happens after d:eath. Whether her “peaceful feeling” was a neurological side effect or something more spiritual remains unanswered.

What is clear, however, is that Lauren is grateful for her second chance at life, even as she grapples with its aftermath. Her story highlights not only the power of modern medicine but also the resilience of the human spirit in the face of d:eath itself.