In August 1991, Pam Reynolds Lowery, a 35-year-old singer-songwriter from Atlanta, underwent a high-risk brain surgery at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, led by neurosurgeon Dr. Robert Spetzler. She had a giant basilar artery aneurysm that could rupture fatally at any moment. To repair it, doctors performed what's called a standstill surgery. Her body was cooled to about 10°C / 50°F, her heart and breathing were stopped, blood was drained from her head, and EEG monitors showed flatlined brain waves, that is, there was no detectable cerebral activity.

During this clinically dead state, Reynolds reported floating above her body, observing the operation with vivid clarity. She described the Midas Rex bone saw as resembling an electric toothbrush, with a groove at the top and interchangeable blades in a socket-wrench-like case. She overheard a female voice noting her small groin vessels during bypass setup and later heard "Hotel California" by the Eagles playing as her heart was restarted, ironically with the line "You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave."

These details were verified by the surgical team and records. The saw matched her description, the vessel conversation occurred, and the music aligned with closure. Her eyes were taped shut, ears plugged with loud-clicking monitors, and she had no prior knowledge of the tools or specifics.

Reynolds recovered fully and lived until May 22, 2010, when she died of heart failure at age 53. Her experience have been documented in Light and Death, by dr Michael Sabom.

Her case is one of many that show that brain activity is not enough to explain our conscious experience.