Andrei NDE

Experience Description

It was a very hot and sunny day. There was a swimming pool in our kindergarten and it was filled with clean water. I even remember some kind of silvery fish swimming in there. Apparently, water was being taken from some lake. At that time, the pool was very deep for me. I had never been near nor had swum in such deep water. So the teacher gathered us in a group and announced that we were going to swim. During this time of the year in Uzbekistan (I think it was the middle of the summer) it was unbelievably hot, 40+ C in the shade.

We came out to the pool, spread out and children started diving and playing around it. My teacher came up to me and asked, 'Why are you not swimming?' To which I replied that I have never before swum, so I don't know how. Then she told me to stay away from the pool. I was very young, did not understand about death, and was incredibly curious. So when the teacher sat down to read her newspaper, I went to the very side of the pool. Other kids were splashing around me. Everybody was laughing and constantly pushing each other into water, then coming back up and throwing themselves with laughter at the evildoers. I was very curious; I had never before seen so much water. I got very close to the side and watched the splashes.

Just like everyone else, I was wearing only my swimming suit. Suddenly somebody pushed me. I only had a chance to start saying, 'I can't sw…' when I found myself in water. The water was very warm. I was in shock and started shouting and probably crying too, which was hard to tell under water. I was falling to the bottom face up and looking up with my eyes open. I was screaming. I was so scared. The most interesting part is that I did not feel that I was suffocating or that I could not breathe, I could feel my lungs instantly being filled with water and how heavy they became. I sank to the bottom with my back. I felt everything, even the cold dark blue tiles. I was laying there, looking, and still trying to scream although for some reason no sound could be uttered. I did not know at that time that if there was water in the lungs and one is under water one cannot scream. I was horrified.

Somehow, I started feeling incredibly peaceful. I was watching the children swimming above. And then for some reason I got a feeling that I am falling through the tiles into some kind of tunnel and the water of the pool was moving away farther and farther. I could still see the swimming children but they were moving away from me. Finally, I moved so far down from the pool that I found myself in complete darkness. Then suddenly there was bright light from all sides. I looked around surprised. I was observing the pool and the group from above. I looked at myself with surprise. I understood that I cannot fly; however, I felt as if I could go anywhere at all, nothing would stop me. I did not have a body. I was invisible. Also, I did not feel my arms because I did not have them. I was nothing, but I could see and understand everything. I looked around. Somehow, if I wanted to I could look at several points at the same time. I looked around and I could see everything that was going on with the group. I would not say that I was warm or was feeling good, I felt nothing. It was simply a wonderful feeling of freedom. I could be where I wanted to be and see what I wanted to see. I also knew that I could not affect any physical things. It simply was knowledge. I don't know how I knew and understood all this.

I looked around and noticed a strange change. I could look at the sun easily even though it was very strong, it must have been 4:00 pm because the sun was going towards the horizon. The sunlight was not at all bright, but somewhat mild. I don't know. It cannot be put in words. Now it reminds me of the sunshine during the middle of September. But even this is not completely accurate. There were trees growing around the swimming pool. I cannot recall exactly what kind of trees they were, not green but somewhat dark and were producing strange shadows. I don't know how to explain it. The shadows kept changing all the time. At the same time I noticed that the teacher had jumped up and had left her newspaper, she was looking at the children. I even 'walked up' to her, very close and saw that she was smiling. Her eyes were very kind.

