Dannion Brinkley
Encyclopedia
Dannion Brinkley is an American
author
who described two near death experience
s in his 1994 book Saved by the Light
. He is also a hospice volunteer, speaker, and prominent figure in the New Age
and New Thought Movement.
. He said he was clinically dead for 28 minutes. During these 28 minutes Brinkley said he experienced many characteristic details of a near death experience
as well as certain unique ones. His account includes an out-of-body experience
with extensive observations of physical surroundings, passing through a tunnel, a high-speed and detailed life review
and an encounter with beings who showed him visions of the future and discussed with him his life mission. Brinkley said he had a strong reluctance to return to his physical body, but he was sent back to fulfill a mission.
Brinkley said when he re-entered his body in the hospital he blew on the sheet that was covering his head. His friend noticed the moving sheet and said, "he's still alive!"
By the end of September 1975 he was released from the hospital.
Shortly after the event occurred Brinkley told his story to near-death researcher Raymond Moody
. In the Introduction to Saved by the Light, Moody wrote Brinkley's near death experience stands as one of the most incredible he has ever heard.
where he had a second near death experience. Brinkley said he had another life review
and was taken by a being to a place with pleasant sounds and smells. Brinkley was released from the hospital in a few weeks.
On September 17, 1997 Brinkley had brain surgery to remove a subdural hematoma
and had a third near death experience. In The Secrets of the Light he explained that he traveled to a "blue-gray place" that was like purgatory
. In this place he said he saw soldiers, martyrs and those unable to reach a level of forgiveness
. Following surgery Brinkley had a tonic–clonic seizure and after nearly thirty days in the hospital he was released.
in 1990 and subsequent food riots. Moody later said Brinkley's forecast struck him as "silly and absurd" at the time but later proved accurate. Brinkley's visions also reportedly included the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster
and the 1990–1991 Persian Gulf War
, but there was no written account of these visions prior to his 1994 book. Brinkley forecast a 1995 nuclear accident in Norway
and a pre-2000 economic collapse in the United States
that never happened. And, according to Moody, other prophetic visions Brinkley made after his first near death experience never materialized the way Brinkley said they would. Brinkley hasn't responded to these claims.
veteran
. In Saved by the Light, Brinkley said his actions as a CIA sniper in Laos
during the Vietnam War
were part of his NDE life review. Brinkley's account of serving as a CIA sniper in Laos was challenged by the Los Angeles Times
and by the book Stolen Valor by B. G. Burkett and Glenna Whitley. Both accounts said military records show that Brinkley never went overseas during the war, but was stationed in Georgia
as a truck driver.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Brinkley said the government was covering up his CIA mission because it was classified. But the newspaper cited several sources, including former Marines involved in similar covert operations, who said Brinkley's story was "full of holes" and that the supposedly classified files were all public.
Brinkley says that certain dates and places had to be camouflaged in order to protect the rights of those who chose to remain unknown, as well as to preserve the integrity of the United States of America.
In 2001, the Twilight Brigade was nominated for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Association's Heart of Hospice Award.
Brinkley is also the co-founder of Veterans Care Plus, a health care advocacy program for U.S. veterans and their families that provides access to low-cost prescription medications. This program has been selected by the Veterans of Foreign Wars
for its members.
TV movie of the same name starring Eric Roberts
, and debuted as one of the highest rated television movies in that network's history. Since originally airing, it has been in regular circulation on the Lifetime Movie Network
.
Americans
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
who described two near death experience
Near death experience
A near-death experience refers to a broad range of personal experiences associated with impending death, encompassing multiple possible sensations including detachment from the body; feelings of levitation; extreme fear; total serenity, security, or warmth; the experience of absolute dissolution;...
s in his 1994 book Saved by the Light
Saved by the Light
Saved by the Light is a book by Dannion Brinkley describing his near-death experience . Brinkley was struck by lightning and was clinically dead for approximately twenty-eight minutes...
. He is also a hospice volunteer, speaker, and prominent figure in the New Age
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
and New Thought Movement.
