Part Two: He Actually Died: What He Saw on the Other Side of the White Light, from the Life Review to Meeting Jesus to the Truth About Why Earth Is the Hardest Place to Incarnate

Summary

Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown, April 1, 2026
Episode: Part Two: He Actually Died: What He Saw on the Other Side of the White Light, from the Life Review to Meeting Jesus to the Truth About Why Earth Is the Hardest Place to Incarnate
Guest: John J. Davis

---

Episode Overview

In this rich and deeply moving continuation, Mayim Bialik and Jonathan Cohen host John J. Davis, who recounts the extraordinary events and spiritual revelations he experienced during a Near Death Experience (NDE) after he medically died for seven minutes at age 21. The episode explores not only John's vivid and detailed visit to the "other side," including his encounter with a spirit guide, a life review, and a meeting with Jesus, but also examines the universal implications of his story: the meaning of death, the purpose of earthly existence, and the universality of love. Mayim and Jonathan challenge, question, and reflect upon his perceptions, as well as the overlap of spirituality, science, memory, and the enduring fear of death in our culture.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Meadow and Meeting with Jesus

• John describes leaving a castle and entering a “most perfect, beautiful meadow,” filled with rolling green hills and wildflowers. (02:45)
• His spirit guide, Allen, exits, and John finds himself alone, soon greeted by a remarkable figure:
  • Jesus appears in a golden-white gown, with a golden sash and sandals. His face emits so much light it is impossible to look upon.
• Notable Quote:
  • “I knew this was the being that we know as Jesus. When I looked at his face, he was different than everybody else I saw.” – John J. Davis (03:55)
• The voice of Jesus is described as deep and authoritative.
• Key Message from Jesus:
  • “You must tell them there is no death.” – Jesus, as described by John J. Davis (04:31)
  • At that exact moment, John is instantly revived in the operating room.

---

2. Returning to Life: Immediate Aftermath and Emotional Impact

• John wakes up, bewildered, asking, “What just happened?” (05:35)
• Medical staff inform him, “You actually died…for seven minutes.”
• He recounts profound confusion and later, deep depression due to a longing to return to the serenity and love he felt on the other side.
  • “I went through a horrible, horrible depression for about two months after this because I did not want to be here.” – John (07:14)
• Realizes his experience is not solely for him, but a message of hope for others.
  • “The kind of hope that experience gave me—it wasn't for me. It was for me to share with others so that people don't have to be afraid of dying.” – John (07:47)

---

3. The Nature of Heaven, the Life Review, and What Matters

• John reads Raymond Moody’s Life After Life (07:00) and recognizes his experience as an NDE.
• He notes that on “the other side,” people don’t call it “heaven”—most call it “home.”
• Success “over there” is defined not by wealth or accomplishments but by kindness, growth, and the help given to others.
  • “To them, success is based on: who did you help in your lifetime? Who did you become? Did you live a kind life? Did you try to make a difference? Those are the things that matter.” – John (09:13)

---

4. Personal Background and Skepticism: Is the NDE a Personal Dream?

• Mayim questions whether the imagery is constructed from one's life experience (09:36).
  • “Our personal makeup...might be placed into our NDE. Were there elements of things you knew about...or are those universal images?” – Mayim (09:36)
• John insists he had no prior knowledge or fascination with the architectural or other elements encountered.
  • “Everything was so new to me. ...It was absolutely extraordinary.” – John (11:23)
• Feels the “other side” is simultaneously deeply personal and universally shared.

---

5. The Universal vs. Personal Nature of the “Other Side”

• Mayim probes if John’s experience reflects the universal afterlife or just his own vision (12:33).
  • “Is your personal belief that this place…is that the place we go or was that your experience?” – Mayim (12:33)
• John posits he visited “one of the places we go”—a hub with countless people and buildings, implying some consistency across experiences (13:24).

---

6. Clinical Death: Was He Really Dead?

• Mayim and Jonathan establish John was truly clinically dead (with use of defibrillator paddles) (16:58).

---

7. Religion, God’s Love, and the Meaning of Free Will

• John did not sense any religious exclusivity during his encounter:
  • “There was no feeling...that this is where Christians are...Religion was invented by humanity, not God.” – John (18:27)
• Describes God as an endless, unconditional love—like the love for a child but even greater.
• On the existence of hell:
  • “There is no hell. Hell was created by mankind. God couldn’t throw away his children…” – John (22:56)
• Life Review: The true reckoning is understanding the real impact of one's actions.

---

8. Sharing the Message and Life After NDE

• John first told his mother about his NDE (26:21), then began volunteering for hospice to comfort the dying.
• “I would tell people [in hospice]…do you want to…hear about my near-death experience?” – John (26:21)
• Both hosts discuss the impact of telling such a message to those at life’s end.

---

9. No One Dies Alone: Shared Death Experiences

• John confirms the “other side always sends someone to get us,” even during the pandemic when loved ones couldn’t be present (27:14).
  • “Nobody passes alone.” – John (27:52)

---

10. Concept of God & the Universe: Other Worlds and Soul Evolution

• John sees God as unconditional love, the “Father/Creator.”
• Raises questions about how God and afterlife might operate across countless other worlds—suggests some mysteries remain (28:15-29:43).
  • “I have thought about that…Does every single world have its own other side? Or is there just…one place? I don’t know.” – John (28:15)
• Earth is identified (from the “other side’s” perspective) as “the hardest place to incarnate” (43:05).

