Angelo NDE

Experience Description

I was admitted to the hospital to have a scheduled spinal column surgery. When the time for the surgery arrived, I was first taken to a room located next to the surgery room. The anesthesiologist arrived and told the nurse to put everything she needed into the injection of the first medication. I asked her if she was going to put me to sleep and she told me ‘no’, instead, she was going to give me an antibiotic (penicillin.) As she administered it, I started feeling a lot of itchiness all over my body and a few seconds later, I could not breathe. Soon after that, I was unconscious. [Note: This was an allergic reaction to penicillin. ’Anaphylaxis is a serious allergic reaction that is rapid in onset and may cause death. It typically causes a number of symptoms including an itchy rash, throat swelling, and low blood pressure. Common causes include insect bites/stings, foods, and medications -Wikipedia’]

From that moment on, I seemed to be entering a very pleasant type of dream. I was watching myself as if I were floating above the hospital bed, observing myself and the doctors below. I was aware of experiencing vague memories about my life: but nothing concrete. It was like a very quick movie. I also noted that I was entering a place that seemed to be something like a tunnel. I didn't feel scared at all, on the contrary, I felt very peaceful. In fact, I felt so well that I didn't want to come back! For me, everything seemed very fast, but I was there for about three hours while they revived me.

When I woke up the first thing I said to the doctors was that I had dreamed I was dead, but they didn't tell me what had happened right away. After they had stabilized me, they took me to the Intensive Care Unit. It was then my wife told me a bit about what had happened. The following day, when I was feeling more relaxed; the doctors gave me the details of what had happened: my heart had stopped for a moment and my blood pressure had gone down to zero. I had definitely been dead. I was just lucky that it happened there in the hospital, as I had not known that I was allergic to penicillin.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 13/07/2011

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Surgery-related. Allergic reaction Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function or brain function) I had an allergic reaction to penicillin.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Entirely pleasant

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? Uncertain I just remember seeing myself in the hospital bed. 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

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? The whole time

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 It was very quick, but at the same time I felt everything.

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. It is hard to explain, but I had the sensation that I could see everything that was going on in the room. It wasn’t like normal vision with which you see everything you want to see by looking at it: it was like seeing everything without looking at anything specific.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I don’t remember hearing anybody talk to anybody there, but I had the impression that all my senses were very keen.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? No

The experience included: Tunnel

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes I had the sensation that I was entering a tunnel in a place that I cannot describe.

Did you see any beings in your experience? No

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

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? No

Did you see an unearthly light? No

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

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Peace, tranquility, quietude.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Incredible peace or pleasantness

Did you have a feeling of joy? Happiness

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? No

The experience included: Life review

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? No

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:

What importance did you place on your religious/spiritual life prior to your experience? Not important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Catholic

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What importance do you place on your religious/spiritual life after your experience? Moderately important to me

What is your religion now? Christian- Catholic

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was both consistent and not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience

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? No

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? No

Did you encounter or become aware of any beings who previously lived on earth who are described by name in religions (for example: Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, etc.)? No

During your experience, did you gain information about premortal existence? No

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? No

Did you believe in the existence of God prior to your experience? I was uncertain if God exists

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? No

Do you believe in the existence of God after your experience? I am uncertain if God exists

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? No

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are not meaningful and significant

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? No

Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? An afterlife probably does not exist

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists No

Did you fear death prior to your experience? I greatly feared death

Do you fear death after your experience? I do not fear death

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Slightly fearful in living my earthly life

Were you fearful living your life after your experience? Not fearful in living my earthly life

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are not meaningful and significant

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant after your experience? Are probably meaningful and significant

Did you gain information about how to live our lives? No

During your experience, did you gain information about life's difficulties, challenges and hardships? No

Were you compassionate prior to your experience? Moderately compassionate toward others

During your experience, did you gain information about love? No

Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Moderate changes in my life Moderate changes in my life.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

How accurately do you remember the experience in comparison to other life events that occurred around the time of the experience? I do not know how my remembrance of the experience compares to my remembrance of other life events at time

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? No

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I spent a couple of days afterwards telling my family about it. They reacted with disbelief, and I was not able to get them to change their minds.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? No

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real

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