First near death experience
In Saved by the Light Brinkley explained that he was struck by lightning on September 17, 1975, while using a telephone at his home in Aiken, South CarolinaAiken, South Carolina
Aiken is a city in and the county seat of Aiken County, South Carolina, United States. With Augusta, Georgia, it is one of the two largest cities of the Central Savannah River Area. It is part of the Augusta-Richmond County Metropolitan Statistical Area. Aiken is home to the University of South...
. He said he was clinically dead for 28 minutes. During these 28 minutes Brinkley said he experienced many characteristic details of a near death experience
Near death experience
A near-death experience refers to a broad range of personal experiences associated with impending death, encompassing multiple possible sensations including detachment from the body; feelings of levitation; extreme fear; total serenity, security, or warmth; the experience of absolute dissolution;...
as well as certain unique ones. His account includes an out-of-body experience
Out-of-body experience
An out-of-body experience is an experience that typically involves a sensation of floating outside of one's body and, in some cases, perceiving one's physical body from a place outside one's body ....
with extensive observations of physical surroundings, passing through a tunnel, a high-speed and detailed life review
Life review
A life review is a phenomenon widely reported as occurring during near-death experiences, in which a person rapidly sees much or the totality of his or her life history in chronological sequence and in extreme detail. It is often referred to by people having experienced this phenomenon as having...
and an encounter with beings who showed him visions of the future and discussed with him his life mission. Brinkley said he had a strong reluctance to return to his physical body, but he was sent back to fulfill a mission.
Brinkley said when he re-entered his body in the hospital he blew on the sheet that was covering his head. His friend noticed the moving sheet and said, "he's still alive!"
By the end of September 1975 he was released from the hospital.
Shortly after the event occurred Brinkley told his story to near-death researcher Raymond Moody
Raymond Moody
Raymond Moody is a psychologist and medical doctor. He is most famous as an author of books about life after death and near-death experiences , a term that he coined in 1975. His best-selling title is Life After Life.-Life:...
. In the Introduction to Saved by the Light, Moody wrote Brinkley's near death experience stands as one of the most incredible he has ever heard.
Other near death experiences
In May 1989 Brinkley had heart failure and went to the East Cooper Hospital in Charleston, South CarolinaCharleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
where he had a second near death experience. Brinkley said he had another life review
Life review
A life review is a phenomenon widely reported as occurring during near-death experiences, in which a person rapidly sees much or the totality of his or her life history in chronological sequence and in extreme detail. It is often referred to by people having experienced this phenomenon as having...
and was taken by a being to a place with pleasant sounds and smells. Brinkley was released from the hospital in a few weeks.
On September 17, 1997 Brinkley had brain surgery to remove a subdural hematoma
Subdural hematoma
A subdural hematoma or subdural haematoma , also known as a subdural haemorrhage , is a type of haematoma, a form of traumatic brain injury. Blood gathers within the outermost meningeal layer, between the dura mater, which adheres to the skull, and the arachnoid mater, which envelops the brain...
and had a third near death experience. In The Secrets of the Light he explained that he traveled to a "blue-gray place" that was like purgatory
Purgatory
Purgatory is the condition or process of purification or temporary punishment in which, it is believed, the souls of those who die in a state of grace are made ready for Heaven...
. In this place he said he saw soldiers, martyrs and those unable to reach a level of forgiveness
Forgiveness
Forgiveness is typically defined as the process of concluding resentment, indignation or anger as a result of a perceived offense, difference or mistake, or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution. The Oxford English Dictionary defines forgiveness as 'to grant free pardon and to give up all...
. Following surgery Brinkley had a tonic–clonic seizure and after nearly thirty days in the hospital he was released.
First Near Death Experience
A local newspaper article published right after the first near death experience quoted Brinkley saying he was "out for a few minutes" until his wife revived him by pounding on his chest. Additionally, Gilmore Eaves (dec.) told a British documentary crew that Brinkley's story about being dead was "not true.". Brinkley has responded to these claims.Visions of the Future
Brinkley said he received visions of future events during his near death experience. At least one was reported to Raymond Moody within seven months, that there would be a breakdown of the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in 1990 and subsequent food riots. Moody later said Brinkley's forecast struck him as "silly and absurd" at the time but later proved accurate. Brinkley's visions also reportedly included the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster
Chernobyl disaster
The Chernobyl disaster was a nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April 1986 at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine , which was under the direct jurisdiction of the central authorities in Moscow...
and the 1990–1991 Persian Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
, but there was no written account of these visions prior to his 1994 book. Brinkley forecast a 1995 nuclear accident in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and a pre-2000 economic collapse in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
that never happened. And, according to Moody, other prophetic visions Brinkley made after his first near death experience never materialized the way Brinkley said they would. Brinkley hasn't responded to these claims.
