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Sutherland, Donald – A NDE from a severe case of meningitis
Identifier
025803
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
A description of the experience
Near-Death Experiences of the Hollywood Rich and Famous extracted from Jean Ritchie's book, Death's Door.
According to Jean Ritchie's book, Death's Door: True Stories of Near-Death Experiences, while filming Kelly's Heroes, Sutherland had an NDE when he became ill with a severe case of meningitis and his body shut down. Sutherland describes it:
"Suddenly the pain, fever and acute distress seemed to evaporate. I was floating above my body, surrounded by soft blue light. I began to glide down a long tunnel, away from the bed ... but suddenly I found myself back in my body. The doctors told me later that I had actually died for a time."
Sutherland says his NDE has made him more honest with himself and a better actor:
"If you get on the Other Side, you're really alone with yourself. I gave a commencement speech at the University of Toronto this year. One section had to do with being honest with yourself. There's no point in not being (honest); when you die, you die alone. You want to be at one with yourself and responsible to yourself. You really do not want to have too many regrets."