Diana Nyad Had 'Wizard Of Oz' Hallucination During 53-Hour Swim (VIDEO)

The Wild Hallucination Diana Nyad Had During Historic Swim

Marathon swimming takes a toll on the body, mind and spirit. For record-breaking swimmer Diana Nyad, a mix of dehydration, sleep deprivation and prolonged saltwater exposure produced a dreamlike state that caused her to hallucinate during her 53-hour swim from Cuba to Florida. In the above clip from "Super Soul Sunday," Nyad reflects on the grueling experience -- and the "friends" she saw along the way.

While swimming at night, Nyad says in the video that she told her trainer, Bonnie Stoll, that she was seeing a scene from "The Wizard of Oz."

"I was looking underwater, and I said to Bonnie, 'Bonnie! I see the yellow brick road!'" Nyad says. "But what's really weird is, wasn't the yellow brick road [with] the tin man and the lion? But that's not who's on it. It's like those little guys who had the knapsacks who sang 'heigh ho, heigh ho.'"

Rather than explain to her that she was having a hallucination, Nyad says her trainer just went with it. "She said to me, you follow them," Nyad says. "They are going right where we're going. Just get right over them and go where they're going."

Nyad says she saw that "Wizard of Oz" scene for hours. "It wasn't like I was aware that's a hallucination," she says. "I said, 'I see the yellow brick road and I see those little men walking along."

Along with seeing Disney characters, Nyad says she also had a vision of the Taj Mahal. "I've never been to the Taj Mahal, but I guess I've seen pictures of it," she says.

The hallucination happened during a big storm, while Nyad says she was treading water, surrounded by the shark divers. "I was hanging on by a thread," she says. "I remember just kind of going under, and they would say, 'Let's do a little breast stroke. Let's wake you up.' I was getting cold, too. So I would do breast stroke and just follow them."

She asked one of the shark divers, "'Do you see it? There -- do you see it? The Taj Mahal is over here,'" Nyad says. "I saw all the sand and the grass all around it. And then I thought, 'What if I could get out and walk around for awhile, you know? Instead of being on the water."

"But there was no doubt in my mind," Nyad says.

"That you saw the Taj Mahal," Oprah says.

"Oh, it was there," Nyad nods. "It was there, yeah."

"Super Soul Sunday" airs Sundays at 11 a.m. ET on OWN.