---

11. Parenting, Memory, and Living With Two Realities

• John shares that, after his experience, he views himself as a steward, not owner, of his children’s souls; they came here for their own growth (31:55).
  • “I am just simply here as their steward.” – John (31:55)
• The memory of his NDE is more vivid and persistent than anything else; it is a “different kind of memory,” akin to those in psychedelic or mystical experiences, and never fades (35:59–39:25).
  • “If this had happened to me and they didn’t give me any memory abilities, I wouldn’t have remembered… But I remember every single detail.” – John (35:59)

---

12. Mystical Abilities, Psychic Phenomena, and Messages from Beyond

• John did not return with psychic gifts, but describes the “thought communication” present in the other side (40:15).
• Discusses receiving signs or messages from loved ones, especially in dreams.

---

13. The Nature of the Soul and Evolution Across Lifetimes

• After his NDE, John sought hypnotherapy to investigate past lives, which he then experienced under hypnosis (37:35).
• Mayim notes the similarities to re-accessing memories in altered states.

---

14. Humanity, Alien Civilizations & Earth’s Role in Spiritual Growth

• John shares that he was told there are civilizations more and less advanced than Earth—Earth is especially difficult, which makes incarnation here significant.
  • “From what they told me, Earth is the hardest of all the planets.” – John (43:05)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “You must tell them there is no death.”
  – Jesus (as recounted by John J. Davis) (04:31)
• “God couldn’t throw away his children any more than any of us could throw away our own children.”
  – John (22:56)
• “Nobody passes alone.”
  – John (27:52)
• “Our children are not our own; I am just simply here as their steward.”
  – John (31:55)
• “Earth is the hardest of all the planets. That’s why it’s such a big deal for people to come here.”
  – John (43:05)
• Mayim’s reflection on the NDE superpower:
  – “What everyone who has an NDE has come back with is the greatest superpower of all, which is the knowledge that there is more than this existence… That feels like a pretty good superpower to me.” (45:01)

---

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 02:45: John enters the meadow and meets Jesus
• 04:31: Jesus delivers the message (“There is no death”)
• 05:35: John returns to life; the medical team's reaction
• 07:00–08:45: John copes with post-NDE depression and realizes his mission
• 09:36: Mayim explores psychological origins and skepticism
• 11:23: John responds—insists no prior exposure to NDE imagery
• 12:33–13:24: Is this universal or personal? John describes “the hub”
• 16:54–17:38: Confirmation and details of clinical death
• 18:27: John’s religious perspective post-NDE (universality, God’s love)
• 22:32–22:56: Discussion of negative experiences, Life Review, and the myth of hell
• 26:07–27:52: John shares his path as a hospice volunteer and comforting the dying
• 28:15–29:43: God’s universal role, multiple worlds question
• 31:55: Parenting with the NDE perspective
• 35:59–39:25: John’s memory of the experience and hypnotherapy to explore past lives
• 40:15: Psychic abilities and communication on the other side
• 43:05: Earth as “the toughest place to incarnate”

---

Closing Reflections & Takeaways

• John J. Davis’s account is compelling for its detail and for the central message: “There is no death.” The experience transcends religious doctrine, instead pointing to a unified vision of life, death, and love.
• The episode engages both skepticism and awe, with Mayim and Jonathan serving as compassionate guides, probing where personal belief, psychology, and universal truths intersect.
• The significance of memory—how such profound experiences are encoded and endure—emerges as a powerful thread, as does the comfort and hope these stories offer.
• As Mayim summarizes:
  • “The greatest superpower of all…is the knowledge that there is more than this existence. There is a force greater than us, that is a source of infinite, infinite unconditional love.” (45:01)

---

Further Information

Find more about John J. Davis and his experiences at: johnjdavisNDE.com

---

End of Summary

Transcript

[Jonathan Cohen]

Mind Breakdown is supported by Helix Sleep.

[Mayim Bialik]

Spring is in the air and so are all of the allergens that come with it. Spring allergens means you need more sleep, but there are a ton of factors that can prevent us from getting a good night's rest. Night sweats, back pain, Feeling the person next to you when they roll over a million times. We were so excited to hear that Helix wanted to partner with us. I've had my Helix mattress for about five years now and I have been sleeping so much better. Jonathan and also our kids love their Helix mattresses and all of those issues. Night sweats, back pain, motion transfer. Those things are significantly better with a Helix mattress. Helix delivers your mattress right to your door which is so much fun. With free shipping in the US they have a 120 night sleep trial and limited lifetime warranty plus their happy with Helix guarantee. Rest easy with seamless returns and exchanges. The Happy with Helix guarantee offers a risk free customer first experience designed to ensure that you're completely satisfied with your new Mattress. Go to helixsleep do for 27% off site wide. That's helixsleep.com breakdown for 27% off site wide helixsleep.com breakdown book a loved by

[John J. Davis]

guest property with vrbo and you get a top rated vacation rental that's loved for all the right reasons like being in a great location or having great amenities.

[Mayim Bialik]

Ugh. I love my VRBO for the view.

[John J. Davis]

Good reason. Ooh, and the sauna.

[Mayim Bialik]

Sweet.

[John J. Davis]

Another good reason.

[Mayim Bialik]

And that it's one of those good saunas with the hot rock thing.

[John J. Davis]

Oh, love a good hot rock thing. Fancy. That's also a reason. Don't worry about surprises. Book a verbo you'll love with the Love by Guest filter. If you know you verbo.

[Mayim Bialik]

Hi, I'm Mayim Bialik.

[Jonathan Cohen]

And I'm Jonathan Cohen.

[Mayim Bialik]

And welcome to part two of our conversation with John J. Davis. Absolutely one of the most unusual stories we have ever heard. And we've heard a lot. John was 21 years old when he had an adverse reaction to anesthesia during a surgery and ended up dead for seven minutes, during which time he had an unbelievable encounter with a spirit guide. He saw a life review. He saw what happens to our souls on the other side and he came back with a message that we're going to reveal. In this part of our conversation with John J. Davis.

