Imagine Heaven Podcast with John Burke

What happens when the hospital confirms you’re dead — and you come back?

Dean Braxton’s near-death experience began with a routine kidney stone procedure. The antibiotics failed, the procedure turned septic, and his organs began shutting down.

According to his medical records, Dean had no heartbeat and no breathing for 1 hour and 45 minutes. His doctor, who normally stops resuscitation after 30 minutes, kept going without knowing why. Staff had already started filling out his death paperwork when Dean came back.

In this episode, Dean describes leaving his body, rising through the hospital floors, and watching prayers stream past him like shooting stars on the way into heaven. He shares meeting Jesus face to face and hearing three times, “No, it’s not your time. Go back.” He describes worshiping at the throne of God the Father, reuniting with generations of his family, and seeing animals in heaven.

Dean also explains what he saw in the hospital room while he was dead, and why his doctor called it a miracle that he has no brain damage.

Check out Dean's full story on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Heaven-Experiencing-Throne-God/dp/1615790675

Near Death Experience Story | NDE | Heaven | God | Imagine Heaven | John Burke

Howard Storm didn’t expect anything after death. A committed atheist and university professor, Howard says his entire understanding of reality changed during a medical emergency in Paris when he found himself outside his body - and being led into a darkness more terrifying than anything he could have imagined.

What initially seemed like people coming to help him soon became something very different. Howard describes being surrounded and brutally attacked by hostile beings until, in desperation, a thought came to him: Pray to Jesus. What happened next transformed the course of his life.

In this episode of the Imagine Heaven Podcast, John Burke talks with Howard Storm about his extraordinary near-death experience, the horrifying encounter he describes as hellish, his rescue after calling out to Jesus, and what he says he learned about God, love, judgment, and why we are here.

Howard went from outspoken atheist to Christian pastor - and decades later, his account remains one of the most unforgettable near-death experiences ever shared. What can near-death experiences tell us about the reality of heaven, hell, and the God who pursues us even in our darkest moment?

Watch Howard Storm’s incredible story.

Read Howard's full story My Descent into Death: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0385513763?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback

CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains discussion of kidnapping, severe trauma, abuse, and horrific treatment that may be disturbing or triggering for some viewers. Please use discretion when listening.

How can a loving God allow unimaginable evil? It’s a question that can shake our faith to its core. When we hear stories of innocent people suffering at the hands of others, it can make us question God’s goodness, His love, and even whether He is truly present in the darkest moments of this world. Debbi Ali’s story takes us directly into that tension.

After being kidnapped and subjected to horrific evil, Debbi came face-to-face with the kinds of experiences that seem impossible to reconcile with a loving God. But what happened during her near-death experience gave her a radically different perspective on evil, justice, and what God is doing behind the scenes.

Her story does not minimize suffering or offer easy answers. Instead, it sheds light on a God who sees every injustice, who is not indifferent to evil, and who is actively working to overcome darkness with love, redemption, and ultimately justice.

In this powerful episode of Imagine Heaven, John Burke sits down with Debbi Ali to explore what she experienced, what she learned about God’s heart toward those who suffer, and why even the darkest evil does not get the final word.

If you have ever wondered, “Where is God when terrible things happen?” or “How can God be good when there is so much evil in the world?” Debbi’s story offers a profound perspective worth hearing.

Find more from Debbie at DebbieAli.com

Bare Feet by Debbie Ali: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1777643112?
lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback

Debbie's Podcast: Confessions of a Trauma Survivor https://open.spotify.com/show/08HjZLZ73Mlk3ZsBypae67?si=2458f67b4f2c45e7

Near Death Experience Story | NDE | Heaven | God | Imagine Heaven | John Burke

When Dr. Colin Perry suffered a massive heart attack, he died—and encountered Jesus. But what Jesus showed him raised one of the biggest questions Christians have wrestled with for centuries: If God already knows the future, do we actually have free will?

During his near-death experience, Colin says he was shown the future—but also understood that what lay ahead still contained possibilities.

