A snippet of an interview with a man who died and came back to life

"Folks. We have someone on the line who we think will change your day. He has a story to tell us," the first announcer says.

"He claims to have traveled to the other side," a second one interjects. "Tell us what you think after you hear him speak."

The first announcer puts the caller through. "Go ahead," he says. "Tell us what it was like on the other side of the curtain."

A voice comes over the airwaves. He is doing something in the background and does not hear the announcer address him.

"Hello, caller?" the second announcer says. "You still with us?" He snorts a laugh out of his nose.

"Yes. Hello? Yes I am here. Sorry, I was just opening up a can of food for my cat. Other radio stations and newspaper reporters have been contacting me all week wanting to hear my story. It doesn't happen very often, you know?"

The first announcer answers the man with a straight forward and serious answer.

"They tell me it was one of those Giant Pacific Octopuses," the man begins. "I don't remember how it came at me, but with arms wrapped tightly around my mask it managed to sever my regulator." He is acting all of this out on his end of the phone call, but only to better help him sound like it did the first time he told the story.

"Now I am an experienced diver and have learned from other small mistakes not to dive alone. I thank a higher power everyday since that day that Shannon was there."

"Now Shannon is who exactly?" the second announcer asks.

"My partner," the man replies.

"About the only thing I remember from that day, aside from seeing my body from a distance, is how crystal clear the water was. "

"And you were diving in the water off the West coast of Cuba, correct?"

"Correct. We had chartered a boat that day, the "Slice of Life" I think it was called. I made the observation on how beautiful the water was down below the equator while I was putting on my wetsuit. One of the few things from that day to survive through my death."

"What do you mean, 'survive through your death,'?" the first announcer asks. As an experienced interviewer he knows when to stop the conversation and interject questions like this to flush out the best story.

"It's just how I say it. To survive. I don't know how else to put it. Anyhow, the feeling came to me and it was liquid-like. How else can I describe it really? I was separate from my body and looking back at it. As a diver you are constantly aware of your depth, but in this instance the depth of the ocean was not something I was aware of. It couldn't have been more than 50 feet down as I can still visualize how stunning the rays of sunshine looked as they cut through the blue above. It was spectacular the way the white hot light from above twisted and danced through the cobalt blue. The euphoric feeling still comes to me at night in my sleep."

"And what was it like to see your own body. Was it being attacked by the octopus when you saw it?" The first one speaks up again.

"I felt at peace. I felt... I felt a lot of things to be honest. In a moment I had all the answers I had ever been searching for. You know? No the octopus was not part of this vision. People keep asking me that and I don't have an explanation for why it was not there."

"You a spiritual man?" The second one asks.

"Not before that day."

"But you are now it sounds like?"

"I am without label. The colors and feelings I experienced make me want to believe. The euphoric feeling of being watched over also makes me want to. Truth is, that I can also speak in very scientific terms of what happened that day. Neither one feels better so I stand in the middle."

The first announcer interjects. "Wait, what do you mean in 'scientific terms'? Are you implying that your vision can be answered by science?"

"Yes. To be honest, I am a little tired of telling this story already. The essence of what I mean by having science explain it simply means that the brain is a functioning organ. It needs oxygen-rich blood to function. Without that oxygen, my brain started hallucinating. I can remember the sharp yellows and oranges mostly. A few spots of purple from some of the plants swaying in the current. The magnificent outstretched arms of the coral. Schools of bait fish over head that blocked out the light. It was all so beautiful."

"Interesting," the first announcer says. He recognizes that the word sounds like it discredits everything the caller just explained so he quickly jumps gears. "Would you mind if we answered a few phone calls?"

"Go for it."

"Okay we are going to take a quick commercial break and be right back with your story in just a minute. Stay tuned. This is KBJK 1832, home of the Classics."