[Jonathan Cohen]

We touch on his understanding of God and the love that God has for humanity, as well as how life reviews help the soul evolve. He also met Jesus in a meadow and the interaction sent him back to Earth with a mission that he will share.

[Mayim Bialik]

Please enjoy part two of our conversation with John J. Davis. Break it down.

[John J. Davis]

Okay, so here, here's. Here's the metal part now. So we leave the castle and he takes me to the most perfect, beautiful meadow I have ever seen. There were rolling green hills. The sun was out, not a cloud in the sky, and there were all these wildflowers. And then my guide, Allen, left, and I thought I was standing in this meadow by myself. So I go like this. I turn around to look at the rest of the meadow, and there's a gentleman standing right in front of me. He had a white golden gown on, and he had a golden sash around his waist. And he had gold colored sandals that laced up his calves all the way to his knees. And he didn't tell me who he was, but I knew this was the being that we know as Jesus. When I looked at his face, he was different than everybody else I saw.

[Mayim Bialik]

Sorry, I thought you were gonna say he was different than every. Every painter in history who's like, he's got blonde hair and blue eyes. Also, he's six feet tall when actual Jesus was probably like five, two. And very, very dark. Yes.

[John J. Davis]

Yep, exactly. Well, that's. That's the part when I went to look at his face. There was all this light that was coming. It looked like lightning coming out of his face. There was so much light that I couldn't see what he looked like. But he spoke to me and he

[Mayim Bialik]

said, what did his voice sound like? What did his voice sound like?

[John J. Davis]

It just. It sounded. It sounded deep, an authoritarian. But that's all I. That's all I know. And I. I think it's because of what he said to me. He said, you must tell them there is no death. And that very second when he said that, boom, I woke right back up in the operating room.

[Mayim Bialik]

What?

[John J. Davis]

Yeah. You must tell them there is no death. Death. And what was so interesting about that is it was the way that he said it. He didn't say, you know what, John? When you have time, when you're not busy, when it's convenient for you, would you share people? Tell people what we shared with you. He didn't say it that way. You must tell them there is no death. And so that's what I've been doing.

[Mayim Bialik]

So your eyes pop open. What happens next?

[John J. Davis]

The first thing that I said to everyone who was looking at me when I opened up my eyes, I said, what just happened?

[Jonathan Cohen]

You were supposed to say, there Is no death, John. You've already started on the wrong foot.

[John J. Davis]

Exactly. I already screwed up from the beginning. So I said, what just happened? Thinking that they knew what happened, and they said, we lost you. I said, what? What do you mean? They said, you actually died? And I thought, that's insane. I said, how long was I dead? They said, seven minutes, but it felt like hours. This. Yes, exactly. And I could not. I had. My mind was so blown away.

[Mayim Bialik]

Did you say anything to anyone, or you kind of, like, go into recovery, meaning they, you know, finish discharging you? When did you tell the first person what you experienced?

[John J. Davis]

I told. I told my mom on the way home. I couldn't have the surgery. They had to postpone it, and we had to reschedule it. So my mom drives me back home. I told her immediately what had happened. And the only book that was out like this back in 1987. Do you remember Raymond Moody?

[Mayim Bialik]

Of course. We've spoken to him here. Yeah.

[John J. Davis]

Oh, great. Excellent. He wrote that book called Life After Life, and my mom gave me that book, and I read the whole thing that day. And that's when I realized, oh, my gosh. I saw what I've always been taught to be called heaven. I was in heaven. They don't call it that. They call it the other side. I don't know why, but they don't. They don't call it. Well, most of them call it home. They just call it home. But Christianity knows it is heaven. So I read the whole book, and that's when I realized that I had an experience that what we now call an NDE, but there was no terminology for that back in 1987. And I went through a horrible, horrible depression for about two months after this because I did not want to be here. I wanted to be where I was. I never wanted to leave there. I wanted to go back and stay there. I even thought about committing suicide because I didn't want to be here. Well, then I began to realize that the kind of hope that that experience gave me, it wasn't for me. It was for me to share it with others so that people don't have to be afraid of dying. There is such a fear of death that we don't even talk about it in our culture. But it's going to be the happiest day any of us ever know, because we get to go home again. And all the painful things, all the trauma, all the hurt that you've gone through in your lifetime, it's all gone when you get back. And it's replaced with learning and knowledge and who you became. And something I like to tell people is that in our culture, we are raised to believe that your success is based on what you have. What did you get in your life? Did you get the big house? Do you have the expensive car? Did you have the million $401k? None of those things matter on the other side because to them, success is based on who did you help in your lifetime? Who did you become? Did you live a kind life? Did you try to make a difference? Those are the things that matter.

[Mayim Bialik]

I want to give what might be, you know, a skeptical read of the descriptions that you gave, because the fact is, we don't know anything about you at 21. We don't know anything about, you know, what you experienced, the take that some people might have. And this would fit in a logical sense if you were to tell me, John, like, I was a 21 year old who loved Greek and Roman architecture. I was fascinated with medieval castles. These were the things that I enjoyed to study and learn about. I loved libraries. Then we might say that the experience you had, right, took all of the things that were in your brain, things that had been coded, right? And. And they transposed them onto your experience. Elizabeth Crone talked about she loves gardening and she felt that her experience of heaven was a garden, but that for other people it might not be a garden. Right? That, that our, our personal makeup, our experiences, you know, what's been encoded, let's say, on this planet in this incarnation that might be placed into our nde? So can you describe for us, were there elements of things that you knew about and were interested in that played into your nde? Or do you believe that some of the images and imagery that you saw and experienced, or are those universal images that you believe many people might have if they have an nde?