God knew what would happen, yet human choices remained real. How can both be true?

In this episode of the Imagine Heaven Podcast, John Burke sits down with Dr. Colin Perry, author of Dying to Be Alive, to explore his extraordinary encounter with Jesus, what he experienced beyond this life, and the mysterious relationship between God’s foreknowledge, our future, and human free will.

Is your future already determined?
Can our choices actually change what happens?
And how can God know the end from the beginning while still allowing us to freely choose?

Watch the full conversation as Colin shares what his near-death experience revealed about Jesus, heaven, the future, free will, and the nature of God.

Colin Perry's book, Dying to be Alive: https://a.co/d/0aka6LaE

Near Death Experience Story | NDE | Heaven | God | Imagine Heaven | John Burke

Dr. Ron Smothermon welcomed a house guest into his home during the aftermath of the man’s painful divorce. Then, without warning, his guest experienced a psychotic break—and Ron found himself fighting for his life.

As Ron was stabbed repeatedly, something extraordinary happened:--time appeared to stand still. In this episode of the Imagine Heaven Podcast, Dr. Ron Smothermon joins John Burke to recount the near-death experience that unfolded during the attack, the overwhelming presence he encountered, and what it revealed to him about 9 of God’s extraordinary qualities that came in the darkest moments of human suffering.

What happens when heaven suddenly breaks into the worst moment of your life? And could God be closer than we realize—even when everything appears completely out of control?

Listen to the full conversation to hear what Ron experienced when time stopped and how it permanently transformed his understanding of God, death, forgiveness, and the reality beyond this life.

Note: “Amin” is a pseudonym used at Dr. Smothermon’s request to protect the individual’s identity. John and Ron pronounce the pseudonym differently during the conversation, but both are referring to the same person.

Jim Woodford was agnostic yet had a surprising, detailed near death experience and saw the book of his life.

He was a successful Canadian businessman and airline pilot. He had built a comfortable life, never prayed, and saw no reason to believe in God.

Then an opioid overdose changed everything.

In this unforgettable conversation with John Burke, Jim shares the near-death experience that shattered everything he thought he knew.

He describes catching a glimpse of hell, being overwhelmed by the breathtaking beauty of Heaven, flying over the magnificent City of God, and encountering the book that contained every detail of his life.

Most of all, he describes meeting God Himself. Whether you're curious about near-death experiences, the afterlife, Heaven, Hell, or the evidence people report after clinical death, Jim's story raises profound questions about life, eternity, and the God he never expected to meet.

Born into the chaos of the Rwandan genocide, Swidiq's childhood was marked by unimaginable loss, division, and survival.

As violence tore through his country and fractured his family, he found himself living on the streets, searching for purpose amid tragedy.

Determined to find truth, Swidiq devoted himself to Islam, eventually becoming a respected Imam and passionate defender of his faith. He was confident in what he believed about God, life, and the afterlife.

But everything changed when he died.

In this powerful episode of Imagine Heaven, Swidiq shares the extraordinary near-death experience that challenged his assumptions, transformed his understanding of eternity, and left him wrestling with questions he never expected to face.

What did he see? What did he learn? And why did the experience change the course of his life?

Join John Burke as he sits down with Swidiq to explore one of the most compelling near-death experiences we've ever featured.

In this fascinating true-life story of the evils of genocide, divorce, drug abuse, and finally death, Swidiq discovered during his life-altering near-death experience a love powerful enough to overcome, redeem, and restore it all.

To read Swidiq's powerful full story, get his book: I Once Was Dead by Swidiq Cedric Kanana, available on Amazon.

A Hindu manufacturing engineer clinically dies — and what he experiences completely challenges what he expected about the afterlife.

Santosh grew up believing in reincarnation. But during his near-death experience, he says he encountered something else entirely: a radiant city unlike anything he had ever seen before… matching descriptions found in Revelation 21 of the Bible.

What he describes about God, heaven, judgment, and the nature of eternity raises profound questions about reincarnation, truth, and what really happens after death.

