I hope that justice captches up with the shooter more than anything. I want all who do to bring it about through their good Karma. Perhaps we all can make it happen somehow through good vibrations for Richard Eng.
11
Good luck to this guy but I have a spoiler alert.
You want to get similar top of the line, best in NYC donuts as mentioned by your Grub list of best donut shops at 20% of this guys price?
Go to Peter Pan donuts in Greenpoint Brooklyn that has been around since the 1950s. It has been voted the best donut shop by many rating services for yrs.
Oh by the way, their average donut price is $1.25 not $5 like this guy.
It is so good the hipsters who love way overpriced goods have been converted to this place in Greenpoint, a rarity.
That is how good they are.
PS: Read the NY Times story on it a few yrs ago. They caught me in the act on line, salivating for my donut fix.
I didn't know whether to praise the photographer or condemn him.
The lines are long enough.
4
@Paul
NYC is big enough for more than one great doughnut especially in a different borough than Brooklyn.
29
I don't suppose you do a twist on the cheese danish?
4
Thank you sir for your contribution to the world
10
Kudos to Mr. Eng. This is a wonderful story. I wish him well in life and work.
21
Just reading the ingredients of these doughnuts made my mouth water. What interesting and unusual combinations! Wish I was closer and could wait in line for the experience. Good luck to you Mr. Eng.
19
Very glad he survived. He will have emotional and physical scars for the rest of his life. Survivors of gun violence are often ignored in national statistics. It is a great population than fatalities. The healthcare costs to the survivor and to their families are huge. We don't have to live like this. Vote.
29
Living in the Southwest, I am jealous of NY culture. Those donuts sound delightful. We have a great culture here too, but a touch of NYC would be awesome.
12
I don't generally eat pastries but I think I would buy one of Mr. Eng's doughnuts just to take it home and look at it! They're gorgeous! (Although I don't think I would be standing in a long line for something that's kind of frivolous. I agree with that commentator.)
2
Donuts that don't look like any other donuts aside and may indeed taste as extraordinary as they look I would simply like to qualify who lines up and is willing to devalue the time they could be doing something else more productive.Something more pleasurable.
Waiting on long lines to eat , or buy something available to everyone later , or a movie you don't have to wait on line to see in a few days .Not most people I think. Living in NYC all of my life they look like the same people every time .
3
@VB okay
1
@VB
Not for nothing that a saying exists - "To each his own". What, to you, seems like a a frivolity or a waste of time may be to other persons a time well spent to experience something they consider pleasurable or worth while. Why be condescending just because you don't agree with the things other people do on their own time? Life is too short to go around judging others on unimportant things.
16
A "near death experience" is not the same as being almost killed. NDE's are universal experiences in which a person physically "dies" while their consciousness continues to experience non-physical realities. They may watch medical staff work on their body, hear others taking down the hall, travel through a tunnel toward a near blinding light, be greeted by dead relatives, or even have conversations with all-knowing religious icons like Jesus, Buddha, or Mother Mary.
Still, I"d love to try one of Mr. Eng's donuts. Glad he survived.
7
Not really a donut fan, but when I saw the picture and ingredient description of the azuki ichigo donut, I said,
'mmm...donut...must have donut on next trip to NYC..."
And by the way, $4-6 is in the price range of 'artisanal' sugar bomb shops here in Cambridge/Boston.
22
Loved this beautifully crafted slice-of-life study of a genius of Bayside. Captures the wonderful turbulence an artist can generate in the flow of life in a City neighborhood, no matter the art form ... as well as the altogether different turbulence generated by violence. (In that regard, I agree with some others' comments regretting the thumb on the violent side of the scale forced upon this piece by the headline writer.) It is a wondrous thing whenever a journalist allows us to behold, close up, the inspired monomania of someone like Mr. Eng. And those pics! They each may be worth a thousands words, but the words, in this case, afforded their own pleasures of observation, not only of these extraordinary doughnuts, but of the neighbors and the neighborhood touched by Mr. Eng, his food, and his trajectory.
Hats off to the formidable Mr. Eng, and to Ms. Pines for bringing him to us!
16
This whole story goes on and on about his great doughnuts yet we learn hardly anything about the man, how he survived being shot in the face, about his recovery, his family/friends/loved ones. It's as if the doughnuts were more important than HIM. Flawed reporting, treating him as if he were just a baker. He is a multidimensional human being.
21
@CRod . I don't know, of course, but I'd bet that Mr. Eng would prefer we focus on his artistry, rather than on the destructive forces that briefly derailed him.
