Imagine Heaven Podcast with John Burke

Episode Title: Software Engineer's Mind-Blowing NDE
Release Date: October 14, 2025
Guests: Steve and Kathy Boyles

Episode Overview

This episode features Steve and Kathy Boyles—a software engineer and a medical doctor—who together recount Steve’s extraordinary near-death experience (NDE) during a medically induced coma brought on by COVID-19 and related complications. Host John Burke guides Steve and Kathy as they describe both the empirical and spiritual facets of Steve’s experience, exploring vivid depictions of heaven, encounters with loved ones, and deeply rooted themes of faith, healing, and the power of prayer.

Key Insights and Discussion Points

1. Background and Medical Context

• Steve’s Illness and Hospitalization
  • Steve was hospitalized with COVID-19 in December 2021 after severe symptoms.
  • He was on a ventilator and in a medically induced coma for three weeks, spending a total of 45 days under intensive care and three-and-a-half months in the hospital [03:21], [04:01].
  • His wife, Kathy—a physician—was initially not allowed to visit due to COVID restrictions, relying on intensive prayer and faith to support him [06:05], [12:12].
  • "It was a fight of faith, the good fight of faith." – Kathy [03:05]

2. The Near Death Experience: “More Real Than Earth”

• The Angelic Encounter

  • Steve describes an angel introducing himself:
    • "'Hello, Steve. My name is Marzuka—I'm here to take you to heaven for a little while while your body heals.'" [07:20]
  • The angel, Marzuka, tells Steve he’s been his guardian angel from birth [10:19].

• "Realness" of the Experience

  • Steve emphasizes the logical, analytical nature of his background and how uncharacteristic such experiences are for him:
    • “I had a perfectly good, quiet life before all this happened. Good career... I’m pretty logical...I analyze things and try to figure things out.” [08:20]
  • Repeatedly asserts, “Heaven’s more real than Earth.” [14:12]
    • "Everything in the spiritual world was just as solid or more real than it was here on Earth." [13:48]

• Leaving the Body

  • Steve felt like himself during the experience:
    • “I just felt like it was me...I kept my eye on the angel and I’m following him.” [09:09]
    • He did not observe his physical body from above, simply "rose up" following Marzuka [09:36].

3. Journey to Heaven

• The Transit

  • Describes moving rapidly through space, seeing stunning celestial vistas—such as those seen from the Hubble telescope [13:21–15:01]:
    • “I saw stuff in space you only see in Hubble Space telescope pictures...this is God’s creation, but we can actually see [it].” [13:15]
    • Angel Marzuka explains: “God has never stopped creating things. He’s still creating, and it will probably take eternity for us to see everything that he’s created.” [15:55]

• Arrival: The Welcome Center

  • Steve and Marzuka land in a grassy area at a "welcome center" [16:40]
    • Describes ornate carvings depicting various natural scenes, which foreshadow what he would later see in heaven [17:47]:
      • “Kind of like a travel agency with scenes you can visit.” [18:20]

• Heavenly Architecture & Light

  • Details of the welcome center:
    • “Big room, high ceilings, a chandelier with huge diamonds, rubies, emeralds...they glowed and gave the room light—no shadows in heaven.” [19:21–19:55]

4. Encounters With Loved Ones, Pets, and the Joy of Heaven

• Family and Pets

  • Reunites with deceased dogs, niece, friends, parents, and brother. All appear young and vibrant:
    • “Everybody seemed to find me...dogs knew me and I got to play with them.” [26:44]
    • "If you're bald on earth, you'll have a full head of hair in heaven." [26:35]
  • Emotional moments with his brother:
    • “You've been gone for like 30 years.”
      • “Feels like I just got here.” [31:12–31:46]
    • No passage of time as experienced on Earth.

• Vivid Senses: Color, Smell, Taste

  • Describes a meadow with flowers whose multicolored petals blend in ways impossible on Earth [25:21].
  • Tastes food (apple-like fruit, vanilla ice cream) with sensations more delightful and intense than anything earthly [28:14]:
    • “Eat whatever you want, not gain any weight. The vanilla ice cream...it was just amazing. It didn’t melt.”

• Activities: Sports, Music, Fellowship

  • Witnesses and participates in a heavenly baseball game, complete with new physics (e.g., corkscrew pitches) and no risk of injury [33:04]:

    • “Physics in heaven is not the same as physics on earth...the stadium seating floated on top of each other.” [35:19]

  • Attends a Bible study taught by the Apostle Paul and has a conversation with Stephen the martyr [46:20–47:07]:

    • “Don’t fear man, just do what the Lord tells you to do.” – Stephen [47:02]

  • Encounters miscarried son Daniel, who grew up in heaven after Kathy’s early loss:

    • “‘Hi, my name’s Daniel. I think you’re my dad.’” [42:52]
    • “I’ve been here since I was really little...growing up with a bunch of other little babies.” [43:25]

5. The Throne Room: Meeting Jesus

• The Throne Room Experience

  • Describes tremendous beauty (floor as transparent gold, carved scenes of creation), thunder, rainbow, and light radiating from God [73:35].