Before You Go

PHOTOS: Diana Nyad's Swim
Diana Nyad(01 of40)
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FILE - In this Monday, Sept. 2, 2013 file photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, Diana Nyad emerges from the Atlantic Ocean after completing a 111-mile swim from Cuba to Key West, Fla. Nyad's swim from Cuba to Florida has generated some skepticism in the small community of marathon swimmers. Critics have suggested that during a speedy stretch of the 53-hour swim, Nyad might have gotten into or held onto the boat that accompanied her. They also question whether she violated the traditions of her sport by relying on a specialized mask and wetsuit to protect herself from jellyfish. Nyad's navigator and one of the swim's official observers tell The Associated Press that Nyad didn't cheat. (AP Photo/Florida Keys Bureau, Andy Newman, File) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad, Bonnie Stoll(02 of40)
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Endurance swimmer Diana Nyad, right, and her trainer, Bonnie Stoll hug after Nyad walks ashore Monday, Sept. 2, 2013 in Key West, Fla. after swimming from Cuba. Nyad became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. She arrived at the beach just before 2 p.m. EDT, about 53 hours after she began her swim in Havana on Saturday. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad(03 of40)
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In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, Diana Nyad, positioned about two miles off Key West, Fla., Monday, Sept. 2, 2013, swims towards the completion of her 111-mile trek from Cuba to the Florida Keys. Nyad, 64, is be first swimmer to cross the Florida Straits without the security of a shark cage. (AP Photo/Florida Keys Bureau, Andy Newman) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad(04 of40)
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In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, Diana Nyad, right, gestures a V for victory after completing a 111-mile swim from Cuba to Key West, Fla. Nyad, 64, is the first swimmer to cross the Florida Straits without the security of a shark cage. The swim took Nyad 52 hours and 54 minutes, according to a support team member. (AP Photo/Florida Keys Bureau, Andy Newman) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad(05 of40)
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U.S. endurance swimmer Diana Nyad, center, is taken to Lower Keys Medical Center, Monday, Sept. 2, 2013, after coming ashore at Smathers Beach in Key West, Fla. She completed a 103-mile swim in 53 hours. She became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. (AP Photo/Key West Citizen, Rob O'Neal) MIAMI HERALD OUT. (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad(06 of40)
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In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau Diana Nyad emerges from the Atlantic Ocean after completing a 111-mile swim from Cuba to Key West, Fla. Nyad, 64, is the first swimmer to cross the Florida Straits without the security of a shark cage. The swim took Nyad 52 hours and 54 minutes, according to a support team member. (AP Photo/Florida Keys Bureau, Andy Newman) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad(07 of40)
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In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau Diana Nyad emerges from the Atlantic Ocean after completing a 111-mile swim from Cuba to Key West, Fla. Nyad, 64, is the first swimmer to cross the Florida Straits without the security of a shark cage. (AP Photo/Florida Keys Bureau, Andy Newman) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad(08 of40)
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In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau Diana Nyad, right, is supported by a longtime team member after completing a 111-mile swim from Cuba to Key West, Fla. Nyad, 64, is the first swimmer to cross the Florida Straits without the security of a shark cage. The swim took Nyad 52 hours and 54 minutes, according to a support team member. (AP Photo/Florida Keys Bureau, Andy Newman) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad(09 of40)
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In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, Diana Nyad tells supporters and fans that you are "never too old to chase your dreams" after completing a 111-mile swim from Cuba to Key West, Fla. Nyad, 64, is the first swimmer to cross the Florida Straits without the security of a shark cage. The swim took Nyad 52 hours and 54 minutes, according to a support team member. (AP Photo/Florida Keys Bureau, Andy Newman) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad(10 of40)
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In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau Diana Nyad receives medical treatment after completing a 111-mile swim from Cuba to Key West, Fla. Nyad, 64, is the first swimmer to cross the Florida Straits without the security of a shark cage. (AP Photo/Florida Keys Bureau, Andy Newman) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad(11 of40)
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U.S. endurance swimmer Diana Nyad walks on to the Key West, Fl., shore Monday, Sept. 2, 2013, as team members form a wall to protect her, as she becomes the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. Nyad arrived at the beach just before 2 p.m. EDT, about 53 hours after she began her swim in Havana on Saturday. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad, Bonnie Stoll(12 of40)
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Endurance swimmer Diana Nyad, right, and her trainer, Bonnie Stoll hug after Nyad walks ashore Monday, Sept. 2, 2013 in Key West, Fla. after swimming from Cuba. Nyad became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. She arrived at the beach just before 2 p.m. EDT, about 53 hours after she began her swim in Havana on Saturday. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad(13 of40)
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Long distance swimmer Diana Nyad swims towards shore in Key West, Fla., Monday, Sept. 2, 2013, after swimming from Cuba. Nyad became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. She arrived at the beach just before 2 p.m. EDT, about 53 hours after she began her swim in Havana on Saturday. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad, Bonnie Stoll(14 of40)