Was this simply the mind under stress — or did this Hindu engineer witness something impossible?

In this powerful episode of the Imagine Heaven Podcast, John Burke sits down with Santosh to unpack one of the most compelling cross-cultural near-death experiences we’ve heard yet.

Blind from birth, Brad Barrows stopped breathing for 4 minutes during a near death experience at just 8 years old. During his NDE, he described heaven with details shockingly similar to what sighted people around the world report seeing — despite never having seen anything on earth himself.

But there was one experience in heaven that stayed with him more than anything else. Brad encountered something so beautiful, powerful, and deeply moving that it awakened a passion inside him years before he would ever pursue it on earth.

Later in life, Brad fell into a deep depression and reached the point of wanting to end his life. But in his darkest moment, the memory of what he experienced in heaven — and the passion it ignited in him as a child — came rushing back and ultimately saved him.

In this emotional conversation with John Burke, Brad shares the breathtaking details of his near death experience, the uncanny similarities between his account and those of sighted people, and the heavenly encounter that changed the course of his life forever.

In this episode of Imagine Heaven, John Burke sits down with investigative journalist Billy Hallowell to explore the evidence behind supernatural encounters, spiritual warfare, and the unseen realm.

From documented cases to personal investigations, Billy shares what he’s uncovered about how angels and demons may be interacting with people today - and what that could mean for your life.

Are these beings real? And if so…how close are they?

What if non-speaking autistic individuals aren’t “trapped”… but experiencing something far beyond what we can see?

Pastor Joe Infranco joins John Burke to reveal stunning parallels between Near-Death Experiences (NDEs) and what autistic non-speakers are now communicating through spelling.

These individuals—once thought unable to express themselves—are describing encounters with the same realities reported in Imagine Heaven:

• A “mysterious hill” - Encounters with spiritual beings
• Overwhelming peace, love, and clarity
• Verifiable details that raise serious questions

Why are their accounts so consistent with NDEs… even though they’ve never died? Is this a deeper level of spiritual awareness?
Or a hidden truth we’re just beginning to understand?

This conversation also builds on ideas explored in the viral The Telepathy Tapes—but introduces a perspective many believe has been overlooked.

At just 20 years old, Gabe Poirot thought he understood God. He had been to Bible college. He believed in Jesus. Millions were already watching him teach about faith online.

But everything changed in an instant.

After a 30 mph crash on a motorized skateboard, Gabe suffered a traumatic brain injury that cracked open his skull - and led to a life-altering near-death experience.

What he encountered wasn’t what he expected.

In this powerful episode, Gabe and John share:

• What he saw and experienced beyond this life
• The reality of God in a way he had never known before
• The four distinct loves of God and how they apply to YOU
• How this moment completely transformed his faith

This conversation will challenge what you think you know about God, and invite you into something deeper.

Joe Joe Morris grew up in an extremely strict religious environment that gave him a harsh and fearful view of God. Raised within Mennonite and Hutterite communities, his faith was built on rules, judgment, and shame.

But everything changed the day he nearly died.

During a powerful near-death experience, Joe Joe says he encountered God in the throne room of heaven - and the God he met was nothing like the one he thought he knew.

In this powerful conversation, John Burke talks with Joe Joe about the difference between religion and relationship, and how encountering God's love completely transformed his life.

If you've ever struggled with religion, felt burned by legalism, or wondered what God is really like, Joe Joe's story may change how you see faith.

What would you do if a doctor told you that you only had two years to live?

In this episode, John Burke interviews Mike Olsen, who faced that exact reality.

After receiving what felt like a two-year notice, Mike began living with new urgency and clarity - only to later actually die, experience a profound near-death encounter, and return with life-altering insight.

In this powerful conversation, Mike shares what his NDE revealed about suffering, trials, fear, purpose, and how God uses even our darkest moments for transformation.

If you are walking through hardship, illness, loss, or uncertainty - this episode will deeply encourage you.