39
@CRod I agree completely.
@CRod I think the story speaks for itself. A good story allows readers to draw many inferences. But I do really think this story was supposed to be about the doughnuts. The pictures showed doughnuts, people waiting for doughnuts.
10
6$ for a donut? And an hour in line for the privilege? That’s just nuts.
8
@Sean . Hey, don't go. (Like you, I won't be on that line, but I'll be sorry not to be at the head of it....) Plus, bet you dollars to, um, donuts, the guy's not stashing it in any 401(k)....
9
@Sean - "That’s just nuts."
No, that's dough-nuts.
20
@Sean. I would really like to reply to this post but I cant think of anything funny or witty to say.
2
Was there any license issue with using "Black Label"?
1
Black Label Donuts Food Truck(s) ...
5
Talk about grit. You can’t keep a good man down.
25
I’m glad Mr Eng has recovered and is back in business. How is it that his assailants remain at large? Traffic and security cameras are everywhere and nearly everyone has a cell phone camera at hand. Some people even film their crimes and post them online. My point is it is almost impossible to drop out of sight completely these days. It is not 1950. Offer a reward, step up the police work NYPD.
36
NY Times keeping writing about the underdog small businesses, please. Our local govt is not doing enough to help promote Made in Queens delicacy's, as can be seen by the failure daily of NYC Small Businesses Services, and NY State Small Businesses Services division.
22
Mr. Eng, I would like to place an order for a baker's dozen.
I too prefer a doughnut that is not too sweet. Yum,yum.
10
He may have been targeted. I'm glad to read that he's recovered and gone right back to his passion.
11
Kudos to Mr. Eng for his success and recovery. As he contemplates his next move, the answer seems simple to the outside observer. He could be anywhere because when the product is that marvelous the customers will always be lining up.
10
I don't usually go for doughnuts but these sound absolutely amazing. I don't like doughnuts because they are usually overly sweet and glazed, which is not to my taste preference. Best of luck to Black Label. Please come to The Bay Area for a visit!
13
What I would give to have these doughnuts in my Provençal village.
The French refuse to try new recipes or foreign dishes and all new restaurants are the same French cuisine of mediocre quality.
The best French chefs have left France for other countries, particularly America, my native country. The chefs report that they love cooking in America because the Americans will pay more for good food making it possible for chefs to use better ingredients.
The French inside France refuse to try Thai, Cambodian, Indian, etc. . It must be French.
24
@Michael Kittle
I guess you've never been to Paris or the South of France. I've had incredible Indian, Thai, Moroccan, Chinese, Cambodian, Vietnamese, etc., in both places with my French friends.
Sounds like another culinary wonder from the most diverse of all boroughs. I hope he finds a place not too far from subway access!! Looks well worth the trek. Bon appétit!
34
"Well, then; let's thunk it over together with some Black Label Wine and a quiet bench outside, Darlin...."
2
What a story - the donuts look amazing.
So sorry Mr Eng was shot but am glad he has recovered and is doing what he loves again. Quite profitably it seems!
25
Next level doughnuts. Krispy dreams it could be this good.
5
What a cool guy. If all Americans were like him, we'd take over the world again :)
29
@JB Why do you need to take over the world at all? How about just traveling it and reducing the xenophobia instead?
21
I feel like this story was done a disservice with the sensational headline about getting shot - after seeing those donuts, that should have been the lead!
11
I'm intrigued and would definitely treat myself to one of his masterpieces.
Get well! Stay amazing. Holes not desired.
16
This is a wonderful article! I felt great after reading it. The photos accompanying the article are truly some of the best food photography if I've ever seen. That mochi donut look so scrumptious I got it immediately hungry for it.
So glad this creative hard-working young man is doing well! If I were anywhere near Queens, I'd be ON line too!
40
@Elle
Thank you for the ON line correction. Any writer who uses “waiting in line” wrt
anyplace in NYC, is either from the hinterlands or subject to the whims of editorial PC. And yes, I grew up ON Long Island IN the beautiful Village of Garden City.
3
Congratulations, Mr. Eng, on your resilience, determination and skill, and your loyalty to your home borough and neighborhood--a very New York story in every way.
43
Mr. Eng, you’re the definition of grit and determination! Best of luck, and hope to taste one of your delectable treats!
30
In Texas there are lines for Barbeque that surpass the lines for donuts in New York.