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Endurance swimmer Diana Nyad, right, and her trainer, Bonnie Stoll hug after Nyad walks ashore Monday, Sept. 2, 2013 in Key West, Fla. after swimming from Cuba. Nyad became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. She arrived at the beach just before 2 p.m. EDT, about 53 hours after she began her swim in Havana on Saturday. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad, Bonnie Stoll(15 of40)
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Endurance swimmer Diana Nyad, right, and her trainer, Bonnie Stoll hug after Nyad walks ashore Monday, Sept. 2, 2013 in Key West, Fla. after swimming from Cuba. Nyad became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. She arrived at the beach just before 2 p.m. EDT, about 53 hours after she began her swim in Havana on Saturday. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad, Bonnie Stoll(16 of40)
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Fans push towards long distance swimmer Diana Nyad, center, as she comes ashore, and is greeted by her trainer Bonnie Stoll, Monday, Sept. 2, 2013 in Key West, Fla., becoming the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. Nyad arrived at the beach just before 2 p.m. EDT, about 53 hours after she began her swim in Havana on Saturday. Her trainer Bonnie Stoll (AP Photo/J Pat Carter) (credit:AP)
(17 of40)
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Long distance swimmer Diana Nyad is greeted by former Key West Mayor Sonny McCoy as she is taken to the Lower Keys Medical Center after completing her historic swim from Havana, Cuba to Key West, Fla., Monday, Sept. 2, 2013. McCoy, now 86, successfully water-skied, on one ski, between the islands in 1978, the same year Nyad made her first of five attempts. McCoy's son, Sean, at right, chose a parasail to make his trip between Cuba and Key West in 1997. (AP Photo/The Key West Citizen, Rob O'Neal) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad(18 of40)
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Long distance swimmer Diana Nyad swims towards shore in Key West, Fla., Monday, Sept. 2, 2013, after swimming from Cuba. Nyad became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. She arrived at the beach just before 2 p.m. EDT, about 53 hours after she began her swim in Havana on Saturday. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad, Bonnie Stoll(19 of40)
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Endurance swimmer Diana Nyad, right, and her trainer, Bonnie Stoll hug after Nyad walks ashore Monday, Sept. 2, 2013 in Key West, Fla. after swimming from Cuba. Nyad became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. She arrived at the beach just before 2 p.m. EDT, about 53 hours after she began her swim in Havana on Saturday. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad(20 of40)
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United States endurance swimmer Diana Nyad is greeted by a crowd as she walks on to the Key West, Fla., shore Monday, Sept. 2, 2013, becoming the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. Nyad arrived at the beach just before 2 p.m. EDT, about 53 hours after she began her swim in Havana on Saturday. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad, Bonnie Stoll(21 of40)
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Endurance swimmer Diana Nyad, right, and her trainer, Bonnie Stoll hug after Nyad walks ashore Monday, Sept. 2, 2013 in Key West, Fla. after swimming from Cuba. Nyad became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. She arrived at the beach just before 2 p.m. EDT, about 53 hours after she began her swim in Havana on Saturday. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter) (credit:AP)
Diana nyad(22 of40)
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Fans of long distance swimmer Diana Nyad wait for her to make it ashore in Key West, Fla. Monday, Sept. 2, 2013 after swimming from Cuba. U.S. endurance swimmer Diana Nyad walked to shore, becoming the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. Nyad arrived at the beach just before 2 p.m. EDT, about 53 hours after she began her swim in Havana on Saturday. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad(23 of40)
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In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, Diana Nyad, positioned about two miles off Key West, Fla., Monday, Sept. 2, 2013, swims towards the completion of her 111-mile trek from Cuba to the Florida Keys. Nyad, 64, is poised to be the first swimmer to cross the Florida Straits without the security of a shark cage. The white underwater streamer, trailing from the support boat's boom, serves as a navigation aide for Nyad. (AP Photo/Florida Keys News Bureau, Andy Newman) (credit:AP)
(24 of40)
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A teammates waits for U.S. endurance swimmer Diana Nyad to come ashore Monday, Sept. 2, 2013, in Key West, Fla., after swimming from Cuba. Looking dazed and sunburned, U.S. endurance swimmer Diana Nyad walked to shore, becoming the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. Nyad arrived at the beach just before 2 p.m. EDT, about 53 hours after she began her swim in Havana on Saturday. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad(25 of40)
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United States endurance swimmer Diana Nyad is greeted by a crowd as she walks on to the Key West, Fla., shore Monday, Sept. 2, 2013, becoming the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. Nyad arrived at the beach just before 2 p.m. EDT, about 53 hours after she began her swim in Havana on Saturday. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad(26 of40)
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In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, Diana Nyad, positioned about two miles off Key West, Fla., Monday, Sept. 2, 2013, swims towards the completion of her approximately 110-mile trek from Cuba to the Florida Keys. Nyad, 64, is poised to be the first swimmer to cross the Florida Straits without the security of a shark cage. (AP Photo/Florida Keys News Bureau, Andy Newman) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad(27 of40)
