Dannion Brinkley was struck by lightning, now he claims psychic powers.

Dannion Brinkley with a small mustache and glasses

Dannion Brinkley

Dannion being struck my lightning in his room

Dannion was struck by lightning

CASE DETAILS

Dannion's covered body with a decesed tag around his foot

He was originally pronounced dead

On September 17, 1975, in Aiken, South Carolina, Dannion Brinkley, 25, was on the phone with his best friend Tom Hall when a storm passed overhead. A lightening bolt struck Dannion, sending at least 180,000 volts of electricity through his body; a jolt so powerful it left his shoes welded to the floor.

Dannion says he suddenly found himself floating above his body while watching first his wife, and then Tom try to resuscitate him. For all intents and purposes, Dannion was clinically dead, but he recalls having a vivid near-death experience.

Dannion Brinkley–

“I start down this tunnel. I see what appears to be a form coming out of this beautiful misty blue. Then all of a sudden, I not only felt everything I’d ever done and saw everything I’d ever done, I became every person that I’d ever encountered.”

Dannion admits that when he was young, he was self-centered and mean-tempered, nothing short of a bully. The pattern continued during a tour of duty in southeast Asia. While in his near-death experience, Dannion was forced to confront those he had victimized through the years.

Dannion Brinkley–

Shoes on carpeted floor with smoke coming out of them

He was knocked out of his shoes by lightning

“I felt the pain and the anguish and the anger and the frustration that I had caused these people. And you know, people don’t realize that you judge yourself when this happens. You just judge yourself, and that’s what I did.”

Dannion was rushed to the hospital. In the emergency room, his breathing faltered, then stopped. Minutes later, Tom Hall was told Dannion was dead. But when Tom went to see his friend’s body, Dannion began to move.

Dannion Brinkley-

“I, all of a sudden, went from a spiritual place and world, back into this place where I’m in a hospital, I’m under this sheet, and I’m looking up at it. I can’t move. I can’t talk. I’m on fire again.”

Miraculously, Dannion Brinkley returned to life nearly 28 minutes after he had been declared dead. After a week in the hospital, Dannion was released. He was hardly able to walk or talk. His eyes were so light sensitive he had to protect them by wearing welder’s glasses at all times. And he began to experience vivid images of the future.

Dannion Brinkley–

“I was partially paralyzed for seven months. But the visions and things that had happened in this now what we call the near death experience have stayed with me longer and more coherently than virtually anything that ever happened.”

Three glowing bodies floating in the air

Near death experience led to “vision”

Dannion claims that altogether he witnessed 117 future occurrences, including the election of Ronald Reagan, the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the Gulf War in 1991. Dannion later told his friends about the visions and they verified that he did indeed predict events before they happened.

Dannion believes that his near death experience marked the birth of his psychic abilities. He admits that in the months just after the accident, he was simply a dazed and bewildered young man who had undergone a dramatic transformation.

Dannion Brinkley–

“I was really confused. I’d never heard of the near death experience. I literally was driving people nuts ’cause I wanted somebody to tell me either it didn’t happen, which I knew it did, and–or please explain it.”

Dr. Raymond Moody, one of the country’s most prominent authorities on near death experiences, says that Dannion’s account is very consistent with other reports of patients who get resuscitated following cardiac arrest.

New's article titled 'Shadow Clark arrested-'

Murder suspect matched Dannion’s description

In an attempt to verify Dannion’s psychic abilities, Unsolved Mysteries asked well-known parapsychologist Dr. William Roll to conduct a series of tests. Dannion gave readings for eight people he had never met before.

According to Dr. Roll, Dannion picked out several details about the lives of the individuals that he could not have known. Dr. Roll described Dannion as one of the more remarkable psychics he has ever worked with.

Dannion was also asked to consult on a brutal murder case. On August 12, 1993, in Big Fork, Montana, John and Nancy Bosco had been shot to death, execution style, as they slept. The police investigation turned up absolutely no leads. Two months later, John’s mother Toni met with Dannion.

