(OPINION) In September 1998, Steve Kang, a former Buddhist monk who later became an evangelical pastor, faced a harrowing encounter with what he describes as a supernatural realm.

Stranded in a desolate wasteland populated by towering demons and countless lost souls bound in chains, Kang’s spirit endured what he believed was eternal torment.

Meanwhile, his physical body lay on an operating table in a California hospital, where surgeons fought to save his life following a suicide attempt.

Kang’s ordeal began after years of struggling with substance abuse, which he felt was exacerbated by an evil spirit compelling him to end his life. On that fateful day, he succumbed to the urge, inflicting severe knife wounds to his neck and stomach.

As doctors worked tirelessly to repair the damage, Kang’s consciousness plummeted into an otherworldly realm he could only describe as hell.

In an exclusive interview with the Daily Mail, Kang recounted the vivid and disturbing details of his eight-hour journey through this nightmarish dimension.

“It’s not a place you want to go,” he said, his voice heavy with the weight of the memory. “I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemies—not Kim Jong-il, not Hitler. It’s a place of unimaginable suffering.”

Kang described the landscape as a barren, rocky expanse devoid of life.

“There was no light, no plants, not even a blade of grass,” he recalled.

“The ground was jagged, and cliffs of a sickly purplish-red hue jutted out everywhere. When you looked up, there was no sky—just an oppressive, moonless darkness, like the blackest night you can imagine.”

Kang wasn’t alone in this desolate realm. He found himself surrounded by an endless throng of other souls, each trapped in their own torment.

“There were so many people, just standing there, chained together,” he said. “But there was no connection, no ability to speak or comfort one another. It was like we were all isolated in our own suffering.”

The emotional weight of the experience was overwhelming. Kang described how his feelings of fear, guilt, and shame were amplified to unbearable levels.

“It was like every negative emotion I’d ever felt was magnified a thousand times,” he explained. “The fear of condemnation, the anxiety—it was suffocating. There was no escape, no reprieve.”

Adding to the horror, Kang encountered enormous demonic figures that loomed over the suffering souls. “They were massive, three to five stories tall, wearing dark, flowing capes,” he said.

“Their presence was menacing, and I knew instinctively they were in charge of this place. They just stood there, watching us suffer.”

Kang’s experience aligns with findings from a study conducted by researchers at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, which explored near-death experiences (NDEs) among survivors.

The study found that many individuals reported an awareness of entering a distinct realm, often accompanied by a profound moral evaluation of their life’s actions and relationships.

Unlike hallucinations or dreams, these experiences were described as vivid and coherent, suggesting that a dying brain may undergo a process of disinhibition, unlocking access to “new dimensions of reality” and enabling a comprehensive recall of lifelong memories.

Kang’s account also reflects a phenomenon noted by psychologist Marc Wittmann in 2017.

Wittmann, from the Institute for Frontier Areas in Psychology and Mental Health, theorized that NDEs disrupt the brain’s temporal processing under extreme conditions.

This disruption can cause time to feel distorted, with moments stretching into what seems like hours.

For Kang, the 20 minutes he perceived in the dark realm corresponded to roughly eight hours of unconsciousness in the operating room, as confirmed by his loved ones and medical staff.

As Kang endured this torment, he believes he received divine intervention. Though he was not fully aware of it at the time, he credits spiritual forces with guiding him back to the physical world.

“I was in so much pain, and I thought it would never end,” he said. “But something—someone—was watching over me, pulling me out of that place.”

When Kang finally regained consciousness, he was profoundly changed.

The experience, though terrifying, became a turning point in his life. He abandoned his struggles with substance abuse, left his past as a Buddhist monk, and embraced a new calling as an evangelical pastor.

His mission now is to share his story to prevent others from following a similar path. “I don’t want anyone to go through what I did,” he said. “If my story can save even one person, it’s worth telling.”

Kang’s journey through what he believes was hell left an indelible mark on his soul.

The vivid imagery of a lifeless wasteland, the crushing weight of magnified emotions, and the menacing presence of demonic overseers remain etched in his memory.

Yet, his story is not one of despair but of redemption and hope.

Supported by scientific insights into the nature of near-death experiences, Kang’s account offers a glimpse into the mysteries of consciousness and the potential for spiritual transformation, even in the face of unimaginable darkness.