Colton Burpo, whose near-death experience at age three inspired the best-selling book "Heaven Is for Real," has shared his account on the "Hang Out with Sean Hannity" podcast. During the episode, Burpo described lifting out of his body during emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix and encountering Jesus.
Burpo recounted being in the hospital for five days before doctors discovered his ruptured appendix, leading to emergency surgery. "When I was in that emergency surgery, I lifted out of my body and I looked down and I could see the doctors — they were working on me," Burpo told host Sean Hannity.
While his parents prayed in separate rooms, Burpo said he found himself in another realm. "I was sitting on Jesus's lap, so I wasn't in heaven yet, but I was with Jesus, and he had some angels sing to me to calm me down," he recalled.
He mentioned that the angels sang familiar songs, including "Jesus Loves Me" and "Joshua Fought the Battle of Jericho." Burpo also humorously noted that his request for the angels to sing Queen's "We Will Rock You" was denied.
During his experience, Burpo also said he met a sister who had died in a miscarriage before his birth, a sibling whose existence he had not previously known. He described this encounter while discussing his memories of meeting God the Father.
The podcast episode also featured researcher John Burke and fellow near-death experience survivor Randy Kay. Kay shared his account of surviving seven pulmonary embolisms, and Burke discussed his research into recurring similarities across thousands of near-death experiences.
The full conversation is available on "Hang Out with Sean Hannity" across platforms including YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.