[John J. Davis]

My initial thought when all this happened was this must have been some kind of a dream or some kind of a hallucination. But then, even in my life now, I don't remember my dreams. I rarely remember what I dreamed about. I've never had hallucinations. I wasn't on any kind of medication back then. And I hadn't even gone to college yet. I didn't go to college till I was 29. I had never studied anything about Greek or Roman architecture. I didn't know anything about art history. I didn't know anything about libraries or any of the stuff that they showed me. It was all. Everything was so new to me. I was like, oh, my Gosh, this stuff is really real. It was absolutely extraordinary. And every single time I share my story, I feel like I'm right back there again. And it's that same wonder, that same. That same feeling, like we mentioned earlier about that Harry Potter feeling that everything is magical. It's absolutely the most extraordinary place I have ever been.

[Mayim Bialik]

Well, my next question, and I don't mean to have like a death match against ND ears, but when some people have an nde, you know, their experience is obviously different from yours. And many of them have very elaborate and very fleshed out images of where you go and what the Life review is like and the life planning. The elements are, are I. I mean, I would say close to identical, right, that we see statistically. And we've gotten to speak to Jim Tucker and Bruce Grayson. You know, all these people study and, and catalog these things from a clinical perspective. So I'm curious what your take is. And like I said, I'm not asking you to go head to head with other nders, but is your personal belief that this place, right, this place that you went, is that the place that we go or was that your experience?

[John J. Davis]

It's one of the places we go, the places that they took me to. Everybody at some point goes there. It's almost like the hub of a city. I got the impression like wherever I was was like a planet, this huge, enormous planet, and he only took me to one particular part of it. I only saw a small part of the other side. But it's something that if it was just me in all these buildings, I would think, okay, this must be something that I am creating somehow. But there were thousands of people everywhere, all in these buildings. All these people were studying and visiting, and so many of these. Of these buildings everybody seems to utilize.

[Jonathan Cohen]

This episode is sponsored by Wandering Jews, an open door media brand.

[Mayim Bialik]

If you've ever found yourself feeling like you have more questions than answers, you're in good company. The Jewish people have been like that for thousands of years. Wondering Jews with Michal and Noam is a podcast where two of today's most dynamic Jewish voices, Michal Bittone and Noam Weissman, dig into the biggest questions about life through a Jewish lens. It's the kind of conversation where you'll laugh, learn something new, and probably shout in disagreement at least once. Michal and Noam tackle the tough topics, the like anti Semitism in America, what happens after we die, and the future of religion with guests like Bret Stephens, Michael Rapoport and Sarah Hurwitz. And this past Month. In honor of Jewish American Heritage Month, they've been celebrating some of the Jewish lives and institutions that have shaped American life, from food to music and comedy. Thoughtful, joyful, and always honest. That's Wondering Jews with Michal and Noam, a production of Unpacked. Find it on your favorite podcast app or on YouTube and make sure to hit subscribe. Check out Wondering Jews with Michal and Noam podcast and subscribe at Unpacked Bio NMX

[Jonathan Cohen]

My imbialics breakdown is supported by Bioptimizers.

[Mayim Bialik]

I struggled to get good quality sleep and I just thought like h it's stress. But I learned during perimenopause and menopause your hormones shift and it affects your magnesium levels. Low magnesium makes everything harder. Not just sleep, but focus, mood, stress tolerance. That's why we added Magnesium Breakthrough by Bioptimizers to our nightly routine. It's a blend of seven different forms of magnesium designed to support relaxation and overall sleep quality. Try it. See if you wake up more rested and refreshed, you've got nothing to lose and a lot to gain. BIOptimizers offers a 365 day, no questions asked money back guarantee. Magnesium Breakthrough is a fantastic way to improve that hormonal imbalance that especially happens with magnesium. And then you have better focus, you have better sleep hygiene in general. Bioptimizers makes it so easy. Here's what you get when you go to buy optimizers.com/breaker and use the code breaker. 15% off your entire order and a free bottle of Mass Times. That's Bioptimizer's best selling digestive enzyme added to your order automatically when you use our exclusive code. That's a $20 product, free on top of your discount. This is a limited time offer while supplies last. You cannot get this on Amazon. You can't get it in stores. The offer exists in one place and our link, our code. That's it. So if you were already thinking about trying it, this is the sign. Go to buyoptimizers.com breaker use the code breaker. Grab it before it's gone.

[Jonathan Cohen]

Make 2026, the year you finally start sleeping again.

[Mayim Bialik]

What. What is your knowledge now? And even in, you know, God bless us, in 1987, things were not as sophisticated, you know, as they are now. Besides the plasma TV bit, what is your. What is your clinical explanation that you've been given meaning? Had you coded, was there no pulse? Like what. What actually went on in those seven minutes? As far as you know?

[John J. Davis]

All. All I know is that they told Me. They had the paddles. They were using paddles on my chest that. But that's all I know. I don't know if they were. They may have told me other things, but I don't. I don't remember.

[Mayim Bialik]

That's enough that you were dead, my friend.

[John J. Davis]

And I know they. They. I know they had to do it more than once, but I don't remember how many times they had to do it.

[Mayim Bialik]

I want you to like as best as you can. So you're very depressed when you come back. What was your kind of notion, especially with the religious framework that you had? There are so many aspects of your story that, again, do not fit into traditional Judeo, Christian, you know, kind of storytelling, Right? It's not part of, let's say, Catholicism. Or when you came back, did you feel like, guess what, Mom, I also met Jesus. Like, did you have, you know, did you have a Catholic or a Christian, you know, kind of grounding? Or did your definition of kind of existence have to expand at that point?

