Brent Probable NDE

Experience Description

In the early winter months of 1998, I fell ill with severe stomach pain. At the time, I was only 13 years old and only concerned with playing sports and being with my friends as much as possible. The pain began as a very subtle pain that was located directly in the middle of my stomach and the pain would come and go. Over the course of a few weeks, it began worsening. Finally after nearly a month, my grandmother took me to my doctor who evaluated and diagnosed me with constipation and gas pains. I was given medications and sent home. However, over the next two weeks, the pain became so severe that I was nearly unable to function. Lying on my side was all I could do to be comfortable. Eventually, I stopped eating and became so ill that I was rushed to the local emergency room for more evaluation and testing. My vitals were extremely poor and the doctors feared that I was becoming septic due to high fevers and vital signs. After weeks of testing and treatments the doctors finally found that I had a rare condition that had caused my intestines to twist. Over the course of time, a small section of intestine tissue had died. I was quickly scheduled for surgery and on February 2, 1999 I went into the operating room. The surgeons informed my family and I that the procedure would only take 5 hours and at the time I remember being terrified but at the same time, the amount of pain I was in seemed to override my hesitation about having the surgery. I remember the IV's and being wheeled into the operating room to be met by a group in complete gowns ready to operate. The anesthesiologist placed a mask over my face and had me count down from 10... Now, I'm not sure how long I had been under but I remember waking up during the procedure for just a split second. The people in the room sounded like they were under water trying to talk and then I went back out.

Next thing I knew, my eyes opened up and I'm sitting in the bed with the most golden and brightest, yet warmest, light I have every seen or experienced. It was shining through a window to my left. There was no pain; there was no fear. I felt completely at ease. At this point I felt a slight brush on my left hand. As I looked to the side of my bed, there was a woman sitting with me. She was completely engulfed in this golden light. I could not make out her face and she wasn't looking at me. She slowly continued to brush my hand over and over again. I attempted to speak, 'Where is my mom?' But she didn't reply. As I began to attempt to pull my hand away from the woman, she grasped my hand with both of her hands and slowly turned to me. She was a younger woman with blondish hair. She had a grin on her face that instantly made me smile in return. The look was giving almost said, 'Relax, you're not alone.' I couldn't take my eyes off of her. It felt like I was sitting with her for hours and never once felt a sense of fear or anxiety. Suddenly, the woman released my hand and stood up. She peered over to me again, smiled a big smile and walked backward towards the window, causing me to lose sight of her in the blinding golden light.

All of a sudden, I woke up to so much pain that I begin to scream. My mom is now at my side and summoned the nurses who helped by increasing my pain medications. Confused and drugged, I went back to sleep. After a few days of recovery, my mom tells me that there had been complications during the operation and that the 5 hour operation turned into an 8 hour ordeal. My body temperature and vitals had dropped and the surgeons found more issues than expected once they got inside my body to the problem area. I asked my mom how long I had been in the recovery room after surgery and who the nurse was. This is the point that she informed me that after the operation, I was brought directly to the room I was currently in to recover. Confused, I told her she was wrong because I had a nurse taking care of me in the bright recovery room. She ignored me thinking that it was the drugs that caused me to hallucinate. However, to this day, I still believe that I meet someone, possibly an angel, in that room. I can't explain it but what an amazing experience.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: Feb. 1999

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? No Illness. Surgery-related. Illness, trauma or other condition not considered life threatening

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

Did you feel separated from your body? No No

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness? Less consciousness and alertness than normal It was during a surgery. I was under anesthesia.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Before and After Surgery

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Time seemed to go faster or slower than usual It seemed like 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. I can't compare the two. The room I was in, the woman that was with me, the feeling of complete bliss/ease: can't compare them.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. There was no speaking or sounds except when I asked for my mom.

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 Hard to describe but it was very warm, golden and bright.

The experience included: A landscape or city

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Some unfamiliar and strange place A room with the bright light and a small window to my left. Not a strange feeling. Actually, it was very nice.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Happiness, ease, bliss.

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 united or one with the world

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? Unaffiliated- Nothing in particular- Religious unaffiliated Raised Methodist

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Uncertain

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

What is your religion now? Christian- Other Christian

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? Yes I never took life for granted again.

The experience included: Presence of unearthly beings

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 A lovely young woman.

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? I was uncertain if God exists

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Uncertain Im not sure who or what the woman was.

Do you believe in the existence of God after your experience? God probably 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 probably 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 exists

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

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

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

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes Again, I take no one for granted and now I feel for people way more, now that I'm an adult.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes The events that took place were extremely vivid. However, trying to get anyone to listen to my story because of the situation was hard.

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 th I remember the experience more accurately than other life events that occurred around the time of th

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? The woman in the light.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Some believed me, and others stated it was probably the drugs I was given.

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 what I saw and felt

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

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