I'm sorry to read about violence to someone that brings joy to people. It's a tough world we live in when criminals take the easy way out on hard working talented creative artists.
17
I grew up 1/2 block from this restaurant/donut shop but it was long ago before there was anything hip about Bayside! I graduated Bayside High in 1961. My parents had a store quite close to here 41st & Bell Blvd. I have only been back to Bayside once in the last 35 years and it had changed so dramatically but in such an interesting way. I love that it's such a diverse community with a strong Asian presence. I am glad Mr. Eng recovered from such a brutal crime. Bayside still has a small town vibe and though there has always been the occasional crime (my folks were robbed but not hurt) it's not common.
15
My wife & I used to live in a Tudor style apartment in Flushing (technically; the Post Office would have you think this), but was actually closer to Bayside, Queens. I rode the LIRR, drove, or rode my bicycle sometimes (13 miles) to my office in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. In fact, on 9/11, besides watching everything from the roof of my office, I had my bicycle that day. I was very fortunate. As I rode it to and over the Williamsburg Bridge, I must have passed 50,000 people walking, including 1 very elderly couple. I would guess they were in their 80's. They had obviously come from a full black tie affair. The lady was sitting down, on the walk up; obviously in pain and out of breath. My Bianchi road bike held 2 plastic water bottles; ice cold. I gave her 1 bottle; her husband wept. The only noise was a pair of fighter jets flying right above us. It was simultaneously surreal and visceral. Sorry for the digression. 2 years later, we bought a co-op in Bay Terrace; very close to this Bayside shop (I can tell exactly where it is located). I am sad to hear this gentleman was shot; thank goodness he survived. I hope Mr. Eng finds a larger space he can afford. I co-founded & bootstrapped a small, niche business there and most clients had incredible townhouses, penthouses, etc. (& commercial buildings). 95% of them are in Manhattan; fortunately, for over 25 years. All the best to Mr. Eng.
39
@Easy Goer. What a beautiful writer.
11
@Zappo
Really...? I got lost on that ramble
And yes it was a digression, all the way to their bootstrapped business' Manhatten penthoused clients(?)
8
@HoboYoda. I got lost in yours. Convoluted, meandering, digressing, disentangling,..
Who shot him? Has he been apprehended?
8
@Marc A
The perpetrator might have been a woman for all we know. Or a trans person in this day and age.
3
@Marc A "His attackers are still at large, but Mr. Eng’s brush with death certainly hasn’t hurt his popularity." (Second to last paragraph)
4
I've lived in the area for my entire life - which is a very long time - and nobody has ever shot me in the face. People being shot is an extremely unusual occurrence in Bayside.
It is very strange, that this story seems to be about everything except the attack on Mr. Eng; particularly so, because the criminal is still running free.
Why doesn't Mr. Eng qualify to have anyone care, in a direct way, about his being attacked? Is there an active investigation? Were there any leads? Any theories?
There seems to be a tendency at the Times to make everything into a "life styles" article - but you can't have a "lifestyle" when you have no life.
28
Ted,
The Times has crime stories that may make passing reference to the victims' work, and stories about people and work that may make passing reference to their being crime victims. This is one of the latter.
While Mr. Eng is a Bayside native and the pop-up is in Bayside, I did not see that he currently lives in (and thus that the shooting took place in) Bayside.
4
@Ted
He was shot in Queens Village.
4
America's love affair with incredibly high calorie sweets has got to end. These desserts are ridiculous.
4
@James R Dupak
Everything in moderation, even moderation.
A donut once a year won't kill you. And if you're going to eat a donut, better make it count.
39
The donuts look and sound sublime.
How awful that he was attacked so viciously, and all for money/possessions?
Lastly, I don't know many true NYers who wait in line, for anything. Typically the only ones who wait in such lines are tourists, or vapid folks who live for the chance to post such a donut on their IG page.
There's far, far too much great food, etc. to choose from, in this great city of ours, and that includes other great donut places. Sure, they may not be at the level of Black Label but.... waiting more than 10 minutes...for a donut??
3
@Lisa Ever Really? Never wait for things in NY? Shakespeare in the Park tickets only take 10 minutes? I'm impressed-- you must have some pretty good connections.
18
@Lisa
Perhaps they are waiting in line to support this man who certainly deserves it. The donuts are not just donuts; they are real food. Your cynicism does not reflect the NYC I knew for 22 yrs. in CT.
22
@Lisa Born and raised New Yorkers are standing, sitting, sleeping in lines for hours and days, for the first day of a new $400 pair of sneakers, or a new $1000 iPhone.