[John J. Davis]

It was. It was really weird because when I was standing there in front of Jesus, I didn't get any kind of impression from him that there's only one religion. It was more like every religion has truth to it, but not every religion has all the truth. And when I was over there on the other side, there was no feeling of, this is where Catholics are, or this is what Islam believes, or this is. It was almost like religion was invented by humanity. Religion wasn't invented by God. On the other side, it's this. It's this. I think this is the reason that I had such a hard time when I got back. Because on the other side, when we're there, we can feel God. We can absolutely feel how much God loves you. It's like you mentioned, you have kids, your love for your kids, you love them so much. It's absolutely unconditional. That's what it's like when we feel God's love. It's the most extraordinary feeling that you never want to be away from. When you come into a place like Earth, it's like being in a battle and you're in a foxhole without a radio. You feel cut off. And I wanted to have that feeling again. I never wanted to be away from that feeling. And then I realized that, all right, John, they told you what you're supposed to do with your life. You're supposed to tell people, it wasn't for me. It's nothing to do with me. It's all about the message. That's what has to get out. And that's what I've been doing ever since, just trying to share my story.

[Mayim Bialik]

Have you found Nina? Have you found Nina?

[John J. Davis]

I don't know. I have no idea. My wife and I have talked about that before, and we don't know. I don't know if the soulmate comes into every lifetime with us. I know that they can. I just don't know how often that they do. I don't know.

[Mayim Bialik]

We also don't know if she could be Nina by another name. We don't know.

[John J. Davis]

Yeah, exactly. Yep.

[Jonathan Cohen]

Have you found ways in this lifetime to feel more of that connection with the divine?

[John J. Davis]

The biggest connection for me is when people reach out to me. They watch a podcast I was on, or they go to my website and they read about my experience. I think a lot of people feel like I am a conduit for them to know that their loved ones aren't gone, that there really is a place. There's a place that is more beautiful than I could ever explain. I don't have the language to explain how beautiful it really is over there. And the greatest privilege of my life has been to tell people that your loved one isn't gone. They're just. They just went home. And when your lifetime is finished, you're going to be reunited with them. There's a woman that just called me the other day, and she lost her daughter Hannah, when she was only 31 years old. And she just wanted to know that what I experienced was real and that is her daughter still going to be there? Is her daughter okay? And I said, I can absolutely tell you that she's better than okay. She's happy, she's free of pain. She's got the love of God, all of her friends, family members are there with her, and that when her mom passes, she'll be with her again, and it'll be like they never left. And that. That has been the greatest privilege of my life, to be able to tell people that.

[Mayim Bialik]

I don't mean to be such a downer, but this is something I often ask, you know, people who've had experiences like you. What about people who have negative experiences here and do not want to see the people that have gone on before them?

[John J. Davis]

They don't have to.

[Mayim Bialik]

Right. I'm curious if there's, you know, is there some sort of reckoning and deeper understanding? Right. On the other side?

[John J. Davis]

The only thing that was explained to me was if that person didn't know how their actions affected others, they'll learn that in the Life Review. And it's almost like that person has their aha moment. Like, oh my gosh, I never knew that. And that's what the Life review is for. Because God, I always believed that there has to be a hell, that God created a hell. He never did. There is no hell. Hell was created by mankind. God couldn't throw away his children any more than any of us could throw away our own children. But God knows that. And it's kind of like, why does God allow evil to exist when he could just simply wipe it out? And the reason is because when he created every single one of us, he gave us all free will. And he knew that some souls might choose a darker path and not follow the path of light. But he also knows that the dark side can never win because there's no greater power than God. And at some point, he knows all those souls will choose the right side. And when they have their Life review, that's when they realize, oh my gosh, you can't hurt people. You can't murder people.

[Mayim Bialik]

Next question. On which date do you tell your wife what happened to you? Is that like a first date conversation?

[John J. Davis]

It was funny. I, I met her in church and this was after I had my nde and it was about, I would say, probably maybe three months after that that I told her what had happened. She had, she has a dream journal.

[Mayim Bialik]

You met her young?

[John J. Davis]

Yeah, yeah, she, she, her whole life, she kept a dream journal. And it's like, it's like this thick of all of her dreams. And so she, she had a good understanding and a good appreciation for what I went through. She had read some different books herself about people's experiences, what they call paranormal experiences. So we, we actually made a pretty good fit together.

[Jonathan Cohen]

What was it like to start telling people? When did you realize all this information? And like, what was the first time you shared it? After the NDE or the actually being dead?

[John J. Davis]

Early on I learned that when I told my story, people were really skeptical. They. I was only 21. They're like, how much does a 21 year old kid know about dying?

[Mayim Bialik]

Seven minutes worth.

[John J. Davis]

Yeah, there, there was, there was a lot of skepticism and I didn't have a large platform. I didn't have anything back then.

[Jonathan Cohen]

Did you tell your parents first? Like, what was.

[Mayim Bialik]

He told his mom on the drive home and she seemed cool with it. My mother would be like, stop with that nonsense.

[John J. Davis]

Yeah, yeah, my mom was really, she was like, oh my gosh, tell me everything.

[Jonathan Cohen]

That's a good mom.

[John J. Davis]

So I, she was my first the first person I told, and then all the years later, I would tell people at work, I would. I did a lot of volunteer work for hospice and I would, I would tell people who were passing, do you want to. And I would say, there's something you might want to. Want to hear. Would you like to talk about my near death experience? And they were like, sure. And that's when I would tell them every single thing that happened.

[Mayim Bialik]

Is that why you chose to volunteer in hospice?

[John J. Davis]

Yeah, that was exactly why. Because I know people.

