In 2025, 19-year-old Clélia Verdier from Lyon, France, found herself living an alternate life within a medically induced coma. The coma was a necessary intervention following a severe medical emergency. For twenty-one days, Verdier was unconscious, but her mind was far from inactive. She found herself immersed in a vivid alternate reality that lasted, subjectively, for seven years. In this reality, she formed a relationship, gave birth to triplets, and experienced motherhood.
The detail of Verdier’s constructed reality was so precise that she experienced tangible emotions, including the devastating trauma of losing one of her ‘children’. This loss, although unreal, left her with genuine pain. On waking from the coma, Verdier’s first instinct was to ask the medical staff about her children, causing confusion and further distress when they informed her that she had never been pregnant.
The doctors explained that her experiences were the result of complex neurological activity during her sedation. These memories, although vivid, were not reflections of real events. Shocked and grieving, Verdier decided to share her story in order to shed light on the intense psychological impact of long-term medical comas.
Verdier continues to undergo therapy to help her process the grief and confusion of losing a family that only existed in her mind. Her experience underscores the psychological intricacies associated with prolonged unconsciousness and the need for mental health support in these circumstances.
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