http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1368467/I-met-granddad--wings-Colton-Burpo-went-heaven-speaks-relatives-book-Heaven-For-Real.htmlAnd yes, I know the Daily Mail is a terrible source, but there's one sentence there that's important:
In an earlier interview, Colton said that his visions became more vivid as time passed.
Uh-huh. I'm sure that was convenient for his preacher father, and for publishing a book...
For what it's worth, I've read some accounts of near-death experiences that I considered credible, and I know people who've told me they had near-death experiences, or relatives of theirs have.
But I felt, while watching the interview on CNN, that the boy wasn't sincere, and that he was saying what his father wanted him to say.
Possibly he did have some kind of vague near-death experience when he was little. But even if he did, whatever it was has been completely swamped by ideas of heaven he got from his parents, because when he talks about Jesus having blue eyes, and there being streets of gold and pearly gates, you know he's just repeating very generic and naive Christian ideas.
According to that article, "He even claims he saw a glimpse of Armageddon." I suppose there'll be another book in that...