Bryan C NDE

Experience Description

On a late November 9, 2013, I fell from a six-foot ladder. I landed on the back of my head, knocking me unconscious.

At first, it was quiet and completely dark. I do not know how long I was unconscious, but, during the period of my unconsciousness, I had an experience. I was greeted by a kind and loving voice. Then I went into a brightly lit area, where I was allowed to see the fall which I had experienced. I saw several video-like snippets of past events in my life. Next, I was in a circular dome of colors. It was like being in a a soap bubble, with people sitting around the outside of the bubble. Although I could not see the people clearly enough to recognize any faces, I did have a feeling of great love coming from them.

Then I woke up and returned to consciousness because my dog was licking me in the face.

I agree with many reports that describe peace, body separation, entering darkness, seeing the light, entering the light, being surrounded by people who I could not recognize while feeling so loved, and viewing past experiences in my recent past. I also agree that I definitely did not want to return to my earthly life.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 11-9-2013

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident Direct head injury. Other: Fell from a 12-foot ladder and landed on my head, resulting in immediate loss of consciousness and complete blackness.

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. I could feel the feelings of others, and I had a total absence of fear, anxiety or apprehension.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Immediately prior to returning to life.

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. I have no idea how long I was in the bubble, but the video snippets came in rapid succession, with no explanation given for any of them.

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 more colorful and clearer.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. The conversation I had, with a voice that had no body, was very direct, with me only asking one question.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere, as if by ESP? No

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Uncertain When I awoke from the total darkness, the kind voice told me to go into the bubble, which looked like a lighted soap bubble that was lit from within. It had beautiful colors moving around on its surface like a giant soap bubble. I cannot remember how I traveled to the bubble, but I was in less light and moving toward brighter light.

Did you see any beings in your experience? I sensed their presence

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes Outside the large soap bubble, there were many people sitting in rows. The soap bubble distorted the people to the point that they were not recognizable. I felt that they were people who loved me from the time I was alive, but I could only feel their intense love.

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? A light clearly of mystical or other-worldly origin

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Some unfamiliar and strange place. I was in a large soap bubble, which was like a planetarium. I was sitting in very comfortable reclining chair and viewing snippets of past experiences in my recent past. Through the bubble, I could see rows of human-like images, sitting in theater-like rows, watching what was happening. Inside the bubble, I could only hear a comforting voice speak to me; but I could never see where the voice was coming from.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? At first, I was apprehensive; but, after hearing the voice speak to me, I was completely calm, at peace and in total acceptance.

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? Everything about the universe. During the entire experience, I spoke three times. I responded to the question, 'Would you like to see what happened to you?' I said, 'Yes'. I responded to the question, 'Is there anyone here on Earth that you need to take care of?' I said, 'My children'. I asked a single question during the video snippets, 'Where are the bad things which I had done?' The voice said, 'God didn't see those, for I took them for you.'

Did scenes from your past come back to you? My past flashed before me, out of my control. There were many snippets, like videos being shown on a screen, of random acts of kindness which I had performed.

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 was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Protestant Long history of church, Sunday school, teaching Sunday school, and ordained minister.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I am in frequent communication with my higher power, discuss it openly with anyone who desires to, have formed a friendship with an exorcist, and I am much more open about my spirituality.

What is your religion now? Christian- Protestant Have explored several Christian religions and studied theology.

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. I came out of the experience very happy, after my initial dislike for coming back. My faith became much stronger. I began to explore reading about subjects, which were only passing curiosity before. I tried to find the good in people, where, before, I often criticized the bad. I came to the realization that nothing happens, without a purpose and God's will; and I let go of the concept that I somehow had power over my life.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I am less judgmental of people, more generous, and more deeply spiritual.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? I heard a voice I could not identify

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.)? Yes At one point, when watching the videos of my recent past, I asked, 'Where are the bad things which I have done?' The voice said, 'God cannot see those, for I took those from your life.'

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

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

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes I heard the voice say 'God did not see those, since I took them for you.'

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes Almost immediately, I underwent what can only be described as a spiritual transformation, wherein I became convinced that I had been spared by divine intervention in order to change the model for mediation of conflicts, which is what I do for a living.

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

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? An afterlife definitely exists Uncertain. I have previously described what occurred, which I perceived as some sort of judgment, witnessed by many people, outside the soap bubble.

Did you gain information about how to live our lives? Uncertain When I awoke, I no longer feared death, was certain that there is a loving and forgiving God, and began to behave with absolute faith in all aspects of my life.

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

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Yes I felt intense love coming into the soap bubble from the people sitting in the round outside the bubble.

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Large changes in my life. I was hyper-manic for several months, could not sleep well, rarely ate, and lost sixty pounds in sixty days. I could not control my behavior nor choices; and that lasted for about four months afterward. I ultimately underwent several CT scans and MRI scans, at the direction of a radiologist friend, all of which were normal.

I also underwent numerous lab tests of my blood, all of which were normal. This convinced me that I had not been injured in the fall and that my newly acquired spiritual awakening was real. Several physician friends of mine concluded that I was exhibiting secondary mania following a traumatic brain injury. One morning, I awoke; and I felt normal again, although the kindness and spirituality of my life has remained. There is no doubt in my mind that I suffered a traumatic brain injury, but I do not believe that explains what I experienced while unconscious. (or dead)

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Uncertain I am no longer acting out due to the hyper-mania; and all of my relationships are pretty much back to normal.

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 can relive it, moment by moment; and, within days, I recorded it all in a journal.

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? Hearing a unseen voice tell me that my bad deeds were of no consequence made me like and accept myself more. I know what will happen when I die, and I am unconcerned.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Immediately. Some reacted very favorably, while others thought it was simply a physiological or chemical reaction to the trauma. Some were, but some weren't.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes I had seen movies, read things, and seen television shows depicting NDEs.

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

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real The NDE was real; and the traumatic brain injury was real.

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

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? In the aftermath, when hyper-manic and until returning to my new normal, I was very frightened that the after effects would be permanent. I wonder if others, who suffered traumatic head injuries, had similar feelings and reactions.