Rev Darryl Watson ¢â‚¬â„¢s Near-Death Experience

Friday 5th May, 2000 was a day that Marian and I had looked forward to for some time. Our good friends Grady and Shirley were flying in from Houston, Texas, to stay with us. We picked them up from the Launceston (Tasmania) airport, and after unpacking, took them into the city centre to get some Aussie dollars. They crashed into bed early, about 7.30pm, from jetlag.

I also went to bed early, about 9.30 as I had been feeling just a bit off all day. (But I hadn ¢â‚¬â„¢t said anything about this to my wife, Marian.) About 10.15 (just after Angela had rung), a crushing chest pain began, and I felt I was being squeezed harder and harder as in a giant vice. The pain was unbelievable in its intensity. I then began to throw up. My wife called our doctor, who called an ambulance, and both doctor and ambulance crew arrived at the same time about 10 minutes later.

They began to read what was happening with my body, and started working to stabilize me. I do not recall much of what happened, but they transported me, at 11pm to the Launceston General Hospital ¢â‚¬â„¢s Emergency Room.

While they worked on me, I died several times and the staff revived me immediately each time. An RN had revived me several times, the first time with a thump on the chest, which left a large swollen bruise, and all the other times using the paddles. We have all seen it on TV,  ¢â‚¬Å“Stand clear ¢â‚¬ , and the patient ¢â‚¬â„¢s body convulses in response to the surge of electricity.

What happened to me during the final episode of dying I want to relate to you. I found out later, when I went to see the RN who worked on me, that the doctors had decided that I ¢â‚¬â„¢d had enough chances. The RN, Donna, told me that it was the worse heart attack she ¢â‚¬â„¢d ever seen, and anyone live to tell the tale. She also told me that when they connected me to their monitors I set them off the scale!
Donna decided that she was going to disregard the doctors ¢â‚¬â„¢ opinion, and give me one more shot. There was, then a delay in attempting to revive me while the doctors made their decision, and Donna decided to go against that decision.

As I have on many occasions, you have all been in hospital emergency rooms with all the hustle and bustle and noise going on. What I experienced was a sudden and complete silence, and the immediate release from all the pain. I felt myself leave my body with a sense of tremendous energy and movement. So much so that I looked back over my shoulder and saw my body on the table.

I need to say that my conscious mind was working all the time. I found myself standing in a beautiful room, even though I could not see any walls. I kept saying to myself,  ¢â‚¬Å“I know this is a room, even though I cannot see any walls. ¢â‚¬  The room was filled with the most wonderful light that was warm, welcoming and full of peace and beauty. I had a distinct sense that I was bathed in the light of God ¢â‚¬â„¢s glory. It was a place of beauty, love, warmth and acceptance. I felt bathed in the wonderful light and love. It was just so peaceful. As I was looking around this room I heard a clear, distinct and wonderful voice behind me that said,  ¢â‚¬Å“In my Father ¢â‚¬â„¢s house are many rooms. ¢â‚¬ 

I was turning to see the voice because I knew that I was going to see the Lord Jesus Himself, when I felt someone gently slapping my face and calling,  ¢â‚¬Å“Darryl, are you with us? ¢â‚¬  I tried as hard as I could to open my eyes, but could not, but managed to mumble some reply. The wonderful room had gone! And, the pain and noise had all recommenced.

As I lay there my first thought was,  ¢â‚¬Å“I don ¢â‚¬â„¢t want to be back here. I want to be in that wonderful room with the Lord. ¢â‚¬  It took me some little time before I told Marian that that was my reaction. I had to tell her not to take it personally!

The next day in ICU when I finally came around, I thought of this experience, and went through it in my mind. I knew it was not a dream, but a real dying experience. I recalled John on the island of Patmos who also recalled,  ¢â‚¬Å“ I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. ¢â‚¬  (Rev.1:12), and thought,  ¢â‚¬Å“That ¢â‚¬â„¢s exactly what I was in the midst of doing when I was brought back from the wonderful room, and heard that marvelous voice. ¢â‚¬ 

I also thought of St. Paul ¢â‚¬â„¢s words,  ¢â‚¬Å“To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. ¢â‚¬  (2Cor. 5:8).

After my recovery from the heart attack, it was found that I needed bypass surgery, and I subsequently had five bypasses in the Royal Hobart Hospital on 6th June, just a month later.

Why do I relate this to you? It confirms my faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. He claimed to be the  ¢â‚¬Å“Light of the world ¢â‚¬ , and that if we follow Him we will live in His light. He promised to be with His followers forever. That certainly was my overwhelming sense. I was in His light. He promised the gift of eternal life. That means His presence is not only for this life, but also for the after-life. I knew I was in His presence even after I died.

His promise of a room in His Father ¢â‚¬â„¢s house is true. That room is not constricting or restricting. I knew it was a room full of His light and love that I entered, but I saw no walls. It increased my desire that others know this wonderful truth, and that is why I relate it to you.

Since that time I have had the opportunity to minister to fellow believers who were dying, and have been able to share this experience with them in order to encourage them.

Above all, I want to commend the Lord Jesus Christ to you as the Way, the Truth and the Life, and encourage you to follow Him.

Rev Darryl Watson, previously Pastor of the Newstead Baptist Church, Launceston, Tasmania.

(Darryl died on 24th March, 2003, and is now with His Lord and Saviour in that wonderful room.)