[Mayim Bialik]

You were like, I don't have a podcast. Computers don't exist, but the biggest platform I can find is people literally about to die.

[John J. Davis]

Exactly. That's exactly it.

[Jonathan Cohen]

We spoke to a death doula, and she talks about the shared death experience and people who are about to pass. Seeing loved ones coming across the bridge to help them be guided over.

[John J. Davis]

Yes, exactly. That happens all the time. And I found out that nobody ever dies alone. The other side always sends someone to get us. So all those people that had to be quarantined and on ventilators during the pandemic, none of them died alone. I've had so many people that have reached out to me and said that they felt so guilty because they couldn't be there with them. And I tell them that it's okay. They have someone that came, that came to get them. Nobody passes alone.

[Jonathan Cohen]

What do you believe is God? What do you understand God is? And is that the creator of all the life across the universe? Or is it just for our earth and each other, place where souls go have their own version of a God? That's, you know, the manager of, of that Walmart.

[John J. Davis]

That's. That's something I've thought about too. A lot. I've thought about that a lot. The best way that I can describe God is it's the most extraordinary feeling of love you have ever experienced. It's like holding your child the first time your baby smiles at you. That feeling, that's. You feel God's love. It. God is just love. He's a. I don't even know how to describe him. He's like our Father, our creator, who created all of us to share all of these experiences with. But I don't know if the person that we know is Jesus. I don't know if that was God. My wife said that she thinks Jesus is the part of God that interacts with us, but I don't really know. And the other thing, your question, Jonathan, is so good, because I have thought about that before too. If There are trillions, virtually trillions of other worlds. Does every single world have its own other side or is there just. Is the building that I was standing in, that orientation building, is that where all of us come, all of us come to this, the same place that. I don't know. I wish I did. I just don't know.

[Jonathan Cohen]

I'm going to posit a bet that they're like regional managers doing a fantastic

[Mayim Bialik]

severance

[Jonathan Cohen]

on their own little pocket of the cosmos. But it feels like a big job to create all the souls for each one of those areas mind B Alex Breakdown is supported by Bio Optimizers.

[Mayim Bialik]

You know, I struggled to get good quality sleep and I just assumed it was stress. But as I learned during perimenopause and menopause, your hormones shift in a way that affects your. Your magnesium levels. And low magnesium, it makes everything harder. Not just sleep, focus, mood, your tolerance for stress. That's why I have added Magnesium Breakthrough by by optimizers to my nightly routine. It's a blend of seven different forms of magnesium designed to support relaxation and overall sleep quality. Try it. See if you wake up more rested and refreshed. You've got nothing to lose and a lot to gain. Bio Optimizers offers a 365 day, no questions asked money back guarantee. Magnesium Breakthrough is a huge breakthrough to improve hormonal balance, to help with focus, decrease brain fog, improve sleep hygiene. Overall, Bioptimizers makes it very easy. Jonathan, what do they get when they go to bioptimizers.com breaker and use the code breaker?

[Jonathan Cohen]

You get 50% off your entire order and a free bottle of MAS, Bioptimizer's

[Mayim Bialik]

bestselling digestive enzyme that'll be added to your order automatically when you use our exclusive code.

[Jonathan Cohen]

That's a $20 product, free, on top of your discount already.

[Mayim Bialik]

This is a limited time offer and while supplies last, you can't get it on Amazon, you can't get it in stores. This offer exists in one place. Our link, our code. That's it. So maybe you were already thinking about it. This is the sign. Go to buyoptimizers.com/breaker, use the code breaker. Grab it before it's gone. Make 2026, the year you finally start sleeping again. How old are your kids?

[John J. Davis]

23 and 22.

[Mayim Bialik]

Oh, wow, you have big kids. So what can you tell us about sort of what it's been like, you know, being a parent while having this experience and, you know, shepherding young souls through their, you know, the stage of life they were when you died and

[John J. Davis]

came back, you know, the one thing that has been something that I've learned the most is that I know I love my kids to death just like all of us do. But I had to learn that they're not mine, they're God's, they're from God, just like all of us. And I am just simply here as their steward. And I know that each one of them came here for their own experiences, their own reasons for being here and not necessarily believing all the same things that I believe. I've told them what my experience was like, but I think that they're at the age where they haven't had a lot of their own experiences like that. So they, they really, they're very science minded. So they haven't had a lot of mystical experiences of their own yet. So they are kind of like they want to wait and see, but they're very open to everything I've told them. They don't disbelieve it or disagree with it. They just tell me that they don't know for sure. They don't have their own experiences yet.

[Jonathan Cohen]

How do you integrate the knowledge and the experience that you had then and that you still have? Because it's been embedded in you with operating in the real world, paying bills, dealing with the frustrations that this life naturally has. How do you hold these two realities?

[John J. Davis]

That's a. That's a really good question. Back in 1987, after this whole experience, I didn't know how I was going to do that. It was like I had to learn how to walk in both worlds. Because on one sense, I didn't want to be here. I don't want to go through all the stuff we go through here. I want to be back on the other side again. Then I had to realize that you were given something that you're supposed to share because it wasn't about you. It was about the message. You have to share the message. So I just had to learn to walk on both sides. Kind of like I was on one side of the veil and also on the other side of the veil. And I had to learn that you can still have a lifetime. We can learn and experience and grow here on Earth and still have all the knowledge on the other side. Because my job was to share with people not to be afraid of dying. There's nothing to be afraid of. It's how we get back home again. And so I just had to realize that, okay, I'm on Earth. I'm here for as long as I'm Supposed to be here. I'm also a spiritual being. I know about the other side, and that will come. I'll get to go back when my time comes, but for the time being, I'm supposed to share what they showed me to give people the kind of hope that it has always given me all these years.

