Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.
A woman has claimed that she saw heaven and hell after trying to take her own life as a teenager.
Tamara Laroux explained how she had begun to experience emotional trauma after her parents separated. Laroux had lived with her mother in the aftermath of her parents' divorce but experienced feelings of rejection after her father only maintained contact with her siblings.
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Things eventually came to a head when Laroux was 15 years old, with the teenager making the decision to end her own life.
The teenager took her mother's gun, aimed it towards herself and pulled the trigger - with the following events being something she believed was a divine intervention.
Speaking about the experience with the Christian Broadcasting Network, Laroux claimed she had seen both heaven and hell that day.
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"When I pulled that trigger... I knew my body was dying," she explained.
"I felt the blood rushing through my lungs. Death gripped my body. I became blind and deaf.
"As my soul left my body, I began travelling faster than the speed of light."
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'TRUE ATHEIST' HAD BELIEFS CHANGED AFTER WHAT HE WITNESSED DURING NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE
Laroux then went on to claim that she was 'falling' into hell, describing her experience as an 'explosion' inside of her body.
"It was so hideous and terrifying... there was no way to describe the level of pain that I was experiencing," she said. "It was hell."
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Explaining how she felt in these moments, the author believed that she had been taken to a place of 'total torment' alongside a 'sea of people' screaming in agony and terror.
"I remember looking at an individual, I knew everything about them," she said.
"I knew every sin they committed. My knowledge about their life was full. I knew their thoughts and emotions."
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However, this wasn't the end of Laroux's supposed near-death experience, as she then claimed that a giant hand lifted her from 'hell' and brought her into a place of heaven.
Describing this place as 'exquisite' and glorious, she said: "There was an overwhelming sense of peace, joy and complete serenity.
"The colours were so bright and refreshing… their very sight was rejuvenating and full of energy."
Following this experience Laroux claimed that she was returned to her body and was subsequently rushed to hospital for life-saving treatment. It was here that she learnt the bullet had missed her heart by around one-quarter of an inch.
Since then, Laroux has been transformed by her experience. She has become a devout Christian and has written her 2018 book, A Second Chance at Heaven, to share her experience with others.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.
Topics: Community
Brenna Cooper