Mike Lewis lived for years under the weight of horrific things that had been done to him - and what he had done to others. Shaped by childhood trauma, buried shame, and a constant sense of condemnation, he believed God could only be disappointed, if not disgusted, by who he had become.

Then, in a near-death experience, he met Jesus face to face and everything changed.

Brian Dickinson is the only person in history to solo summit Mount Everest and make it back alive after going completely blind.

During his descent from the top of the world, Brian lost his sight, faced certain death, and encountered a Presence that changed the course of his descent.

This is not just a survival story - it’s a powerful testimony of faith, surrender, and the Presence of God in our helplessness.

📖 Read Blind Descent by Brian Dickinson: https://a.co/d/crUQKvD

📘 Read 3 FREE chapters of Soul Revolution (click “Read Sample”): https://a.co/d/2euoQoB

Do you have a guardian angel? What are angels really like - and what role do they play in our lives?

In this special audio-only episode, John Burke shares four powerful angelic encounters told by near-death experiencers he has interviewed over the years.

These firsthand stories reveal the many ways God uses His angels to guide, protect, and comfort us - often in moments we never even realize. From announcing and watching over the first Christmas to quietly guarding our lives today, angels remain deeply involved in God’s work and in your story.

This audio was originally recorded for The Unfolding Podcast, where you can hear more angel stories throughout the Christmas season.

What if you died… met God… saw Heaven… and then woke up believing it was 1969? That’s exactly what happened to Doug Knake.

One moment, Doug was slipping into darkness, chased by terrifying beings that looked like silhouettes made of fire. The next, a presence filled everything around him — powerful, peaceful, unmistakably God — saying, “Do not be afraid. I am with you.”

In an instant, he was lifted into a world bursting with color, a city bustling with life, streets and buildings he couldn’t describe. A place so alive he didn’t want to leave. God showed him the effect of all his choices, then told him he had a purpose still to fulfill on earth. But God wasn’t finished.

He sent Doug back to his body — and Doug woke up in 2006 with no memories of the past 30+ years. Not his wife. Not his job. Not even the existence of modern technology. He remembered Heaven… but not his own life.

This is one of the most shocking and moving NDE stories we’ve ever shared — a real-life “50 First Dates” journey of love, loss, identity, and the presence of God that never left and redeemed it all with love.

Imagine God Devotional Audiobook: https://a.co/d/hJyE1pp
Imagine Heaven Audiobook: https://a.co/d/50bh49l
Read Doug Knake's full story: Being 20 Again At 50 - https://a.co/d/amK88LD

When Mike McKenzie, a construction superintendent, nearly dies from a burst appendix, God answers a prayer he made as a little boy - to see Heaven. In this incredible near-death experience, Mike is shown how deeply God cares about every detail of our lives.

From the biggest life-and-death moments to the smallest tasks on the jobsite, he learns that nothing is too insignificant for God’s attention. Even something as ordinary as finding a missing screwdriver becomes a powerful reminder that Heaven is closer than we think - and that God is personal, present, and involved in it all.

Hear how Mike’s encounter revealed God’s precise love, purpose, and faithfulness, and why his story will strengthen your faith in a God who truly sees you.

LISTEN to the Imagine Heaven Audiobook now: https://a.co/d/ew5xTnj

In this special episode, John and Kathy Burke explore how the way you imagine God--His heart, character, and attributes--shapes every part of your life. The thoughts you hold about God are the most important ones you have, because they influence how you see yourself, others, and the world around you. How can near-death experiences help us better understand what Scripture reveals about God’s true nature?

John and Kathy share insights from years of studying NDEs and introduce the Imagine the God of Heaven Devotional - a companion to Imagine the God of Heaven designed to help you live out its powerful truths every day.

Through daily scriptures, guided prayers, handpicked NDE stories, and inspirational teaching, this devotional will help you experience deeper peace, renewed purpose, and a closer connection with God--while cultivating a joyful anticipation for the Life to come.

Imagine the God of Heaven Devotional: https://a.co/d/gtOl6Yn