[Mayim Bialik]

It doesn't sound crazy, you know, at all. Not just because we talk to a lot of people who have experienced, you know, things of this realm. But I'm mostly astounded by the level of detail, meaning the level of downloading of information is the only way to describe it, because time does not fit into the seven minutes that we know that you were dead. Right. It's so, so fascinating, and we just. We're so grateful that you shared your story with us. I know you. You do hypnotherapy with people. Many people come back from NDEs and they have acquired special abilities. You know, synesthesia or precognitive things or seeing auras. You know, you. You don't have those things. You haven't reported them. But I wonder, with this gift, you know, that you have that you get to share, how does that kind of factor into the hypnotherapy that you do with people?

[John J. Davis]

Yeah, it's funny. People have asked me that before, too, and I feel like I kind of got gypped because I. I didn't come back with anything. I don't have any special abilities. I. I can't hear my guide. I don't. I still. All the time, I just can't hear them. But I think what they gave me was the memory. Because if this. If. If this had happened to me and they didn't give me any memory abilities, I wouldn't have remembered hardly any of that experience. But I remember every single detail. And I think that's because I'm supposed to share it all. But I think that's the only thing I really came back with, was I've got this memory now. It was like it happened yesterday. That's how clear it still is. But it's interesting because I was so skeptical. I'm usually a really skeptical person. And this is what I did after my nde. About two months later, I made an appointment with a hypnotherapist. And I told her, I said, I want to see if past lifetimes are real, because I had this experience where they showed me three lifetimes. And the way that I was raised, previous lifetimes isn't a thing. So I go to see her, and sure enough, I saw Three different lifetimes. And that's when I was a real believer. I'm like, oh, my gosh, it is real.

[Mayim Bialik]

So you were able to get back there?

[John J. Davis]

Yeah, I got to. I saw three different lifetimes. And that's when I realized, oh, my gosh, my whole experience really was real. The whole thing was real. And what I do now is I. Since 1989, when I got my first certification, I've just been doing hypnosis with people all the time.

[Mayim Bialik]

You know, there are things that we know about memory, right? There's things that we know about implicit memory. There's things we know about procedural memory, memory. We talk about, you know, if you get back on a bike, you can usually remember how to ride a bike. Or sometimes I'll be trying to play a song on the piano and I get stuck and I can't think of what to do next. But if I start again, the kind of the body memory, that muscle memory will take over and I can play the whole song. Right. We know that there are different kinds of memory and the kind of memory that you're talking about that people who have NDEs experience, it's almost like it's operating through a different component than the normal memory system that we use to learn the Alphabet, learn how to play a song, learn, you know, how to ride a bicycle. This kind of memory that you're describing, it, it often happens when people have profound psychedelic experiences or other transcendental experiences. It's as if there's a different part, right, of the brain, of this whole system that is coding this information in a way that is much more salient, much more reliable, really. It feels more real, it feels more tangible, and it doesn't get lost the way other memories seem to.

[John J. Davis]

Yeah, because I. My memory has never faded at all for this, from this experience. Like, I couldn't even tell you what I did last summer or what I even. What I had for dinner last night.

[Mayim Bialik]

Yeah. It's a totally different, like. Yeah, whatever part of your brain is holding this and experience that, it's clearly, it doesn't even need you to be alive for you to have those memories.

[John J. Davis]

Yeah.

[Jonathan Cohen]

Here's a final question. We also speak to people who, as Maya mentioned, have extra sensory ability. And I think more so than ever before. The topic of precognition, remote viewing, telepathy have come back into the popular vernacular. People are really, really curious. I am very interested in intuition and talk a lot about thinking that we have extra senses. Were you shown anything about extra sensory ability as it relates to people on this plane, in this space being able to increase their capacity here on Earth?

[John J. Davis]

No, not really. The one thing I can tell you that was what I thought of was paranormal is. Do you remember when I was in that library when they were showing me the war that was going on?

[Mayim Bialik]

Yeah.

[John J. Davis]

I didn't say out loud to Alan that that's impossible. We didn't have video recordings back then. I said that in my mind. But he heard that, and I don't know how he heard that. There is some kind of a component of thought that exists over there that doesn't exist here.

[Jonathan Cohen]

And it's instantaneous.

[Mayim Bialik]

Yeah. I mean, if. If Alan can exist as your spirit guide, he can also hear your thoughts.

[Jonathan Cohen]

I had one other thing that occurred to me while you were talking before, when you were describing all the people on the other side doing their best stuff, do they interact with people on this plane? We hear so much about people who are either getting communication from dead relatives. We also hear about people who are stuck in between worlds. Does that committee have to go, like, fish people out of the in between world and help guide them back?

[John J. Davis]

I don't. I don't know. I. All I do know that people on the other side, they can hear us when we talk to them. Both of my parents have passed, and I know that when I talk to them when I'm driving, they can hear that. And I don't understand how that's possible.

[Jonathan Cohen]

They're so busy having fun.

[John J. Davis]

Yeah. Yeah. But a lot of us get communication from them through our dreams. And that's why my wife. My wife has such amazing dreams, because she's kept this dream journal for so many years that she gets a lot of information from dreams. I'll tell you something really interesting. She had a dream that she was on another planet and she was in an elevator with what we would call an alien. And the alien told her. He said, thought is all. Choose yours well, and then she woke up. But she wrote it down so she didn't forget it, but she knew that that wasn't another plan.

[Mayim Bialik]

She's Nina. That's Nina.

[John J. Davis]

Yeah. Yeah. That would be funny.

