A Shakespearean actor who died for seven minutes painted what he saw when he was unconscious.
Shiv Grewal, from Peckham, London, suffered a massive cardiac arrest after going out for lunch with his wife five years ago – and now depicts what he believes is the afterlife in his art.
The 60-year-old, who just finished an RSC production of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, had to be revived by paramedics.
He had been previously healthy and fit, but on the way home from the restaurant he began to feel unwell, before his eyes rolled back into his head.
He said:
“I knew, somehow, that I was dead.”
“I was aware my brain was dying and crying out for help. But, at the same time, I felt things completely separate from my body. It was like I was in a void but could feel emotions and sensations.
“Despite knowing I was dead, I also knew that there was a chance of coming home.
“I also understood that I’d be reincarnated, but I didn’t want that just yet. I wanted to return to life, to the material world and to my wife. I demanded that I was coming back and I got my wish.”