All of a sudden, she became serious and her smile disappeared. She screamed out, 'Has anybody seen Andrei!' The whole group went quiet. One of the boys pointed at the pool and shouted that he is laying down there. The teacher threw off her robe; she was wearing a black bikini. While running she shouted at one of the boys that he should run and get the nurse and then jumped into the water. Within a few seconds, she pulled me out and took me to the bench in the shade on which she was sitting not so long ago and reading a newspaper. I was there all the time and could see the horrified face of the teacher very well. Also how she put me on the bench. My color was somewhat unnatural. I remember thinking that I looked like a doll. Then I saw a large woman running from the opposite side in a white coat and with a bag that had a big red cross on a white background. She ran up to us and immediately turned me over on my stomach. Water started coming from my mouth. She put me on her knee and started patting me lightly on the back and there was more water running out of me. Then she put me on the pavement. (Thank God for the shade or else he would get sunburnt as well.) She started performing mouth to mouth. At that moment, I became myself. I was wet, uncomfortable and terribly cold. I coughed.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 1984

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function or brain function)1 Drowning.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Wonderful

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I clearly left my body and existed outside it

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness? More consciousness and alertness than normal As above.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? When I was looking from above and looking around I clearly understood everything. I don't even know how to explain it; I simply saw and understood everything.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Incredibly fast

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Incredibly more vivid

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I could see everything at once and from different angles. I could concentrate my attention at the view and at the group at the same time, also the smile on the teacher's face and the nurse coming from the opposite side. Colors were unbelievably contrasting and sharp as if they were breathing.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I am not sure. Sounds were incredibly clear as if they were uttered right into my ear.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Yes, and the facts have been checked out

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes It was similar to a well with the surface of the pool gradually moving away from me where I could see children leaping around and also moving away. I was immersed in darkness; I could not see any walls.

Did you see any beings in your experience? I actually saw them

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? No

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? A light clearly of mystical or other-worldly origin

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes There simply was a bright flash that blinded me for an instant.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? No

What emotions did you feel during the experience? There was nothing. I was some kind of being who had no emotions. It is like simply being, existing, not thinking about the wrong, and the right. I'm only now starting to understand everything that happened at that time.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Relief or calmness

Did you have a feeling of joy? incredible joy

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? I felt united or one with the world

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about the universe

Did scenes from your past come back to you? My past flashed before me, out of my control

Did scenes from the future come to you? Scenes from the world's future

Did you come to a border or point of no return? I came to a barrier that I was not permitted to cross; or was sent back against my will

God, Spiritual and Religion:

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Moderate Дзен Буддизм

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? No

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? I encountered a definite being, or a voice clearly of mystical or unearthly origin

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? I actually saw them

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes I knew everything, but then forgot it; however, some feeling still remains with me. I still know what I knew then, just cannot remember it, I constantly have a feeling that I have forgotten something. Sometimes I have a breakthrough and start saying completely amazing things, which make complete sense to me but seem illogical to others until I explain them in detail. I already have all the knowledge about Zen Buddhism. When I read I am remembering instead of learning. Everybody is wondering about my memory - in actuality it is all about memories rather than knowledge.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes Very much so. Others always have thought of me as an incredibly nice human being even if also a very strange one. Therefore, my whole life I am practically alone. I have many acquaintances but I am alone. Sometimes I feel like some kind of a creep. This society will one day get rid of me like of any other abnormality. Human society in its root is not built right. And to protect itself it exterminates ones like me. But to be honest, I don't care. :)

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Uncertain Sometimes the knowledge just appears. I know the truth and remember the truth. It is as if I have received an equivalent of truth. I may simply not find some book interesting, I know it is not true and throw it away. By the way, everything they show on the news on TV is only partial truth. I don't watch TV because of it. I just know that TV is bad. I don't watch news and only sometimes read them on the internet; although, I'm quite good with modern technology.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? They all were equally important to me. Death does not exist and I received knowledge about truth and justice.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Uncertain I cannot tell what I saw. I can only describe it.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Uncertain At that age I did not know the meaning of death. I remember once watching a nature program on how a spider was eating a butterfly and asking my mom what happened to the butterfly, why was it not moving.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real I did not care. This experience for me was similar to going with my mom to the store for the first time; I did not see anything extraordinary in it. I was excited about everything.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real The feeling of clarity in understanding the reality is still with me. I feel it but cannot use it.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? No