I almost died and went to a place full of grandmas, then saw the next 50 years

I almost died and went to a place full of grandmas, then saw the next 50 years Bill McDonald saw events that hadn't happened - including getting married and an assassination A man who almost died after contracting mumps says he was transported 50 years into the future where he saw his wife-to-be and assassination of US president. When Bill McDonald’s face began to swell, coupled with a high fever and headaches, he thought it was a case of the flu. But as his condition worsened, it was found to be the mumps. The viral infection usually takes two weeks to recover from; however, in Bill’s case, the illness left his body 'crumbling to pieces'. Bill says he came close to death - and a nd suddenly found himself transported 50 years into the future, where he met his wife-to-be and saw global events that hadn’t yet happened. “I saw my wife as a young girl, even though I hadn’t met her yet,” the reverend said. “Instantly, I knew I was going to marry her. A panorama – like a television programme or movie – unfolded in front of me in chronological order. “I realised I was looking at the future of my life on Earth. A lot of the stuff I saw, though, wasn’t all that good.” Bill, who was eight years old at the time, suffered from a lung infection, kidney problems and several other issues, including severe breathing difficulties, alongside the mumps diagnosis. He was rushed to hospital, where he remained for a year. During this time, his lungs were drained of excess fluid, and there were discussions almost daily about his limited chance of survival. Bill said: “I was lying there in great pain and all of a sudden, there was no pain at all. It was like I was gone. My body felt light, and I was floating. “The darkness got lighter and lighter until the entire room was lit up. I became aware of my body laying below me – until I looked closer and realised it wasn’t me. It was a child crumpled up, not breathing.” Bill then found himself lifted into the clouds where he was welcomed by the presence of hundreds of ‘grandmas’ who hugged him. All he could feel was peace and love. Suddenly, he was shown the visions – of his future. He saw his now wife, Carol, whom he didn’t meet until six years after the ordeal. Bill, from California, US, also saw the assassination of then future US president, John F. Kennedy, which didn’t happen until nine years later. Just before the event rolled around, he tried to warn his teachers and other people at school about the murder – but they didn’t believe him. He also envisioned himself joining the army and fighting in war; sitting behind a machine gun in a type of helicopter he didn’t recognise at the time. In 1966, he served in the US Army in the war in Vietnam as a crew chief and door gunner. He said: “I was seeing events that I eventually lived through. I saw myself getting married, having our two kids, and even becoming a scuba diving instructor. “My final vision, which always left me confused, was me travelling to Babaji’s Cave in India. I saw myself, at 58 years old, going there. And then, one day, I found myself in the exact spot I had envisioned.” Suddenly, Bill ‘zapped’ back into his body, where the intense pain immediately returned. While he eventually recovered, it was a long process. It took a series of treatments and medical appointments before he was deemed fully healthy again. As the years went on, and everything he saw came true, Bill still had one burning question. Why could he see only 50 years into the future – and not beyond? And then, during his aforementioned trip to India in 2004, it became clear. He said: “While making my way back from the cave, I suffered a heart attack and partial seizure. I stopped near the edge of a cliff, disoriented, before losing my balance and plummeting 30ft into a ravine. “I struggled to breathe – and then I stopped. Again, my body floated out of its physical form. I realised, then, that the reason the future visions stopped when I reached the cave was because that was me picturing my own death.” When he regained consciousness, his friend, whom he was travelling with, was beside him. Despite the fall, he didn’t suffer any major injuries – and the pair were able to leave the mountains virtually unscathed. He made it his mission to share his experiences with the world. Bill, now 80, eventually became a reverend and also devoted his time to helping fellow veterans of the Vietnam War struggling with trauma. He added: “Nobody wants to believe it. But my story is real and acts as inspiration for others to know that death is not the end. Love was the biggest thing I went away knowing – even more than my future. “As a child, I wasn’t sure if what I had seen was just simply a dream. But, as the years passed, and those scenes began unfolding in real life, I became increasingly convinced that I had travelled to the future. “For years, I thought the visions stopping meant that was where my life would end – but it wasn’t. I’ve had many more years of life since then. It’s taught me that I wasn’t meant to know everything that would happen. “All that matters now is the time I’ve been given. I don’t need to know what will come next. I just follow the path in front of me and make the best use of the time I have.”