13
Please create a way to deliver!
21
@Vt
What a TREMENDOUS idea! I hope Mr. Eng reads this.
8
Isn't it ironic how when the Times doesn't consider it "newsworthy" to publish the ethnicity of the attacker, you can reliably bet on what ethnicity they were?
6
@asdfj Of the orange variety?
7
I started reading and then had to scroll down to see a picture. After that I had no control and had to see more pictures.
I concluded that Mr. Eng should open a shop in Portland. We waiting on you with drool in our beards.
48
Peter Pan!!
I want to go to there.
9
Drooling from here in New Mexico! Dang.
10
Is this a story, or an ad?
3
I find your question uncalled for and rude. If you were attempting to be humorous, your aim was 180 degrees off.
8
@Joyce Ice It's called a human interest story, perhaps you should take part in being part of said race. You might enjoy it.
8
Not only was the poor guy the victim of a crime of violence, it looks like someone broke in and stole all the holes for his doughnuts. Glad to see he's back on his feet and doing well though. If I lived in the area, I'd go in and throw some money his way. May he live long and prosper.
20
They sound - and appear - delicious - and I hope some copycats show up within a 10 mile radius of my home.
Amazed at how much snark and anger that a piece about donuts in Queens and their heroic maker -could generate, however.
42
I met Mr. Eng on the LIRR about a year ago or at least before the shooting incident. He explained his Black Label baking process and ingredients in great detail and made an otherwise dull ride to work, pleasant and interesting - even for a food philistine.
It was horrifying to read of the attack on Mr. Eng. I am so glad to see that he is prospering both in his physical well-being and the progress of his Black Label Donuts.
The best to you Mr. Eng!
110
After reading about what happened to Mr. Eng and how he responded, one thing is clear. This is a special man.
My guess is that Mr. Eng is not satisfied with himself unless every single thing about his doughnuts is perfect.
66
Who shoots a guy getting out of his car on his way to make Art out of food? Was the shooter ever caught? As for the comment re: hipsters waiting in line for 6 dollar donuts: based on the photos these are artistically designed pastries; I didn't notice a single one with an actual hole in the middle. That aside, you want cheap? Go for anything mass produced. But if you want an culinary food experience that exposes you to a bit of elegance that quiets the rough and tumble of the daily grind, then pony up a few extra dollars, but don't make it a habit. As for me I will definitely make a pilgrimage to Mr. Eng's the next time I am in N.Y.
72
If I lived in NY I would stop buy and try, just to reward his efforts. This is why humanity is so messed up, we are violent and creative at the same time.
14
Wow, makes me want to go there, subway or not.
27
Hearing this story and seeing those creations makes me want take a road-trip from Bend, Oregon to NYC just to eat them.
24
@Pete
Perhaps he could make a deal with airports. I think he would do well in that venue.
10
If you look at the photograph of all the people on line waiting to buy their donuts - one thing stands out --
Ninety-nine percent of the people in that photo look and are dressed exactly the same --
I guess that tells you something about the people live in the world of "Craft Donuts"...
1
@Howard G:
It is winter.....they are all dressed for cold weather. NOT "dressed alike".
19
@Howard G Yes, because the burger fries crowd around the country is diversely dress, exploding with individualism.
6
@Howard G. This is the most controversial issue to hit the Times since the article on water tumblers.
1
Wonderful comeback, Mr. Eng. So grateful you survived and are still cooking and experimenting. Your convections look like amazing works of he(art) and culinary delight. A terrific offering. May you continue to heal and prosper!!
37
When I imagine what is exceptional about America and it's people, Mr. Eng and his story (and the community embracing him) fit the bill.
137
Wow. Congratulations to Mr. Eng, these sound amazing, with so much heart and skill. I am going to share this with my restaurant friends in Oakland and see what they can come up with!
31
@Allison Aw, copying? C'mon.
4
@Gale:
sincerest form of.....
4
The "header" of the article seemed to suggest a connection between the successful donut enterprise and the victimhood of the owner. On closer inspection, it's plain that the former is unconnected to the latter. If he were not successful selling donuts at $4.00 and more at a pop, this crime would not have generated the free publicity occasioned by this opinion piece. Hard to find fault, though: who's for violent crime and against great donuts, no matter how eye-popping the price.
6
@heyomania Consider this an elevated donut on par with a french pastry. I agree with Eng's assessment that donuts are normally too sweet i.e. Krispy Kreme. I do not think $4-$6 is too much for a finely crafted donut.
