Woman, 22, who ‘died’ after falling off 60ft cliff reveals exactly what she saw
A woman who 'died' after falling 60ft off a cliff has revealed exactly what happened.
Erica Tait, a psychotherapist from New Jersey, was on a hike on The Palisades, along the Hudson River, when she fell.
Erica, who was 22 at the time, came across a dried up waterfall during her hike, which she decided to try and climb down.
However, the decision turned into tragedy when she became stuck. While trying to find a route down, she ended up slipping on a rock and fell 60 ft onto large rocks.
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She broke her ribs, pelvis, spinal cord, arms and punctured her lungs before becoming unconscious.
During her time waiting for the emergency services - who Erica was able to call while slipping in between consciousness - she has since revealed she had a near death experience.
Speaking to the YouTube channel, The Other Side NDE, Erica explained: "The first thing I remember is separating from my physical body, and so I remember looking at my body and recognizing that I am not that; I am not. There's something separate from my physical being.
"And in that, I learned that I don't die, that there actually is no death. There's something that actually survives death, and some people can call that a soul or a spirit or consciousness.
"But that was really profound because at the time, all I ever believed in was what I could sense with my five senses, but this was proof that there's actually something more than just the physical."
Erica explained she also experienced a 'life review' in which she saw her entire life flash before her eyes.
She said that at the time, she was suffering with addiction and trauma and was a 'sick and wounded human' when she had the accident.
She realised in that moment that she was 'causing more harm' to the people around her which was 'very eye opening'.
"It's created a huge heart expansion and deep compassion for the suffering in the world and also a deep understanding for what our true purpose is here," she said.
Revealing that she was a 'huge atheist' before the accident, Erica explained she also had a 'white light experience'.
"It taught me about how it is everything, it was the most incredible, unspeakable amount of love and peace I have ever experienced," she said.
"... The wisdom that came from being in that energy was tremendous as well... every single cell, every atom in matter is created by this one energy and we're actually all just one thing, we are all fully connected and because we are all one there is no separation, no death."
Erica was at the bottom of the cliff for seven hours before she was rescued by an off-duty firefighter who had an instinct that he knew where she was.
"I made a decision and was told at the same time to come back into my body and I did that quite peacefully, there was no real resistance," she added.
Erica spent around a month in the hospital, before being in a wheelchair for six months. She has since described the experience as a 'gift'.
Lucy Devine