Sharon Stone revealed she had died temporarily in 2001 while suffering with a subarachnoid brain hemorrhage. She recalls going through a near-death experience in which she was surrounded by a vortex of light.

The actress went on to say she walked toward the light and saw several of her late friends before eventually waking up.

She told America’s Closer magazine: “I feel that I did die. This kind of giant vortex of light was upon me and – poof! I sort of took off into this glorious, white light. I started to see and be met by some of my friends … people who were very, very dear to me [who had died].

I had a real journey with this that took me to places both here and beyond. But it was very fast – whoosh! Suddenly, I was back. I was back in my body.”

The 58-year-old struggled for the next two years as she slowly recovered from the uncommon type of stroke. She had to gradually learn to talk and walk, and while the overall experience was certainly traumatic, the actress says she is no longer afraid of death.

“I get not to be afraid of dying and I get to tell other people that it’s a fabulous thing and death is a gift. When death becomes you, as it will, it’s a glorious beautiful thing. I had an incredible sense of well-being and a sense that it’s just so near. Death – it’s very near and very safe.”

Stone was living in California with then-husband Phil Bronstein when she began to feel ill. However, she waited three days to seek medical attention.

She said: “It almost feels like my entire DNA changed. My brain isn’t sitting where it used to, my body type changed, and even my food allergies are different.”