A Journey Beyond: Jeff Cleckley’s Near-Death Experience and the Power of Spiritual Awakening
Mar 07, 2025In a recent episode of the Journey Mindfulness Podcast, host James O’Neill welcomed Jeff Cleckley, a man and Retired Army Veteran whose extraordinary near-death experience (NDE) transformed his life and set him on a mission to share profound spiritual insights with the world. Jeff’s story is one of resilience, revelation, and reconnection with the divine—a journey that began with physical pain and ended in a transcendent encounter with love, light, and purpose.
From Pain to Transformation
Jeff’s story starts in a place familiar to many: chronic pain. A disabled veteran and former paratrooper, Jeff had endured multiple parachuting accidents that left him with debilitating back issues. By December 2012, his condition worsened dramatically, rendering him unable to walk. Prescribed powerful painkillers by the VA, Jeff’s life took a chaotic turn over the next few months. He battled pneumonia, contracted MRSA, and underwent surgery—all while grappling with intense physical suffering.
On April 6, 2013, everything changed. Overwhelmed by pain and inadvertently overdosing on hydrocodone, Jeff found himself slipping into unconsciousness on his bathroom floor. What followed was an experience that defied earthly explanation. “I began to vomit profusely. I began to sweat profusely,” he recalls. “I feel like I’m dying. You tend to sense and feel when you’re dying.”
A Tunnel of Light and a Life Review
As Jeff lost consciousness, he describes being pulled into a tunnel of light—an experience devoid of wind or resistance, unlike anything he’d felt as a paratrooper. Emerging into a realm of overwhelming love and peace, he encountered three beings, one of whom—a feminine presence—guided him through a life review. “Your whole life is flashed before you,” Jeff explains. “You feel everything that you’ve inflicted on this world, good or bad.”
This review wasn’t about judgment in the traditional sense. Instead, it was a gentle, corrective process. “The next time you do it, do it this way,” the being advised when Jeff had erred. When he’d done good, he felt the ripple effects of his actions—how they uplifted others. The experience left him with a profound understanding of interconnectedness and accountability.
A Mandate from Beyond
Initially, Jeff sensed he was destined to reincarnate as a baby and “do it again.” But something shifted when he challenged the beings: “You sent me down there and you never showed me how to do it… If you teach me how to do it, send me back and I’ll do it right.” With that plea, the scene transformed. Surrounded by countless beings of light, Jeff received a massive “download” of knowledge and a clear directive: return to Earth and teach humanity about their innate power and the choices they face.
“They told me that humanity is being guided or corralled into a way of thinking,” Jeff shares. “Their free will is being taken away by corralling their choices… We have many more choices in life than what our leaders and authorities give us.” His mission was to awaken people to this truth and guide them toward love, fearlessness, and empowerment.
The beings imparted three guiding principles for an easier life:
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Love everything, for I am everything.
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Fear nothing, because fear and doubt are the destroyer of mankind.
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Know that I am God.
Back to Earth with a New Perspective
Jeff awoke on his bathroom floor, drenched in sweat and vomit, but forever changed. The overwhelming love he’d felt lingered, sparking a quest to reconnect with that state. Through meditation, he began hearing an audible voice—later identified as Metatron, an archangel from Jewish tradition—who guided him in helping others and manifesting his desires.
From convincing his nephew to awaken from a coma to finding $200 on the ground when he needed it most, Jeff’s life became a series of synchronicities and validations. “Our thoughts create our existence,” he asserts, emphasizing the power of visualization and intention. His experiences with nature—communing with trees and bees—further reinforced his belief in the interconnectedness of all things.
Sharing the Message: I Walk Amongst Gods
Jeff’s journey culminated in the publication of his book, I Walk Amongst Gods, which debuted at number one in its genre in February 2024. Co-authored with a publisher who felt divinely called to assist him, the book blends biography with spiritual teachings. It details his military career, his NDE, and the lessons he’s learned about healing, meditation, and manifesting a life aligned with love and purpose.
“We all have these gifts,” Jeff insists. “When we all wake up to them, that’s when we’ll see a better world.” He warns of challenges ahead—food shortages and societal shifts—but encourages preparation without fear, trusting that the universe will guide those who listen.
A Call to Awaken
Jeff’s story is more than a personal triumph; it’s a clarion call to embrace our spiritual potential. “Love everything, fear nothing, and know that there is something—call it God, the universe—that created us all and gives you the power to manifest whatever you want,” he urges. His message resonates in a world increasingly open to ideas of manifestation and mindfulness—a “great awakening” he sees unfolding globally.
To dive deeper into Jeff’s transformative journey, check out his book I Walk Amongst Gods, available in print and audio formats. As he prepares to speak on stages worldwide, Jeff Cleckley stands as a testament to the power of resilience, faith, and the courage to share a truth that transcends the ordinary. It is a call to awaken and a call to love.
