Cyril C NDE

Experience Description

It started in 1971. I was twenty years old and had just been laid off from my job (upholsterer). To make ends meet, I got job at a builder's merchant's factory. After being there a few months, I started getting severe headaches. They were so severe that I was going to the pub to try to rid them by having few beers. NO GOOD. It didn't work. So the next step was trying out a few spliffs, hope you know what I mean.

Anyway, things were getting so bad, my dad phoned the doctor. I went there, just normal headaches SHE said. I was going there week in week out, until the day came when I couldn't move from the sofa in the front room. I was sick everywhere and every ten minutes, I couldn't eat no more, ended up they rushed me to the hospital, because of problems with my ears they thought that's best place for me. It was there that I kept going in and out of comas. They decided then to send me to the Neurological Centre. I died twice on way to the Hospital. (These are things I was told, as I was unconscious.)

Well I had abscess on the brain, caused by weeping from the ear - instead of coming out of my ear it traveled upwards and onto the brain. They told my mum and dad and my brother there wasn't much hope. When I was in bed and a priest was at the end of the bed reading last rites, I left my body. I WAS above everybody looking down I could see what was going on, my mum and brother cuddling each other, my dad hiding behind a large curtain and crying, he obviously didn't want people to see him.

I'm was then wheeled on a trolley to theatre I'm still ABOVE looking down on everything. Gets into theatre and see all the silver dishes gleaming down onto me, saw the surgeon. Anyway, he picked up this green drill, how did I know it was GREEN? Because I could SEE everything. Then there was two nurses, I could see their faces passing objects to the surgeon, remember the nurse's faces were half covered but I could see them. The drilling began, I now started to leave the operating theatre, and YES into a TUNNEL, yes we have all heard of the tunnel. It was a pleasant trip because at end of tunnel I could hear children laughing and playing, but could not see them. The grass was so lush Green, not a weed in sight. Then there was this dark shadow looking at me. I didn't know who it was, but the shape looked like my grandfather, I will never know, or maybe I will when my turn comes to die. It was so, so, so nice and peaceful in this place I started to go to a hill where I'm sure I would have seen all the children and people on other side. But then came this ENORMOUS but GENTLE hand that pushed me back and calming voice said you are not ready. Next thing I can remember is going back into my body on the ward, the priest had gone, but I was out for a few weeks, then slowly but surely, I was getting better.

Now when I was fit enough on the ward I saw the two nurses that were in the theatre I called them both over when they were together, and I said you were in the theatre when I was being operated on. They were AMAZED how did you know that? I told them, they didn't know what to say, but YES you are right we were.

Now when I saw the doctor 'so about that Green drill' I asked him the color of the drill he used to drill into my skull? He replied with GREEN - what can I say.

I said to my parents who was the priest that was standing there, as I pointed the very spot, they couldn't believe I knew exactly where he was standing.

I expect there are non-believers among you, but I KNOW what happened to me. I believe there is life after death, there is a heaven because I think I was nearly there and GOD pushed me away back to my body. And to know what nurses were in theatre when I was unconscious, remember there were then hundreds of nurses I could have picked, and the color of drill?

I also had another operation while in hospital on the inner ear, called a cavity operation. A cavity was made in the ear so weeping couldn't travel upwards and cause the same problem; I was the first person in the United Kingdom to have that operation.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 1971

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? No Illness Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function or brain function) 'abscess on the brain caused by weeping from ear, instead of coming out of ear travelled upwards.'

How do you consider the content of your experience? Wonderful

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes 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? Normal consciousness and alertness I was alert the moment I left my body on the operating table.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? I was alert the moment I left my body on the operating table.

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 felt I was somewhere different, I felt I was in HEAVEN - if only I could have reached that hill and over it.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Incredibly more vivid

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I was already hard of hearing in left ear before this happened.

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? Yes It wasn't dark or light it was calm again. It wasn't silver it was type of calm grey.

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 heard children's and people's voices over a hill, also I saw a DARK shadow of a man that I thought looked like my grandfather, but unsure of who it was.

The experience included: Darkness

The experience included: Light

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 I was going toward a light at the end of the tunnel.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm Grass was beautiful lush soft green like a snooker table.no weeds anywhere, and sunshine not hot just PERFECT.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? None at all I was feeling okay, so really NO FEELINGS.

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? Everything about the universe

Did scenes from your past come back to you? My past flashed before me, out of my control I learnt that there is another life and I'm now not scared of anything, or should I say not scared of death at all.

The experience included: Vision of the future

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? Conservative/fundamentalist NONE

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I still don't go to church, but I'm a believer and don't need to go to church, I pray to God every night on my own. I even asking for another sign.

What is your religion now? Conservative/fundamentalist NONE

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I still don't go to church, but I'm a believer and don't need to go to church, I pray to God every night on my own. I even asking for another sign.

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? Yes I wasn't a church goer; I didn't believe or not believe in God, but after that I DO NOW, and have done ever since.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes I didn't want to tell people and didn't tell people for years, I was afraid of people taking the Mickey, not believing me.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Uncertain I sometimes feel when a person if very ill, even if I don't know them - difficult to describe.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? My outlook on life is still good and I love my family, but I'm not afraid to die I know there is good to come. Also, the only thing that is in my mind was when my dad passed away about twelve years ago now. I was only person that didn't cry, I knew he was going to be okay. I felt happy for him, sorry for my mum, but happy for my dad. Does that seem right to you?

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes It took me well over twenty-plus years before I spoke to my mother about it and my brother, but exactly what I thought even though they were surprised how accurate I was and they knew I was, they kept making excuses, had me even feeling I was fibbing, but I KNOW I'M NOT.

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 saw two nurses I was heavily sedated for a few months then as I was coming off drugs in hospital I recognized the two nurses on same shift. I confronted them and asked if they were the same two in the theatre. 'YES' they said in amazement how did you know? 'I saw you,' I said. Again, they were amazed but they were then called away. Then I saw the surgeon who performed operation I said was that a GREEN drill you used? He looked at me with eyes wide open, how did you know that he said. I saw I said. He then went onto other things, how I'm feeling etc.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real From two main facts NURSES and drill, oh and exactly where the priest stood at end of my bed. Remember there is over a hundred nurses in a hospital. And I told my dad where the priest stood. He said you're guessing. I wasn't I saw him - his thumb on my forehead as well.

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? YES - IT'S SO, SO, SO REAL.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? I think your questions are good.