Benjamin H NDE

Experience Description

My squad was out on patrol, and I was in a Humvee. We were going along, and all of a sudden, an IED (Improvised Explosive Device) detonated near the truck. I felt this intense burning on my legs, and I heard my legs breaking like twigs snapping. It was getting so hard to breathe, and everything was getting dark. I felt like I just wanted to let go of it all. Then I started to get cold. I'm not sure how long it was until I just started to let go, but when I did, I felt so at peace and I wasn't scared.

I came out of my body, it was like I was floating in the air; looking down at myself lying limp on the ground and the medics working on me. I could hear everything they were saying, see everything they were doing. Then after a couple of minutes of watching that, it all started to get dark. It felt as if I was a blind person. Then as soon as the darkness came, it went away, and I was in a field of some sort. I was wearing jeans and a red plaid shirt. It was so sunny outside, so it was all bright. Then I saw a man walking toward me, and I felt curious so I walked toward to him as well. When I got close enough to see him clearly, I realized I was looking at my dad.

My dad had died two years earlier from a heart attack. He was in his regular T-shirt and blue jeans with his John Deere hat that he always wore. He got about two feet from me. We were so close that I could've touched him if I wanted to. But we just stood still for what felt like forever. He just stared at me, never saying a word. I wanted to talk to him, to ask him what was going on, but I couldn't open my mouth, I could only stare right back. Then, he just smiled at me, and pointed in the direction that I came from. I remember feeling that I didn't want to go anywhere because I felt so much at peace. So I shook my head no, and he just smiled at me again and pointed in the direction that I came from again. Then, he walked up to me, and gave me a hug and a kiss on my cheek, and at that moment, I knew I had to go back.

I just let myself go again, and everything around me started to get dark again. Then it just felt like I was in an extremely deep sleep. The next thing I know, I woke up in a hospital room with a tube down my throat, the inability to feel my legs, and a major headache. I now am able to walk again, but I will never forget what happened to me when I legally died. They told me I was out for only two minutes, but it felt like an eternity to me. I'll also never forget how peaceful the whole experience was.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 'November 11, 2008'

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? No Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function or brain function)

How do you consider the content of your experience? Frightening

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? No 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? I felt alert the whole time, except for when everything would go black.

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 felt like the whole thing took longer than the minutes I was dead for. It felt like I was with my dad for at least a few hours.

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. Everything was so much more brighter. My perception of it all was a lot more intense than anything I have ever experienced.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I could hear the wind rustling through the grass I could hear so well.

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? No

The experience included: Presence of deceased persons

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

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes I saw my father, who has been deceased since 2007. No words were spoken, just him pointing for me to go back.

The experience included: Darkness

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? No

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm I was in this beautiful field. It was just a field of grass, but it was so green, the sky was the bluest I've ever seen it before.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Nothing but peace and tranquility.

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? 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:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Moderate Catholic

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Moderate Catholic

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? No

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes I have gotten much closer with my fiancée, and my family.

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? Yes I've been seeing spirits. People who just walk by and walk right through everybody. But they don't seem to notice me looking at them or anything.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? Spending that time with my dad was one of the most significant parts of the whole ordeal to me. I felt at peace with him being gone now. I still miss him all the time like I always have, but I feel at peace with it.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes It was two months after, and I shared this with my girlfriend at the time, now my fiancée. She was extremely supportive of me, and made me know that I could talk to her about this anytime.

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 I know it was real. It wasn't from a lack of oxygen or anything like that. I will never believe that this was all a dream I dreamt while I was out.

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

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? I think that when people die, that no matter how they die, I think that it's peaceful. And if they just let go, then they'll be taken care of.