There are moments when life hangs by a fragile thread. A single second too late, a misstep, or a hurried breath can lead a person straight into the arms of death. Yet, sometimes, an invisible force seems to intervene, altering fate in an instant. Is it mere coincidence, or is there something deeper at play?
Buddhism perceives these stories through the lens of karma and destiny, while science attempts to explain them using natural laws. But regardless of perspective, the following stories remain haunting and thought-provoking.
#1, The Invisible Hand Over the Abyss
This is a story I heard from a friend. In September 2022, Daniel Huron, an experienced mountaineer in Colorado, suddenly slipped and fell off a nearly 20-meter-high cliff. As everything darkened, he felt a strong force pushing him sideways, altering his fall so that he landed on a protruding ledge rather than plunging straight into the abyss. Strangely, there was no one around.
Miraculously surviving, Daniel shared:
“I can’t explain it. It felt like someone pushed me out of danger. If not, I wouldn’t be here today.”
Those with spiritual beliefs often attribute such incidents to divine intervention—a guardian force, remnants of good karma, or even a protective spirit. In Buddhism, it is believed that some people, even when facing death, survive because their ties to this world are not yet severed. They might have an unfulfilled mission or an unresolved karmic debt.
From a scientific standpoint, survival reflexes play a crucial role. When falling, the human body can trigger an involuntary muscle reaction, giving the sensation of being pulled back. Additionally, terrain conditions or air currents could have altered his trajectory.
Yet, despite all these explanations, Daniel himself remains convinced that an unseen hand saved him…
#2, A Cry for Help Beneath the River
This true story, widely reported in the media, shook the United States (According to CBN). In 2014, a tragic car accident occurred in Utah. A car plunged into a river, flipped upside down, and was completely submerged. Fourteen hours later, rescuers arrived at the scene and heard the cries of a woman calling for help from inside the vehicle.
They quickly overturned the car, only to find the lifeless body of the mother, Lynn Groesbeck—who had passed away hours ago. Her 18-month-old daughter, Lily Groesbeck, was still alive. The chilling question remained: Where did the voice come from?
From a Buddhist perspective, the mother’s deep attachment to her child might have prevented her from moving on. The Tibetan Book of the Dead (Bardo Thodol) describes an intermediate state between death and rebirth, where spirits still bound by strong emotions can influence the physical world in inexplicable ways.
Scientifically, the brain under extreme stress can misinterpret sounds—a phenomenon known as auditory hallucination. Rescuers may have mistaken environmental noises for a human voice. However, regardless of the explanation, every person at the scene agreed on one thing: they heard it, loud and clear.
One of the rescuers, Tyler Beddoes, later recalled:
“We all heard it. A distinct voice. There was no mistake.”
Did the mother return for a brief moment to save her daughter? Or was another force at play?
#3, A Fateful Phone Call and an Eerie Premonition
The 2011 earthquake in Japan, measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale, triggered a devastating tsunami that claimed tens of thousands of lives. Many survivors later recounted how an inexplicable feeling or premonition led them to safety. One such story was passed down:
Kazuhiro Sato, an office worker in Sendai, was on his way home when he received an urgent call from his wife:
“Stop right now! I have a terrible feeling. Go to the café nearby and wait.”
Trusting his wife, he turned into a café. Minutes later, the tsunami struck, sweeping away the very street he had just been walking on. Had he ignored the call, he would have perished along with hundreds of others.
This eerie intuition can be interpreted in multiple ways. In Buddhism, people deeply connected by fate may experience a form of telepathic bond—a connection beyond logic and science. Countless stories throughout history describe loved ones sensing each other’s deaths or dangers from vast distances.
Scientifically, the human brain is incredibly adept at detecting subtle danger cues before the conscious mind registers them. If Sato’s wife had subconsciously noticed unusual environmental signs or had heard indirect warnings about the earthquake, her subconscious could have pieced these clues together, triggering her sense of foreboding.
But what makes this case so astonishing is the pinpoint accuracy of her intuition—a mystery not easily unraveled.
Science and Spirituality: Two Sides of the Same Reality
These phenomena can be examined from both perspectives: one grounded in natural laws, the other exploring the unknown realms of consciousness and destiny.
Buddhism teaches that human lives are governed not only by physical causes but also by karma, spiritual energy, and unseen connections. If someone’s time has not yet come, they may be shielded by mysterious forces to continue their journey.
Science, while still unable to fully explain such events, offers plausible theories: survival instincts, unconscious intuition, auditory illusions… Yet, even scientists admit that human consciousness and perception hold many secrets still waiting to be uncovered.
So, do unseen forces truly protect people? Or are these events merely coincidences in an indifferent universe?
Perhaps the answer does not matter. What matters is that these stories continue to happen, sending chills down our spines and making us ponder the mysteries of existence. And deep down, perhaps everyone hopes that when they stand at the edge of death, a hand—seen or unseen—will pull them back…