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CORRECTS DISTANCE OF TREK TO ABOUT 110 MILES INSTEAD OF 111 MILES - In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, Diana Nyad, positioned about two miles off Key West, Fla., Monday, Sept. 2, 2013, swims towards the completion of her approximately 110-mile trek from Cuba to the Florida Keys. Nyad, 64, is poised to be the first swimmer to cross the Florida Straits without the security of a shark cage. (AP Photo/Florida Keys News Bureau, Andy Newman) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad(28 of40)
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In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, Diana Nyad, positioned about two miles off Key West, Fla., Monday, Sept. 2, 2013, is escorted by kayakers as she swims towards the completion of her 111-mile trek from Cuba to the Florida Keys. Nyad, 64, is poised to be the first swimmer to cross the Florida Straits without the security of a shark cage. (AP Photo/Florida Keys News Bureau, Andy Newman) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad(29 of40)
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In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, Diana Nyad, positioned about two miles off Key West, Fla., Monday, Sept. 2, 2013, swims towards the completion of her 111-mile trek from Cuba to the Florida Keys. Nyad, 64, is poised to be the first swimmer to cross the Florida Straits without the security of a shark cage. (AP Photo/Florida Keys News Bureau, Andy Newman) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad(30 of40)
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In this photo provided by the Florida Keys News Bureau, swimmer Diana Nyad talks with her crew less than two miles off Key West, Fla., Monday, Sept. 2, 2013. Nyad, 64, is poised to be the first swimmer to cross the Florida Straits from Cuba to the Florida Keys without the security of a shark cage. (AP Photo/Florida Keys News Bureau, Andy Newman) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad(31 of40)
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U.S. swimmer Diana Nyad, 64, points towards Florida before her swim to Florida from Havana, Cuba, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013. Endurance athlete Nyad launched another bid Saturday to set an open-water record by swimming from Havana to the Florida Keys without a protective shark cage. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad(32 of40)
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U.S. swimmer Diana Nyad, 64, adjusts her goggles before jumps into the water and start her swim to Florida from Havana, Cuba, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013. Endurance athlete Nyad launched another bid Saturday to set an open-water record by swimming from Havana to the Florida Keys without a protective shark cage. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad(33 of40)
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U.S. swimmer Diana Nyad, 64, adjusts her swimming cap before her swim to Florida from Havana, Cuba, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013. Endurance athlete Nyad launched another bid Saturday to set an open-water record by swimming from Havana to the Florida Keys without a protective shark cage. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad(34 of40)
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U.S. swimmer Diana Nyad, 64, right, begins her swim to Florida from the waters off Havana, Cuba, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013. Endurance athlete Nyad launched another bid Saturday to set an open-water record by swimming from Havana to the Florida Keys without a protective shark cage. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad(35 of40)
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U.S. swimmer Diana Nyad, 64, jumps into the water to begin her swim to Florida from the waters off Havana, Cuba, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013. Endurance athlete Nyad launched another bid Saturday to set an open-water record by swimming from Havana to the Florida Keys without a protective shark cage. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad(36 of40)
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U.S. swimmer Diana Nyad, 64, begins her swim to Florida from the waters off Havana, Cuba, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013. Endurance athlete Nyad launched another bid Saturday to set an open-water record by swimming from Havana to the Florida Keys without a protective shark cage. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad(37 of40)
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U.S. swimmer Diana Nyad, 64, begins her swim to Florida from the waters off Havana, Cuba, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013. Endurance athlete Nyad launched another bid Saturday to set an open-water record by swimming from Havana to the Florida Keys without a protective shark cage. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad(38 of40)
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U.S. swimmer Diana Nyad, 64, salutes before her swim from Havana, Cuba, to Florida in Havana on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013. Endurance athlete Nyad launched another bid Saturday to set an open-water record by swimming from Havana to the Florida Keys without a protective shark cage. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad(39 of40)
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U.S. swimmer Diana Nyad, 64, greets her support team before her swim to Florida from Havana, Cuba, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2013. Endurance athlete Nyad launched another bid Saturday to set an open-water record by swimming from Havana to the Florida Keys without a protective shark cage. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) (credit:AP)
Diana Nyad(40 of40)
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U.S. swimmer Diana Nyad, 64, gestures as she explains the jellyfish bites she experienced in her previous attempt to swim from the Florida Straits to the U.S. mainland, in Havana, Cuba, Friday, Aug. 30, 2013. The U.S. marathon swimmer arrived in Cuba Friday for her fifth attempt to swim across the Florida Straits to the U.S. mainland without a protective cage toward off shark attacks. The grueling swim is scheduled to start early Saturday, weather permitting. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) (credit:AP)