  • Jesus personally greets Steve:

    • Shows Steve two images of his body: one grayscale (“not looking very good”) and one in color. Jesus explains, “You’re going to be just fine because you’re healed by my stripes and my righteousness.” [74:17]
    • Gives him a loving hug (“the most amazing hug you could ever imagine”) and affirms Steve’s sense of protection and peace [74:26].

  • Jesus mentions the "war horses" preparing for battle and tells Steve, “I got work for you to do when you get back, and I’ll tell you what it is at the right time.” [76:18]

  • Description of Jesus:

    • “About 6’1” or 6’2”, long hair to his shoulders, neatly trimmed beard, white robe with purple sash, deep blue eyes.” [77:52]

  • Spiritual Authority:

    • Marzuka the angel kneels before Jesus but ushers Steve forward:
      • “You are family, you don’t have to crawl to God, you can go right up to Him.” [79:57]

6. The Power of Prayer and Faith

• Kathy’s Stand of Faith

  • Unable to visit, Kathy prayed and read healing scriptures over FaceTime for 12 hours a day. As a doctor, she understood the grim medical prognosis but clung to scriptural promises [55:12].
  • “[God’s] word works every time...I had to see him home, driving his car again, not in a coffin...every time those bad thoughts came, I would have to cast them down.” [55:12–58:00]
  • Friends and their daughter had spiritual visions of angels protecting Steve during his illness [62:41–64:44].

• Prayers Make a Difference

  • Steve’s deceased father tells him:
    • “I’m so glad people didn’t quit praying for me...I know there may not have been much of a change on the outside, but my heart is what changed.” [68:22]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Heaven’s more real than Earth.” – Steve [14:12]
• “Everything I saw was beautiful, more solid and vivid than anything on earth.” – Steve [13:48]
• “If you’re bald on earth, you’ll have a full head of hair in heaven.” – Steve [26:35]
• “He told me he’d been my guardian angel since I was born and saved my life more times than I’ll ever know.” – Steve [10:19]
• “God has never stopped creating things...it will probably take eternity for us to see everything He’s created.” – Marzuka, relayed by Steve [15:55]
• “We don’t realize how much God wants to do for us when we pray in faith.” – Kathy [83:47]
• “You are family, you don’t have to crawl to God, you can go right up to Him.” – Marzuka [79:57]
• “Don’t fear man, just do what the Lord tells you to do.” – Stephen (the martyr) [47:02]
• “My new favorite verse is 1 Corinthians 2:9–10...no eye has seen, no ear has heard, but he reveals them to those who love him.” – Steve [39:03]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Steve’s Health Crisis & Hospitalization: [03:21–07:20]
• Angel Marzuka Introduces Himself: [07:20–10:19]
• Describing the Journey Through Space/Universe: [13:15–15:05]
• Arrival at Heaven’s Welcome Center: [16:31–19:55]
• The Meadow, Family & Pets, Heavenly Food: [25:21–29:07]
• Time & Reunions in Heaven: [31:12–32:14]
• Sports, Baseball, Heaven’s Physics: [33:04–36:04]
• Bible Study with Apostle Paul, Meeting Stephen: [46:13–47:14]
• Meeting Miscarried Son Daniel: [42:27–43:58]
• The War Horses & Heavenly Stables: [49:07–51:53]
• The Throne Room & Meeting Jesus: [70:35–76:44]
• Description of Jesus: [77:52–78:33]
• Spiritual Authority/Access to the Father: [79:57–80:51]
• Kathy’s Testimony of Prayer & Faith: [55:12–59:34], [62:41–66:05]
• Father’s Transformation via Prayer: [68:19–69:52]

Final Reflections

Steve’s story is remarkable for its clarity, detail, and alignment with biblical themes and imagery. John Burke emphasizes Steve and Kathy’s credibility—given their backgrounds, logical orientation, and lack of motive to fabricate—and explores how stories like Steve’s reinforce hope, underline the reality of the unseen realm, and assert the enduring power of prayer and faith.

The episode closes by reminding listeners of the hope of heaven and the joy awaiting believers, highlighting that “this world is temporary” and that “you’re not going to miss anything from this life [in heaven]; in fact, you’ll have more.”

For more information, Steve and Kathy’s book, I've Been to Heaven, is available as of October 14, 2025, via their website steveandkathyb.com and major retailers.