49
“There are few doughnuts I find perfect in restraint and balance,” he said. “Most of them are just too sweet.”
Although I'm sure these doughnuts are fabulous, the description of these two described in the article seem to be lacking anything remotely resembling "restraint" and balance."
THE SMOKED S’MORE DOUGHNUT, WITH CINNAMON STAR ANISE SMOKED MARSHMALLOWS, DARK CHOCOLATE, AND CRUSHED GRAHAM CRACKERS; AND THE ORANGE MISO PECAN STICKY BUN, WITH WHITE MISO, FRESH ORANGE ZEST, AND BROWN BUTTER SUGAR GLAZE.
9
I guess you'd have to taste one to know. The flavors sound to me as though they could be excellent combinations provided they don't involve too much sugar.
I think I'm going to try making donuts or cupcakes at home with some of those flavor combinations. (But only because I can't get to Queens easily from Boston.)
32
I think it means not being overwhelmed by any one ingredient when consumed
16
Thank you for another delectable story that makes me want to rush to the restaurant!
24
“Most [doughnuts] are just too sweet.” If Mr Eng’s doughnuts have cut the sweetness, I’d love to try them. Desserts in this country (maybe elsewhere, too) are almost universally too sweet, way oversugared. I want to taste, e.g., the fruit in a pie, not just the sugar. When I was in my late twenties I made a pumpkin pie with only half the sugar the recipe called for — it was only then I realized that I’d never really tasted pumpkin in a pie before, that all I’d been tasting had been sugar and spices. So now when I make pies in particular but lots of other recipes as well I cut the sugar in half (sometimes more than half), and I can taste flavors I’d otherwise miss. Try it. Don’t be a victim of the sugar industry’s efforts to get/keep us addicted.
106
@B Try making an apple pie without all the cinnamon. Bakery made pies put far too much cinnamon in them so you can't taste the apples. The English method is a bit of sugar and lemon and no or very very little cinnamon, which brings out the apple tartness and flavour. Much better!
28
@B-Wonderful advice. I did the same with pumpkin bread; best ever. This needs to become the new trend.
6
@B
My friend, a consummate baker, has been cutting back sugar in recipes by half. We had her chocolate chiffon cake more complex, slightly bitter, even winey. How liberating!
13
So sorry that you were attacked; I hope that you will be able to keep a positive attitude going forward . It takes such courage to make our dreams come true , but that is the thing I love about America . This country has more rags to riches stories than I can count ; you are more than able to move forward . Take one step at a time and see how things go. I know you can do it!
28
I'm sure they are delish but as a rule I don't wait in line for food, I am not that desperate plus I don't like sweets. Good Luck to you Mr. Eng in all you do.
5
@Margo Channing did that need to be shared?
39
...great story - kudos to Mr. Eng.
....there's always room for a good doughnut....
42
@JMS
Or two.
2
Beautifully written and paced essay. I'm not a doughnut fan, and haven't tried Eng's creations, so I hope that I won't offend anyone by saying that for me the review is better than tasting the thing itself.
10
Next he should try bagels. There's room for a lot of improvement.
7
@Giskander Have you tried a Montreal bagel, like that from St Viateur? Eating them right out of the oven is a delectable joy.
4
@Giskander
um, we have plenty of delicious bagels all over the ny metro area, step off midwesterner.
9
@Lu
After I moved to Louisiana was never able to find a satisfactory bagel. I brought a couple of dozen back one year after a visit to NY so my co-workers would be able to see what real bagels were like. It turns out, that day old bagels are not as good as real bagels, even if imported from NY.
COSTCO does the best job I've experienced outside of NY.
When hipsters willingly stand in line to buy a couple of $6 dollar donuts to go with their $8 lattes, I am pretty much immunized from feeling any need to listen to their complaints about the high cost of living in the city, and about how they can't own a home or pay off their college loans.
27
@Larry Bennett
The world would change their views on migration if they realized that it's how many of us become familiar with different cultures, it's how we assimilate, it's how we understand globalism, it's how we stop thinking we're so unique. I live in Tucson AZ and I make handmade knishes and Eastern European pastries. The cost of living is high here also and a slice of homemade cake is upwards of 8.00 -- and I pay it happily (if not as often) to get quality and try new things. I don't want a world just of Yodels (though they have their place). Laura
109
@Larry Bennett Yes, because $8 donuts once a month, coming out to $96 a year somehow adds up to $500,000 additional cost of buying a house despite $0 in wage growth over a generation.
