Bob M NDE

Experience Description

I stepped into deep water way over my head. After a few bounces from the bottom to catch a breath of air, I ingested too much water, so I died. While in the act of dying, I was terrified, but only for a few seconds. Then a calm and peace came over me that I still remember vividly. Warm light and peace, which exceeds understanding (literally), surrounded me and I was going to the light. Next thing I knew I was lying on the bank being pounded on, with a hurting in my chest.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 1945

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident. Other: I was drowning

How do you consider the content of your experience? Both pleasant AND distressing

Did you feel separated from your body? No 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? More consciousness and alertness than normal

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Right after the terror when I saw the light: I had never before, or since experienced the kind of peace.

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 Time had NO meaning.

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. My vision was normal before, blank (except for the senses) during the experience and okay afterwards.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Hearing was normal before, silent during, and okay after.

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 sensed their presence

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 Warm, inviting, peaceful

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Some unfamiliar and strange place I cannot say strange or unfamiliar because it did not feel either. It was comforting.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Love

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

Did you have a feeling of joy? incredible joy

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? No

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What importance did you place on your religious/spiritual life prior to your experience? Slightly important to me

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

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes Once again, how do I know? I feel sure they have but I have little to prove that.

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

What is your religion now? Christian- Other Christian

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 considering the content of my life up until the "experience" very little could have prepared me for it.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes It had a maturing effect and it was the beginning of my spiritual search.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? No

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? I sensed their presence

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? Uncertain I was nine years old. death, God, higher powers than my abusive father, did not take up much of my existence. Certainly though over the years since I reflect that a GOD of love must be in charge even though humanity can and does screw up pretty bad sometimes.

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? Uncertain I believe the above statement covers this.

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Unknown

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

Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? I was uncertain if an afterlife exists

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Yes there was definitely the assurance that there really was nothing to worry about if I was dead or dying, it just did not matter

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? Moderately 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? Unknown

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 we need to forgive everything

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

Were you compassionate prior to your experience? Unknown

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Yes totally describable LOVE using our language, verbal or otherwize

Were you compassionate after your experience? Moderately compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Large changes in my life Large changes in my life

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Uncertain Uncertain Again I don't quite understand the question. Of course my relationships have changed as a result, but I don't know how, since I had only lived 9 years up until then.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes There are not words that can adequately convey that kind of peace.

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 It s still vividly alive in my mind today almost 70 years later

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? Love and peace, not necessarily the kind I see on earth.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes About 68 years

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 probably not real Can any nine year old kid be really affected soon after an event?

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was probably real It was real because adults told me so at the time, at least the drowning part. I don't remember telling anybody about my 'experience' for years and definitely not at the time.

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