[Jonathan Cohen]

This touches on aliens. If she was having a dream about what we would consider an alien, and there are all these other life forms potentially throughout the universe, in all these different solar systems, then are they further advanced than us? Are they trying to contact us? How are. How does it all interact?

[John J. Davis]

All I know is that there are civilizations who are more advanced than us and civilizations that are less advanced than us, but they're Very spiritual. From what they told me, Earth is the hardest of all the planets. That's why it's such a big deal for people to come here. And we don't realize that it really is a hard place to be. It's a hard experience, but most of the planets aren't like this.

[Mayim Bialik]

John, thank you so much. And please let, let people know where they can find more information about you and all of the buildings you described and the experiences. It's really, it's. It's fantastic. So where can people find all of that?

[John J. Davis]

Sure, they can go to. My website is johnjdavis n--e.com amazing.

[Mayim Bialik]

And you're John. You're John J. O, H, N. Correct.

[John J. Davis]

Yeah. John. Yep.

[Mayim Bialik]

Thank you so much, you know, for letting us receive the message that you believe you were, you know, imparted to share. We appreciate it. I think it's very. It's touching, it's thought provoking, and, you know, I think for many people it's really gonna be transformative. So thank you so much.

[John J. Davis]

Well, thank you so much for the invitation. I love to share my story and it was so nice to meet you both. Thank you for your questions.

[Mayim Bialik]

I don't even know if I'd call that an near death experience that was just a death experience.

[Jonathan Cohen]

It said dead and came back.

[Mayim Bialik]

I'm thinking about Anita Morjani, right. Her organs, you know, started failing. And I'm thinking of the. The spontaneous healing that she had after that nd But I think this is the first time we've spoken to someone who literally coded out.

[Jonathan Cohen]

I think I'd want some superpowers if I came back.

[Mayim Bialik]

You know, his superpower is the information that he has.

[Jonathan Cohen]

You know what, it's true in all the Marvel movies, everyone has a little bit of something different, and you don't get to choose.

[Mayim Bialik]

Well, I mean, I think the question is also, you know, I think that one of his superpowers, he may not identify it as such because it's different than precognition. Right. Or it's different than seeing auras, or he's very optimistic. Well, and keep in mind, Elizabeth Crone was also struck by lightning. So she had an experience and her son also came back. Her son didn't have an nde, but came, you know, acquired abilities after being struck by lightning. So we kind of have to separate that. But what, what everyone who has an NDE has come back with is the greatest superpower of all, which is the knowledge that there is more than this existence. There is a force Greater than us. That is a source of infinite, infinite unconditional love. And it can suffuse you with a sense of belonging, acceptance, awareness. That's the. That feels like a pretty good superpower to me. If I knew that, and my job was to tell as many people I love that. He became a hospice volunteer worker. Can you imagine? He struts in the room, guess what, yo?

[Jonathan Cohen]

Your loved ones are on their way.

[Mayim Bialik]

He's the dude at every funeral who's like, don't worry.

[Jonathan Cohen]

They're having the best time.

[Mayim Bialik]

The first thing I thought is, I

[Jonathan Cohen]

thought, we're just a bunch of spirits floating around the.

[Mayim Bialik]

I'm cool with a body. Which body? Valerie, did you wonder this as well? I'm curious if Valerie wonders.

[Jonathan Cohen]

You can choose whatever body you want.

[Mayim Bialik]

Okay, well, can I be the ideal weight for me? Like, are there. Are there people with different body types there? I'm thinking of, like, the great Renaissance paintings, and all the women were, like, beautifully curvy and, like, they had bellies. I'm like, that. If that the ideal body, bring it on.

[Jonathan Cohen]

Maybe you get to try a different body every day. You just get to shift. One day you get to be super muscular. The next day you get to be super curvy. The next day you get something in the middle.

[Mayim Bialik]

Here's. Here's Valerie's thought of the day. What if you hated everything about yourself on this planet? And you get there and it's like, I'd like a totally different form.

[Jonathan Cohen]

I think you can get a different form. And then you'll have to come back here to learn about love and acceptance. Oh, Archie says yes.

[Mayim Bialik]

Archie says yes. I. I really. I highly recommend you go to John's website to see these beautiful images of all the things that he described. I also loved this notion of, you know, seeing yourself in other lives. I wanted to know, was he ever a woman? You know, I'm. I'm assuming my soul is not gendered. What do you think?

[Jonathan Cohen]

I think people often have more incarnations in one version than another.

[Mayim Bialik]

Oh. Cause I don't even know how that would work. There's a lot that is still up for debate.

[Jonathan Cohen]

Turns out Earth school's really hard.

[Mayim Bialik]

There was one thing that John said before we leave that I found particularly touching and interesting in terms of the. The relationship he has with his children. And I thought of the Kahlil Gibran. I think that's how you pronounce it. I've never said it out loud. Gibran, the guy who wrote the Prophet. He has a very famous poem that I believe I read at one of my children's namings. Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of life's longing for itself. They come through you, but not from you. And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you. You may give them your love, but not your thoughts, for they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies, but not their souls. For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams, unless you are John Davis. You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday. You are the bows from which your children as living arrows, are sent forth. The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and he bends you with his might, that his arrows may go swift and far. Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness. For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so he loves also the bow that is stable. I thought of that when he talked about, you know, what is it like to picture your children or really anyone that you interact with as just another soul. Really, really love talking to John. Make sure to join us on Substack for more conversation about this episode and things you can only get over on Substack. From our breakdown to the one we hope you never have. We'll see you next time.

[Jonathan Cohen]

It's Maya Bialix breakdown She's gonna break

[John J. Davis]

it down for you she's got a

[Jonathan Cohen]

neuroscience PhD or two non fiction and now she's gonna break down so break down she's gonna break it down.