Adapted from an interview on the radio edition of the Christian Science Sentinel
When I was in the United States Navy, I had an operation to remove my appendix. This was before I began relying on spiritual healing in Christian Science. Because of a mistake in anesthetizing me, I went into shock on the operating table and "died." The doctor later told me I was supposedly dead for eight minutes while the medical team worked to revive me. During that time, this is what I remember. I got up off the operating table and stood looking on as the doctors pounded on my chest. I heard them saying "He's gone." But as far as I was concerned, I had my body, whole and solid. I also saw a brightly lighted door and wanted to go through it, but a figure blocked my way. The next thing I knew, I woke up in the recovery room.
While I wasn't interested in trying to understand any spiritual implications of this experience at that time, it did leave me with a conviction that what we call death is an illusion. Some time after that, I had a disease in my feet that the navy called "jungle rot." I didn't want to go to a hospital ship, so I decided to try Christian Science, which my family had practiced while I was growing up. One evening I began to read Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy. The next morning I was completely healed. My shipmates were astounded.
