Dina Bonnevie recalls what she saw after being clinically dead for over a minute: 'People won't be ready to understand'
What happens when you’re gone? Or at least when you almost were?
Dina Bonnevie recalled her brush with death when she was 23 in an interview with Amy Austria. In this, the actress shared that she was clinically dead for a minute and ten seconds due to overfatigue.
The 62-year-old actress said that the experience started when she was busy filming and dubbing for her movies.
During the promotion for one of her movies in Alma Moreno’s show, Loveli-Ness, Dina recalled having difficulty breathing during an interview after a dance performance.
“Umiikot na yung mundo ko non. Hilong hilo ako. Right after, parang kulang nalang bumagsak na ako, tumakbo na ako sa kotse,” she said.
Dina then recalled reaching home and telling her daughter Danica Sotto to call the doctors a few moments before she fainted in her home bathroom, prompting her to be rushed to the hospital.
According to the actress, she remembered having blurry vision and feeling suffocated on the way to the hospital. However, she said that her sense of hearing was still strong and she was still aware of her surroundings.
She remembered the chaos that was surrounding her in the emergency room, even how the doctor and nurses eventually put her in liters of oxygen.
A roller-coaster-like ride and hearing a 'voice'
“Tapos the next thing I knew, wala nang nagsisigawan biglang tahimik,” she said. “Sabi ko, ‘Anong nangyari bakit biglang tumahimik na? Where’s everybody? Okay na ba ako?’”
The actress said she stood up from the hospital bed and tried to tell her sister to go home but was being ignored.
“Pag [hawak] ko, nagulat ako, lumampas yung kamay ko. Sabi ko, “Huh bakit hindi ko siya mahawakan?’” she said. “Pag tingin ko don sa monitor, may line na [flat] tas [umiiyak] yung kapatid ko."
She then looked back at the bed where she was lying and saw a silver cord connected to her abdomen, then she said she saw things turn dark and into a fast rollercoaster-like ride.
After going through the long tunnel, Dina recalled hearing indescribable music, and later a bright light and a "voice."
“Tapos parang– walang voice– parang kinakausap ka through the mind. Parang telepathic na, ‘Are you ready to come with me, my child?’” she recalled.
She then shared that she was embraced by the light to which she felt so much love.
Dina remembered crying, saying, “Hagulgol ako nang hagulgol not because of fear but because of so much love. Parang ang sarap ng feeling na ‘to. Parang mas masarap pa sa hug ng anak, sa hug ng ama, ng ina.”
Remembering her daughter, Dina said she asked the light if she could talk to her child for a while. Right then, Dina said she saw her daughter Danica reaching out to her.
Then when her hand touched her daughter's, Dina was snapped back awake and back to the hospital where she became aware that the doctors were already saving her life.
“Dine-defibrillator na nila ako. Shinoshock para gumising,” she said.
The actress said that she did not tell anyone about her experience then for fear of being labeled as crazy.
When she finally told her sister of her experience, she said she received a strange reaction.
“Sabi ko na nga ba e, people won’t be ready to understand kung ano 'yun,” she said.
Now, Dina is 62 years old, and her kids Danica and Oyo Boy Sotto have children of their own.