A Sip of Poison: A Near-Death Experience and Return to Faith

“I was looking for a cup, but couldn’t find one,” Nina recalls. “If I had found a cup, maybe none of this would have happened.” What began as a simple mistake quickly turned into a life-threatening moment and an experience she would never forget.

A Dangerous Mistake

As a child, Nina picked up what she thought was a bottle of soda and took a sip. “I felt like I was swallowing fire,” she says. “I started choking and coughing.” Her parents immediately realized something was wrong. Her father grabbed the bottle and discovered that she had ingested a chemical substance used in the perfume industry.

They rushed to get help, but at the hospital doctors were unsure how to treat the substance. Instead of pumping her stomach, they gave her absorbing tablets, which did not help. As the day went on, her condition worsened. She became weak, confused, and unable to think clearly. “It felt like everything was rising inside me,” she says. “Like a curtain was slowly falling over me.”

Losing Control

By the time they arrived home, Nina could barely function. She saw everything doubled, her body felt heavy, and she could not speak. She made her way to her room almost on instinct, barely aware of what was happening. Within moments, everything went dark.

Seeing from Above

What happened next is something she still finds difficult to explain. “I suddenly saw myself from above,” she says. “I was lying on the floor, and my parents were trying to wake me up.” She watched them panic, calling her name and trying to bring her back.

At the same time, she felt an unexpected sense of calm. “I wanted to tell them I was there, that I was fine, but I couldn’t make a sound. It was like I had thoughts but no voice.” Despite the chaos below, she describes a feeling of peace and clarity that was unlike anything she had experienced before.

The Light and the Choice

Then she noticed something else. “In the corner, I saw something like circles, almost like a target pulling me in,” she says. “I felt drawn to it.” She later understood this as a kind of tunnel, similar to what others describe in near-death experiences. There was a strong sense that she could continue forward.

But something stopped her. She saw her parents crying and understood how deeply they were suffering. “I realized that for them, this was unbearable,” she says. “I couldn’t leave them like that.”

Returning to the Body

At the same time, attempts were being made to revive her. “Coming back was very difficult,” she recalls. “Before, everything felt light and calm. Suddenly the heaviness, the confusion, and the pain all returned.” She could feel what was happening around her but could not respond. “I wanted to tell them to stop, that I was okay, but I couldn’t speak.”

After two days, she slowly recovered and was discharged from the hospital.

A Secret That Stayed Hidden

When Nina tried to share what had happened, her mother reacted with fear. She asked her not to tell anyone, as people at the time did not speak about such experiences and might misunderstand. Nina agreed and kept it to herself for many years, but the experience stayed with her and quietly changed her.

“I became a different person,” she says. “I started asking deeper questions and searching for answers.”

Searching for Meaning

As she grew older, Nina explored different ideas and beliefs, trying to understand what she had experienced. She read widely and searched for explanations, not yet realizing how much depth she could find within her own tradition. Only later, when she encountered similar accounts, did she begin to understand that her experience was not unique.

“When I saw that others described the same things, I realized I wasn’t alone,” she says.

A Return to Faith

Over time, her journey led her back to Judaism. “When I returned to faith, what moved me most was the prayer Modeh Ani,” she says. “For the first time, I understood every word.” The idea of thanking Hashem for returning the soul to the body took on a completely new meaning.

“The body is just a vessel,” she explains. “The soul is something much greater.”

A Lasting Perspective

Today, Nina carries that experience with her in everything she does. “It changed the way I see life,” she says. “I understand that nothing is random. There is meaning and purpose.”

Her story is not only about a near-death experience, but about what came from it: a deeper awareness, a stronger faith, and a lasting connection that continues to shape her life.