Arvind B NDE

Experience Description

I had heart trouble on Feb. 29, 2012. I went to my general practitioner feeling it could be one of those 'gas' issues. The ECG suggested that I should be hospitalized immediately. I had already started experiencing terrible pain in my left hand. I reached the hospital and was immediately taken to OT. I had a successful angioplasty with one stent inserted. I came out on stretcher with thumbs up to all those relatives and friends who had reached hospital by then. I blabbered to them that I'd be back home in two days and that nobody should really be bothered. The trouble seemed to be over. Then I blinked at my wonderful, lovely wife and kind of reassured her with my eyes. Most of them left the hospital and went to the tea canteen downstairs to have that Indian quintessential cup of tea!

The trouble started soon after. I blacked out and started vomiting blood. I needed a total of 11 bottles of blood in the next 24 hours. I came to know later that it was Cardio Respiratory Arrest. The last thing I remember that is someone was sitting on my chest and thumping it heavily and that I was being taken away somewhere on the stretcher.

The next thing I remember is myself on something like a bench in the operating room and I was given electric shocks. I started drifting upward. From a height, I could see my own body with many doctors and medical personnel working on my body. I could see the instrument panel flat. I don't really know if it was pulse or something else, but something that surely should not be flat.

I reached the top of the hall and kind of stuck to a corner of that hall. I was happy. Yes, that is true. I remember myself smiling all the time. First, I saw four children in my path, all of them in the 10 to 12 years age group. All wore happy faces. I could see only the faces and not their bodies. At some distance, I could see some people standing in a circle, this time I could see all of them. It was around 8 to 10 people.

Then I saw a huge light in the center of the hall and I started drifting towards it. There was a huge light coming in from that huge hole. I am a fervent Hindu with blind faith in the Super Power. To be more specific, I firmly believe in our Goddess, Mother Kaalika. I could feel that she was there on the other side of that beam of bright light coming from outside the hall. I was happy to know that she was there outside. I bowed and tried to see her. That was the last thing I remember from the out-of-world experience. The next thing I remember is my doctor asking me how I was feeling.

Later I came to know that I was on ventilator for 5 days, and that news of 'my death' had already spread among many of my relatives and friends. This happened at the Hospital in Indore, India.

Above all, it was my wife's unwavering faith that nothing would happen to me that brought me back to life. There were people who had started weeping, but Rinku, my wife, did not. She started praying to our Goddess and requesting her to meet me. I met her indeed. And then, I was back.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 29 February 2012

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Heart attack. Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function or brain function) I had an Angioplasty successfully performed. Then I had Cardio Respiratory Arrest that blanked me out.

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? Yes During the first few seconds, I could see a group of Doctors doing something on my body. I lost awareness of my body

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness? Normal consciousness and alertness

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? The whole experience lasted about 1 minute 20-30 seconds. My consciousness level was at its highest during the first 10 seconds (during my journey upward).

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning I could not recall the amount of time in this experience. Later, I corroborated the amount of time with the amount of time the Medicos were working and the time taken by the instruments to start showing life.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? No

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 the things as I normally see in the real world; no difference between the two states.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I can't really comment as I did not hear any sound.

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

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

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

The experience included: Unearthly light

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? An unusually bright light

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes I could see a huge beam of light from the center of the hall that I was stuck in. It was really huge and very bright.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm I was at a place I had never been before; a place I could not have imagined. It is actually difficult to really explain this. It was a hall with a dome.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I felt good.

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

Did you have a feeling of joy? Happiness

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? I felt no longer in conflict with nature

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? No

Did scenes from your past come back to you? No

Did scenes from the future come to you? 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? Greatly important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Hindu Fervent believer in my Goddess - right from my birth till today

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes My belief in God is stronger than it was earlier.

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

What is your religion now? Hindu

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was entirely not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience As a Hindu Brahmin, we are taught that Heaven and hell both exist - what on the other hand I saw was happy faces only. The inconsistency was not seeing any heaven or hell.

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 I am a firm believer in Goddess Kalika. While I was kind of floating inside the hall and seeing the bright light, I could 'feel' the Goddess' presence on the other side. I didn't see her and I didn't hear anything from her, but I felt very good.

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

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? God definitely exists

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes I could feel (is it a right word, don't know) that my Goddess Kalika is there on the other side of that beam of bright light that was coming from outside the hall. I was happy to know that she is there outside. I bowed and tried to see her.

Do you believe in the existence of God after your experience? God definitely 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 meaningful and significant

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? Yes I was pleased to see that everyone seemed to be very happy. I was greeted so well by those four children, that I could not stop having this great feeling.

Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? An afterlife definitely exists

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Yes I could see happy faces, first four children and then a group of people standing at a distance. The knowledge gathered even during those seconds was people are happy out here.

Did you fear death prior to your experience? I did not fear death

Do you fear death after your experience? I moderately fear death

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Not 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 meaningful and significant

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

Did you gain information about how to live our lives? Yes In general, I could see everyone out there happy. I could see 4 children smiling at me.

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? Slight changes in my life I have started fearing death. I feel more emotional now. I feel more attached to my family now. My faith in God is many times more than what it was earlier.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes Yes I love human beings more than earlier.

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 remember the experience more accurately than other life events that occurred around the time of the experience I came to know later that news of my 'death' had reached outside the operation theater and that some phone calls also were made to relatives / friends. So, I never knew anything about my current world and body condition during that experience.

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

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? Because I could 'first-hand' experience the outside world, I believe that I am one of the chosen few, a more privileged person than the rest. Secondly, I feel that God sent me back for some of the unfulfilled duties as a normal human being.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I shared this with my family and friends within 15 days of this experience. Most of them respected this experience. In fact, it was those people who exhorted me to write these experiences.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Uncertain As a Hindu Brahmin, we are always told such stories from our childhood. So, nobody doubted this.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real I firmly believe in my experience. In fact, the faith is increasing by the day.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real I feel that the experience was real, and that I should live my life more peacefully. This has led me to strictly follow different Yogis which I was not regularly doing earlier.

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