Dannion described the killer as a slight-built young man with black hair who knew John and the layout of the house. Dannion said that the man was in a college somewhere in the West, but predicted that he would be arrested in the very early part of December.

Incredibly, Dannion was correct on all counts.; 18-year-old Joseph “Shadow” Clark was arrested in December, and later convicted. Just as Dannion predicted, Clark had lived in the murder house, had known the Boscos, and was attending college in the West. Dannion had apparently solved the case through the power of his mind.

Dannion Brinkley–

“This is new to me, and sometimes it’s troublesome because I pick up things that I don’t want to know about. And if someone’s intense around me, I’m perceiving it. And I try to, I’m still trying to figure out ways to turn it off okay, and, at the same time, ways to perfect it.”

Joseph “Shadow” Clark was convicted of the murders of John and Nancy Bosco. He is now in Montana State Prison where he is serving a sentence of 150 years.

Dannion Brinkley now spends much of his time volunteering at hospices and nursing homes. He believes his near death experience left him uniquely qualified to counsel others.


Watch this case now on Amazon Prime in season seven with Robert Stack and in season one with Dennis Farina. Also available on YouTube with Dennis Farina. Various seasons available now on Hulu.

 

29 Comments

  1. Terri

    I have seen the movie about Dannion. and read his book. Enjoyed both. God will always use the ones that don’t feel worthy. Think about how unworthy Moses felt. He makes us worthy. we just have to listen and trust. God is the Judge. So those that sit in judgement here, I prefer not to wear your shoes at all. It’s all yours.

    Reply

  2. Keith051160@gmail.com

    I love you buddy and this is half of jump and Jack from the JJ days at the Charleston City Marina. Your Sonic hull tenders were wonderful!! You probably don’t remember me because it was 1986 but me and Kerry as in Kerry and Keith AKA jump and Jack remember you fondly! I hope you are well my brother from another mother!

    Reply

  3. Jackie Thacker

    I had a near death experience in June 2023. So many things I don’t understand.I am 67 and feel like I am going crazy. Could anyone help me. jtlakes1956@icloud.com. Thank you

    Reply

  4. Annette

    I have some questions, will I need surgery for my back. Will my son’s be OK. Is my eldest half brother still alive. How can I find my biological fathers family, I was adopted.
    If you could please answer these questions I would be very grateful.

    Reply

  5. Colleen Marshall

    I am trying to find out how to contact Dannion Brinkley for an interview. Please forward my information to Dannion. Thank you.
    Colleen Marshall
    Planetary Activation Organization (www.paoweb.com)
    galacticheart1@comcast.net
    916-984-4549 (Pacific time – landline)
    Thank you for doing this for me. I appreciate your efforts.
    Colleen

    Reply

  6. Alice Jackson

    I believe all that I’ve read , I know these people exist as I’ve met many.

    Reply

  7. Susan Beard

    Psychic information is correct believe Satan is in control. God tells us to not use sorceries.

    Reply

    • Stewart Ransom

      He also says that these and many other gifts will you receive. Such as divination and healing. Who are you to say that only the devil can heal and God cannot give the power to help people to who ever he wants. Did not Christ have the power to heal and manifest bread and fishes and wine. He also prophesized his crusifixation. So was Jesus given those talents by the devil

      Reply

      • Leonora

        Perfect answer. I’ve met Dannion and I would never believe he could use his gift for evil. His friends tried to get him to predict outcomes of races and sporting events, so he could make them rich. He refused.

        Reply

    • Christine

      Watching this, I kept thinking that a familiar spirit is attached to him. Acts 16:16-18

      Reply

    • Mike West

      You believe satan is helping solve murder cases here on Earth??

      Reply

  8. Dkg

    I know I am just trivial in all the issues he sees but I would like to have three questions answered. If my foster son was murdered. Who my bio father is. Will my health allow me to keep helping the people I do or do I need to find a replacement for me. 253-271-8841 dkg

    Reply

  9. Tass

    hi will you be able to give me next weeks lotto numbers as has been jackbooted to 45million$….

