Clyde S NDE

Experience Description

I was in the park in Little Rock, checking out the SCA. The SCA is an international organization dedicated to researching and re-creating the arts and skills of pre-seventeenth-century Europe. While watching, I was given the chance to put on knight's armor and a shield, and then wear them in a fight. After about fifteen minutes, I started to get light-headed. I called for a break and started to walk over to the shade (and I might add that it was 110F degrees in the shade). Anyway, after taking about four or five steps, I went down on one knee and stuck the sword into the ground to try to keep myself from falling. It was at this point that I thought to myself, ‘So this is what it's like to die.’ I remember having some regrets that I would be leaving my wife. Then I began to fall over onto my side.

In an instant, I was above my body, and then I found myself walking along a path, turning down another path and into a hall, which had lavender fog on both sides and lavender fog about knee deep on the floor. I could see people in the fog on both sides of me, and they were all waving and smiling at me, even though I didn't know any of them. I walked on to the end of the hall and stepped out into a glade that was surrounded by a forest. All of it was lavender-colored. The sky was lavender and the fog was still lavender and swirling around my feet. I was looking around and going, ‘Wow!’ and ‘Far out! This is really cool!’ About that time, I noticed ahead of me an opening in the trees from which a lady emerged and started walking toward me. She was dressed in a lavender gown! I never saw her face, as it was sort of blanked out. Anyway, she came up to me, placed her hand on my forehead, and gently pushed me back down. That is when I woke up, back in my body. There was a doctor who was a member of the SCA working on me. He told me later that I had had no pulse, breathing, or heartbeat for three or four minutes and that I had been dead.

I later realized that several years earlier we had buried my adopted mother in a lavender gown. I didn't see anything scary or hellish, and because I was into satanic things at the time, I would have thought that I'd have seen hell or have been tormented by demons or something. As it was, what I saw was all very peaceful and tranquil, and I haven't been afraid of death since. In fact, I look forward to going to the other side. From time to time in recent years, I have seen my home on the other side. I really long to be going home to the mountains and the lake that is there, with my beautiful log home sitting beside the mountain lake. Over the past several years, I have altered my views on religion. I now believe that the God of the Bible that I was brought up to believe in doesn't exist. But the afterlife is what we want it to be and it can be what we make it.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 1994

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Uncertain 'Life threatening event, but not clinical death'

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? 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

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? The whole time I was out of my body.

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No

Were your senses more vivid than usual? More vivid than usual

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. It seemed more acute.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I never really heard anything.

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

The experience included: Tunnel

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes A hallway that had lavender fog on both the walls and the floor.

The experience included: Presence of deceased persons

Did you see any beings in your experience? No

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes My adopted mother, I think. I’m not really sure now if it was her, as I could not see her face. It was like a blank.

The experience included: Unearthly light

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? No

Did you see an unearthly light? No

The experience included: A landscape or city

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm It was like being in a magical realm. A place where I was cool and did not have to be hot anymore.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Peace and tranquility, but a high degree of excitement, as well.

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? No

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 The woman would not let me go any farther than the glade that we were in. I didn't have a choice about going any farther.

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What importance did you place on your religious/spiritual life prior to your experience? Not important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Other or several faiths Was into Satanic witchcraft at time.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I no longer believe in the heaven or hell of the Bible.

What importance do you place on your religious/spiritual life after your experience? Not important to me

What is your religion now? Unaffiliated- Agnostic Agnostic

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 I wasn't given the oppertunity too ask any questions or too investigate any of the things that was going on in my life at the time.

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? No

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? No

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? Unknown

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? No

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? Unknown

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 definitely exists

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

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

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

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Unknown

Were you fearful living your life after your experience? Unknown

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? Unknown

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? Slightly compassionate toward others

During your experience, did you gain information about love? No

Were you compassionate after your experience? Slightly compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? No changes in my life

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No No

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 Its still as vivid now as it was back then when it happened.

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? No, other than the fact that I now know that death is not to be feared. It is one of the greatest adventures a person can have and that going to the other side is something to be looked forward to.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Some were interested, but others were turned off by it.

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 knew that what I experienced was real, but for about a year afterwards, I really didn't think about it much.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real I know that it was real and no one can convince me that it wasn't.

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 had always thought that I had been a knight in a past life. Having a chance to put on knightly armor and fight like they did in medieval times, even for a few minutes, was a thrill and an adventure for me.

Did the questions asked and information that you provided accurately and comprehensively describe your experience? Uncertain