I'd also like to point out that the 2016 election clearly stated that old people from the midwest were the ones complaining the loudest about lack of good paying jobs and high cost of living.
100
@Larry Bennett, what makes you think only "hipsters" are purchasing these doughnuts? I am 60 yrs old and love new culinary experiences. I would try them because they the flavor combinations sound tasty, not because they are trendy.
162
A guy I worked with mother would come to town sometimes and he'd bring in some of her doughnuts she'd make for him. They were fantastic...not too sweet and made from a sour dough. She was from southern Indiana, don't know if that was a thing there.
8
"In a nod to his Chinese-American background and his fine-dining experience, Mr. Eng’s doughnuts are infused with popular flavors from Japan, India, Southeast Asia and France. "
Erm. What does being Chinese-American have to do with taking flavors from Japan, India, Southeast Asia and France?
45
I think that refers to his "fine-dining experience," not his Chinese-American background.
4
@A, maybe because China is a huge country within Asia that shares a border with India and other Southeast Asian countries? Maybe because some Chinese cuisines share commonalities with those border countries. Maybe because colonial power France influenced Southeast Asian cuisine. And maybe because Japan has been strongly influenced by China throughout its history.
Your comment smacks of a poor understanding of history.
33
@A He probably grew up eating at those types of restaurants more often than your average family?
2
What amazing doughnuts! Almost worth a trek to NYC to check them out. So glad Mr. Eng survived, recovered and is back at work. I hope he makes a million with his pastries.
105
Thankful for this story. May Mr.Eng continue to heal and be happy. i think he is a very fortunate and deserving person.
63
@debby Yes, and a hard worker and entrepreneur...
4
I could care less about doughnuts. I don't eat much carbs or sugar, but I can appreciate quality and the effort that goes into perfection. Good for you Mr. Eng! Keep up the good work. Show us what persistence and hard work can do.
93
Mr. Eng's recovery and success is wonderful to hear. But I like my donuts to be simple. Give me a glazed donut or a lemon filled glazed or powdered donut any day with a good hot cup of coffee and I'm happy. You can keep the trendy donuts with stuff gooped on top. I'm just not interested.
8
@Libby: I find larded up donuts with inches of glaze and weird fillings unsatisfying.
Maybe Mr. Eng's are really fabulous but at $8 each…I will never find out.
My favorite is still a HOT Krispy Kreme donut -- plain glazed.
Anything more is overkill.
Also, they are terrible cold, no comparison. They must be eaten HOT right out of the frier! Look for the light up sign at the Krispy Kreme store -- it signals they have "hot donuts".
1
This article is an impossibly American story.
1.) Melting pot, what wonderful things Mr. Eng has done in fusing his Asian culture and background to these donuts.
2.) Meritocracy - his success is a product of hard work meeting opportunity.
3.) Mindless Violence - why? Why? WHY!? I'm glad he is recovered but why with the gun violence and why are the perpetrators still at large?
Only in America.
313
@Aaron......a typical American story punctuated with violence.
Only we Americans can spoil someone’s dream with our selfish cruelty.
I became an expat American retired in the south of France to get away from the ugly side of America but gave up the incredible choices like Black Label Doughnuts!
6
@Michael Kittle Because France doesn't have mindless violence...??!
4
Mr. Eng had a brush with death, but not a "near-death experience." NDE's are experienced by some people at the brink of death, and they report phenomena like being out of the body, going to a white light, returning through a tunnel. This experience is worldwide, but it refers to more than nearly dying.
18
@Knowledge Is Power, if a person will die without IMMEDIATE medical intervention, that is considered "near-death." Near death could also refer to the likely possibility that the bullet(s) was probably lodged very close to vital tissue/arteries that could have resulted in immediate death if the bullet's path was different. You don't have to experience highly subjective, religion-infused supernatural phenomena to be considered near-death.
20
@Knowledge Is Power
So being shot in the face is just a"brush with death" and not a near death experience. Until you have walked in this man's shoes, experienced his pain and trauma perhaps you should just back off.
22
@Ed
What KiP describes, NDE, is an established medical phenomenon and has to do with some amazing properties of the human brain. But to be fair: the author did not explicitly use the term 'near-death experience' but only "brush with death" at least in the edition I have seen.
incredible story. So glad this wonderful baker of much desired donuts survived and is in the business again. His attackers: Wish you will repent and reform on your own.
77