Andrew R FDE

Experience Description

I was flying past other car on freeway shoulder. Very dark outside, in open desert area. Saw chainlink fence to right, thought, well, at least I won't kill anybody else, and turned car into fence. As car spun through fence and about 270 degrees (so front wheels ended up running against edge of shoulder) with dust flying all around (on sand off freeway), suddenly was above my body, looking down. Saw interior of car, myself in driver's seat, dark outside of windows, but inside of car was a glowing golden light, and sensation was of absolute peacefulness and warmth. As tires hit edge of shoulder and car stopped, suddenly back in body and looking out window, dust still flying around, normal ambient lighting in car. Two CHP officers came to assistance, wasn't able to explain whether had fallen asleep in car earlier or what had happened. As it turned out, not too far ahead on shoulder of freeway was a stopped truck with no lights on that I would have plowed into if I had not spun off into fence.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 1986

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident. Not sure, but had apparently fallen asleep while driving on freeway at night. Woke to find self barreling down on another car. Able to pull onto freeway shoulder, avoiding other car.

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 Did not see form or appearance apart from body, but distinctly saw physical body below me in car seat.

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness? Very concentrated. As passed by car (actually, van) in front of me on shoulder of road, went through time-expansion sense where it felt like I was just inching past other car. Once out of body experience started, felt very much aware.

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning Certainly had altered sense of time expansion immediately before the out of body experience as got past the car I could have plowed into. Actually, given the actual physical events, yes, time must have remained expanded while out of body in car.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. No.

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

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

The experience included: Darkness

The experience included: Light

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes Nothing tunnel-like, though. But definitely the interior of the car appeared as if brightly lit with gold light.

The experience included: A landscape or city

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm Yes, I guess, in that I saw the heightened golden light inside the car and felt a very physical sense of warmth.

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Pretty much as already described.

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about the universe Yes, of profound peacefulness, warmth, and acceptance/resignation to situation.

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? No

The experience included: Boundary

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? Yes Yes in the sense that I was still within the car or at least perceived no obstruction to view of myself below from the car roof.

Did you come to a border or point of no return? No

God, Spiritual and Religion:

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes Have always been highly interested in religion and belief systems; a seeker type. So this was integrated into the evolution of my religious attitude as all of my life experiences are.

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 Have always had some psychic abilities. Did not practice them for many years, but within past year revived some practice with very quick and more immediate results and heightened sensitivity.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? Best part was the tremendous feeling of peacefulness and warmth. No worst part (well, except, I suppose, the moments flying past the car I could have hit).

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Have not shared with many, but those with whom I have have been accepting. One shared an out of body experience with me after my telling my story.

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