    Reply

  10. PE

    I used to live in Augusta, Georgia. I used to get to work in the hospital around 3 am. As I’m on the road to work the road was being worked on. I took another route. I’m listening to coast to coast am. Mr. Brinkley is telling his story. He was explaining that the road that they were traveling to bring him to the hospital where a train was coming through. These trains take anywhere from 10-20 minutes to pass. When this was being mentioned sure enough this was the same track I was going over as he was mentioning it.

    Reply

  11. Connie Richardson

    I also had a near death experience, I saw thousands of people in a white mist laughing some children jumping for joy and coming to meet me. After I woke up I too experienced unexplained phenomenon. It drove me to seek help by doctors, phsychatrist and priest.

    Reply

  12. Lisa

    Great show….real life events that I hope get solved.

    Reply

  13. Suyapa J. Borjas

    Unsolved mysteries is one of my favorite tv shows. I would like to contact Mr Dannion Brinkley if possible.Please let me know .

    Suyapa B

    Reply

  14. Debra D

    I would like to message Mr Brinkley concerning an experience I had. Most say it was out-of-body but it was nothing like that. Please pass my message to him. Thank you

    Reply

  15. Toccara Jordan

    Hello

    I would like to meet Mr. Dannion. My little brother was murdered in cold blood in broad daylight on April 3, 2016. The police and my family still have no leads. My dad is a retired cop and this is driving him crazy. We loss my mom in 2014. If you could help us, my email is jamese.jordan@yahoo.com. Thank you

    Reply

  16. Anonomys

    Absolutely ridiculous this poor boy that he accused of allegedly murdering those people was held for a week and gave a coerced confession with no lawyer. No evidence in the case points to him except this “psychic” the boy was guessing the entire time what the police wanted him to say and when asked why he did it said he doesn’t know why someone would ever do a thing like that and that he didn’t even know the man that was murdered but to have met him one time in his life. He was a good student with a good upbringing who had never even been in a fight. This was some backwoods, unjust trial poor boy smh.

    Reply

  17. Anonymous

    I saw Mr. Dannion,s story on unsloved mysteries and I was wondering if he could help me find my birth mother I have never meet.I have been trying to find her for almost 50 years now.I hope he can help please write me back at gourleyamy@yahoo.com.thank you Amy

    Reply

  18. George Tamney

    Obviously each episode had an array of mysteries which included long animal journeys, lost love reunions (heart warming) and of course the most popular, unsolved homicides and arsons. These were usually at the beginning and end. I always enjoyed the psychic episodes because it let us know that God may in fact have a higher purpose for us and that is to tell other family members that we love them and may warn or advise them, from the grave. Cheers.

    Reply

  19. Michael garcia

    My name is Michael and I would like to meet mr. Dannion…..my uncle has been missing for over 17 years and no one knows anything about his whereabouts or if he is deceased my family would love some closer so we can put it to rest or reunite our family together thank u very much

    Reply

  20. Mulder

  21. Mark Johnson

    I met Dannion at the A.R.E. in Virginia Beach, VA. He is a very gifted and special man that God allowed to return in order to seek out this life’s purpose. May Gid allow Dannion’s special gifts to benefit those in need.
    Mark Johnson
    P.O. Box 600252
    Jacksonville, FL 32260

    Reply

  22. SapphireIce

    I watched a Documentary called Motives & Murders about that case (The Bosco’s), and in searching for more information about it, it lead me to this site. I didn’t realize until the end of this post that Dannion was on the show as well. This is so amazing. I hope he’s able to help many others with similar tragedies that need help. Beyond that, I absolutely love this site, and am planning to do much more browsing. I wish there was somewhere to subscribe to be notified of new posts/stories by email. Great writing!

    Reply

    • unsolved

      We link to a lot of our new content on Facebook and Twitter – if you follow us there we’ll be sure to keep you in the loop.

      Reply

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