Special Powers
Brinkley claims the events surrounding his first near death experience left him with "special powers," namely, psychic and paranormal abilities. There is skepticism that psychic abilities exist.Military Service
Brinkley is a U.S. MarineUnited States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
veteran
Veteran
A veteran is a person who has had long service or experience in a particular occupation or field; " A veteran of ..."...
. In Saved by the Light, Brinkley said his actions as a CIA sniper in Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
were part of his NDE life review. Brinkley's account of serving as a CIA sniper in Laos was challenged by the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
and by the book Stolen Valor by B. G. Burkett and Glenna Whitley. Both accounts said military records show that Brinkley never went overseas during the war, but was stationed in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
as a truck driver.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Brinkley said the government was covering up his CIA mission because it was classified. But the newspaper cited several sources, including former Marines involved in similar covert operations, who said Brinkley's story was "full of holes" and that the supposedly classified files were all public.
Brinkley says that certain dates and places had to be camouflaged in order to protect the rights of those who chose to remain unknown, as well as to preserve the integrity of the United States of America.
Hospice and veterans advocacy work
Brinkley is co-founder and Board Chairman of the Twilight Brigade (formerly called Compassion in Action), a non-profit international organization that supports bedside volunteers who provide companionship to those who are dying, especially veterans, during the last months of life. Brinkley's work with dying veterans and AIDS patients began in 1984 and he has logged many thousands of volunteer hospice hours. The Twilight Brigade now has offices in 16 states and over 5,000 volunteers, including a number of active duty military personnel and veterans.In 2001, the Twilight Brigade was nominated for the National Hospice and Palliative Care Association's Heart of Hospice Award.
Brinkley is also the co-founder of Veterans Care Plus, a health care advocacy program for U.S. veterans and their families that provides access to low-cost prescription medications. This program has been selected by the Veterans of Foreign Wars
Veterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a congressionally chartered war veterans organization in the United States. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, VFW currently has 1.5 million members belonging to 7,644 posts, and is the largest American organization of combat...
for its members.
Books
Saved by the Light and The Secrets of the Light were 'New York Times and international bestsellers.- Dannion Brinkley and Paul Perry, Saved by the LightSaved by the LightSaved by the Light is a book by Dannion Brinkley describing his near-death experience . Brinkley was struck by lightning and was clinically dead for approximately twenty-eight minutes...
: The true story of a man who died twice and the profound revelations he received. New York: Villard Books, 1994. ISBN 0679431764. - Dannion Brinkley and Paul Perry, At Peace in the Light: A man who died twice reveals amazing insights into life, death and its mysteries. Piatkus, 1995. ISBN 0749915811.
- Dannion Brinkley and Kathryn Peters-Brinkley, The Secrets of the Light: Spiritual strategies to empower your life ... here and in the hereafter. Heart Light Productions, 2004. ISBN 0963849026.
Television
Saved By the Light was adapted for a 1995 Fox Broadcasting CompanyFox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
TV movie of the same name starring Eric Roberts
Eric Roberts
Eric Anthony Roberts is an American actor. His career began with King of the Gypsies , earning a Golden Globe nomination for best actor debut. He starred as the protagonist in the 1980 dramatisation of Willa Cather's 1905 short story, Paul's Case...
, and debuted as one of the highest rated television movies in that network's history. Since originally airing, it has been in regular circulation on the Lifetime Movie Network
Lifetime Movie Network
Lifetime Movie Network is a cable channel that is part of Lifetime Entertainment Services, LLC, a subsidiary of A&E Television Networks, LLC. A&E Television Networks is a joint venture of the Disney-ABC Television Group, Hearst Corporation and NBCUniversal. LMN offers women-oriented movies...
.