Sharon Stone "saw the white light" when she nearly died of a brain aneurysm.

The 'Basic Instinct' star suffered a near-fatal aneurysm in 2001 and while she managed to survive, she admits she came very close to death and even saw people she knew that had already passed away in a vision.

She said: "Compared to that illness, nothing has been so difficult. It was as if I had been shot in the head.

"They thought I had a ruptured vessel that had bled itself out. So another nine days went by when I was not improving. During the next operation they found an artery that was pumping blood into my brain. They put in platinum to shut it off. I was close to death at one point and saw the white light that people claim they see.

"I did see people who I knew had died, as close and real as any living thing."

The 54-year-old actress - who is currently dating 27-year-old model Martin Mica - admits she could have 'crossed over' but felt it was not her "time" to die.

She added to the Daily Express newspaper: "I felt that I only had to step over a very narrow line and I would have joined them. What kept me back? It was just not my time."