“I popped out the top of my head”: Woman shares chilling vision during life-saving surgery
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Some stories blur the lines between science and the unknown.
One woman’s harrowing tale of what she saw while her body lay motionless on an operating table continues to raise questions that even experts still struggle to explain.
Pam Reynolds Lowery's account has become one of the most documented and puzzling near-death experiences to date—and it all started when she “died” during brain surgery in 1991.
Facing death at 35
At just 35, Pam was suffering from alarming symptoms: dizziness, slurred speech, and partial paralysis.
Doctors soon discovered a large aneurysm near her brain stem—a condition that required an extremely rare and dangerous procedure.
She was flown to the Barrow Neurological Institute, where neurosurgeon Dr. Robert F. Spetzler prepared to perform what’s known as a “standstill operation”—a last-resort procedure that essentially stops all brain and body activity.
The body shuts down—but something else awakens
During the operation, doctors cooled Pam’s body to 50°F (10°C). Her heartbeat and breathing were stopped.
Blood was drained from her brain to allow a clean operating field. Her eyes were taped shut. A headset played clicking noises into her ears to monitor brain activity.
By every medical standard, she had no awareness. And yet, Pam later described exactly what happened in the room.
"I popped out of my head"
In an interview, Pam recalled hearing a sound—a musical note—just before rising above her body. “I popped out the top of my head,” she said.
She claimed to watch the surgeons at work. She described a surgical tool that looked “like the handle of my electric toothbrush.”
She heard a female voice saying her arteries were too small. A male doctor—presumably Dr. Spetzler—responded: “Use the other side.”
All of these details matched the actual events during her operation.
The drill, the tools—and the floating vantage point
Pam’s view, she said, was like hovering over the doctor’s shoulder.
She thought they would use a saw to open her skull, but instead saw something that looked more like a drill—complete with a storage case for the bits that reminded her of her father’s toolbox.
Pam had told NBC after the surgery how she was “looking down at the body” but “didn't care” that it was hers.
The uncle who helped her return
At one point, Pam claimed to see her late uncle—who encouraged her to return to her body. “He kept reasoning with me,” she remembered. “He said, ‘It’s like diving into a swimming pool, just jump in.’”
She resisted, saying she didn’t want to go back. Eventually, he “gave me a little help there,” she said.
Science or something more?
Some skeptics have argued that Pam may have experienced a rare case of anesthesia awareness—a condition where a patient becomes partially conscious during surgery.
However, doctors confirmed Pam had no brain activity, and her eyes and ears were completely covered.
Cardiologist Dr. Michael Sabom, who studied Pam’s case, says he’s seen others like hers. He told NBC, “The people who said they watched their resuscitation… gave accurate visual pictures of what was going on in the room.”
“I can find no other way they could’ve seen it,” he added, “than from a point separated from their physical body.”
Pam’s story continues to raise questions
Pam passed away in 2010, but her account has remained one of the most referenced examples in near-death research. Her case has been included in books, documentaries, and scholarly debates.
For those who have lost loved ones—or simply wonder what happens when we die—Pam’s experience offers something both mysterious and oddly comforting.
Do you believe Pam truly left her body, or could there be another explanation? Have you or someone you know had a similar near-death experience? Share your thoughts and stories in the comments below. At The GrayVine, we believe in exploring the questions that science hasn’t fully answered—especially the ones that make us pause and wonder.
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One woman’s harrowing tale of what she saw while her body lay motionless on an operating table continues to raise questions that even experts still struggle to explain.
Pam Reynolds Lowery's account has become one of the most documented and puzzling near-death experiences to date—and it all started when she “died” during brain surgery in 1991.
Facing death at 35
At just 35, Pam was suffering from alarming symptoms: dizziness, slurred speech, and partial paralysis.
Doctors soon discovered a large aneurysm near her brain stem—a condition that required an extremely rare and dangerous procedure.
She was flown to the Barrow Neurological Institute, where neurosurgeon Dr. Robert F. Spetzler prepared to perform what’s known as a “standstill operation”—a last-resort procedure that essentially stops all brain and body activity.
Pam Reynolds Lowery recounted a near-death experience during a brain surgery procedure. Image source: Lonnie Carrillo / YouTube
The body shuts down—but something else awakens
During the operation, doctors cooled Pam’s body to 50°F (10°C). Her heartbeat and breathing were stopped.
Blood was drained from her brain to allow a clean operating field. Her eyes were taped shut. A headset played clicking noises into her ears to monitor brain activity.
By every medical standard, she had no awareness. And yet, Pam later described exactly what happened in the room.
"I popped out of my head"
In an interview, Pam recalled hearing a sound—a musical note—just before rising above her body. “I popped out the top of my head,” she said.
She claimed to watch the surgeons at work. She described a surgical tool that looked “like the handle of my electric toothbrush.”
She heard a female voice saying her arteries were too small. A male doctor—presumably Dr. Spetzler—responded: “Use the other side.”
All of these details matched the actual events during her operation.
The drill, the tools—and the floating vantage point
Pam’s view, she said, was like hovering over the doctor’s shoulder.
She thought they would use a saw to open her skull, but instead saw something that looked more like a drill—complete with a storage case for the bits that reminded her of her father’s toolbox.
Pam had told NBC after the surgery how she was “looking down at the body” but “didn't care” that it was hers.
The uncle who helped her return
At one point, Pam claimed to see her late uncle—who encouraged her to return to her body. “He kept reasoning with me,” she remembered. “He said, ‘It’s like diving into a swimming pool, just jump in.’”
She resisted, saying she didn’t want to go back. Eventually, he “gave me a little help there,” she said.
Science or something more?
Some skeptics have argued that Pam may have experienced a rare case of anesthesia awareness—a condition where a patient becomes partially conscious during surgery.
However, doctors confirmed Pam had no brain activity, and her eyes and ears were completely covered.
Cardiologist Dr. Michael Sabom, who studied Pam’s case, says he’s seen others like hers. He told NBC, “The people who said they watched their resuscitation… gave accurate visual pictures of what was going on in the room.”
“I can find no other way they could’ve seen it,” he added, “than from a point separated from their physical body.”
Pam’s story continues to raise questions
Pam passed away in 2010, but her account has remained one of the most referenced examples in near-death research. Her case has been included in books, documentaries, and scholarly debates.
For those who have lost loved ones—or simply wonder what happens when we die—Pam’s experience offers something both mysterious and oddly comforting.
Read more:
