A woman claimed she met late relatives and watched surgeons drill into her skull while she was technically 'dead' on the operating table. Pam Reynolds Lowery, from Atlanta in Georgia, was just 35 years old when she underwent a brain operation and, in a shocking twist,

As part of the series The Day I Died, presenter Christina Randall recalled Pam’s unusual story, which took place in 1991 when she underwent the procedure. After experiencing symptoms including dizziness, temporary speech loss and bouts of paralysis, an MRI uncovered a large aneurysm near her brain stem.

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As a result, a life-saving operation was required. According to Christina, a neurosurgeon at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona performed a rare procedure called a ‘standstill operation’ on Pam as a “last resort” to help her. This type of operation involves the patient's body being cooled, causing their circulation to temporarily stop.

She explained: “Pam's body temperature was lowered to 50° Fahrenheit – or 10° Centigrade – her breathing and her heartbeat completely stopped and the blood was completely drained from her head.”

During the operation, Pam’s eyes were also taped shut and molded speakers playing clicking sounds as loud as planes taking off were placed in her ears. It was confirmed that Pam was unconscious and that there was no brain stem activity, meaning surgeons could safely drain her blood.

But when Pam emerged from her seven-hour operation, something extraordinary happened. Following the procedure, during which she was technically ‘dead’, she claimed she’d been able to watch her surgery unfold and even described the equipment used by the surgeons.

“Pam said during this she felt more aware than normal and her vision was more focused and clearer than normal... her senses became so hyper-aware it was as if she had more than five senses,” said Christina. “She was able to see the electric saw that was pulled out to use on her and she described it as looking like an electric toothbrush.”

In 2009, Pam spoke to about her near-death experience and recalled how she looked down at her body on the operating table. “It was an odd-looking thing,” she said, discussing the equipment. “It looked like the handle on my electric toothbrush.”

During the interview, Pam, who passed away in 2010, also claimed that she spoke with her dead grandmother and uncle, with the latter appearing as her guide. As doctors restarted her heart, she claimed she could hear Hotel California by the Eagles play, though she didn’t want to return to her body and was only encouraged to return by her loved ones.

“My uncle pushed me,” she told the publication. “And when I hit the body, the line in the song was, 'You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave.' And I opened my eyes and I said, 'You know, that is really insensitive!'”

Some sceptics have attempted to come up with other solutions to Pam’s recollection, with some suggesting it could be explained by anaesthesia awareness. The rare but serious complication can occur when a patient gains some degree of consciousness despite being under anaesthetic.

However, as mentioned, Pam’s eyes were taped shut and speakers were placed in her ears, causing others to raise questions about how she'd have been able to see or hear if this were the case.

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