Daniel Ekechukwu: Life After Death Experience

On November 30th, 2001, Nigerian Daniel Ekechukwu died and was in the morgue for 3 days. Miraculously, he came back to life and had been given a message to share. This video is a reenactment of his description of Heaven:

Please note that the Catholic Church doesn’t have a formal teaching on Near Death Experiences (NDE). This video was selected to expand our imagination of what heaven could be like. Though such accounts are fascinating and inspiring, you cannot rely on them as being definitively true. Of the many NDE accounts, some have been found to be untrue or misperceived by the person who had the experience, since their story contradicted what we know is absolutely true from the Gospels and Church teaching.


What are some of the words or images used to describe Heaven?

  • Glowing radiance.
  • Light.
  • Music.
  • Musical instruments never before heard.
  • Singing.
  • Worshipping.
  • Joy.
  • Radiant Mansions not made of earthly material.

What have you experienced in your life where using words to describe it is so inadequate compared to the actual experience?

  • A dream.
  • Winning a game or an award.
  • Being rejected.
  • Being chosen.
  • Having a loved one die.
  • Falling in love.
  • Seeing something you have never seen before.
  • Tasting a new, delicious food.

Can Heaven really be so good that words, pictures, and even experiences all fall miserably short in describing how fantastical it is?

  • Yes!
  • Jesus even promised us that nothing we have heard, seen, or could possibly imagine will come close to the goodness of heaven. -cf 1 Cor 2:9

So, why is the teaching on Heaven one of the most important lessons in your life?

  • Because Jesus, who is God, left the fantasticalness of Heaven, became a baby, lived, loved, taught, worked miracles, started the Catholic Church, suffered horrific tortures, died a gruesome death, and rose again, all for one reason: to give you the possibility of eternal life in Heaven.
  • Nothing you work toward on earth, nothing, nothing, nothing, will ever compare to the prize of Heaven.
  • To not love and follow God and make it to Heaven is the greatest tragedy in the universe.
  • On the other hand: “To fall in love with God is the greatest romance; to seek Him the greatest adventure; to find Him, the greatest human achievement.” – St Augustine.

What are you living for?

  • In the Old Testament, Moses challenged the Israelites to choose what they were living for: “I call Heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying His voice, and clinging to Him: for that means life to you and length of days.” -Deut 30:19-20