# The temporal bell that woke her from coma

- Teacher: Ajahn Brahm
- Type: Story
- URL: https://beingmindfulstories.com/stories/brahm-coma-auntie-temporal-bell
- Themes: coma, consciousness, sound, recovery
- Life situations: illness, near-death

## Synopsis (editorial summary)

Angie Marksfield's auntie describes deep coma as blackness; what brought her out was sound — like the tickling of a temple/temporal bell.

## The story, as told by Ajahn Brahm (verbatim captions)

Angie Marksfield was there and her auntie would tell the story when she was in a coma. She went in a coma. She never told me exactly why she was in that coma but really really deep in a coma and obviously she came out of it. But her story of how she came out the first time was fascinating, like a firsthand description of what it's like and what happens. And she said she was in such a dark dark place, a blackness. And what brought her out was like sound. She thought it was a tickling of a of a uh a temporal bell

## Teaching point

Sometimes it is sound, not force, that wakes the mind.

## Reflection (in the spirit of Ajahn Brahm's talk)

A friend's aunt described her coma as deep blackness. What drew her out was a sound like a temple bell. Ajahn Brahm notes sound pierces even deep meditation. Then she could hear everything but couldn't move or speak. Speak kindly near the very ill. They may hear more than we think.

## Source

- [Manifestation of Consciousness and Future Predictions | Ajahn Brahm | 29 December 2017](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QqevcL9VDI) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 16:28 to 17:12: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QqevcL9VDI&t=988s

Other tellings of this story:

- [MN111 Anupada Sutta - Step by Step | Ajahn Brahm | 13 January 2019](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MizVrlCNjkU) (Buddhist Society of Western Australia) — watch from 1:23:00 to 1:23:31: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MizVrlCNjkU&t=4980s