Dan R NDE

Experience Description

I contracted three strains of the mosquito-borne disease (dengue fever) while was working in Mexico. By the time I reached a CDC-affiliated doctor in Atlanta, Georgia, my condition had deteriorated into meningoencephalitis. When I entered the hospital, it felt like my brain was on fire. When I was taken into the emergency room, my teeth were chattering so bad I couldn’t speak. The hospital record of admission showed that 'The patient is a young man in acute distress.' I found out later that I had contracted three types of Dengue, type 1, type 3 and type 4. I became photosensitive. The light hitting my eyes was painful. The doctor turned down the lights in the hospital room. I understood why dengue was called break-bone fever.

The fever was causing me to become delusional. I had no idea what was going on and was in terrible pain. I thought that I was being tortured by someone breaking the bones in my hand with a hammer. I yelled, 'I don’t know what you want. I don’t know anything.' Then, I thought someone was peeling the skin from the back of my other hand.

Later, I discovered that one nurse was tapping my hand to put an IV needle in and another nurse was trying to comfort me by stroking the back of my other hand.

They rolled me over on my side to do a spinal. As the doctor stuck the needle in, the pain sent me over the edge.

I found myself up in the corner of the ceiling, watching the doctor draw fluid from my spine. When he pulled the needle out, I shot back into my body and out the other side. I began floating away in blackness. It was very peaceful, very calming, and very quiet. After a time, I heard a disembodied voice say, 'You understand you are dying now.' I felt that I was being given a choice. I could continue floating away or to return back to my body. Susan and my daughters were still at the border in Texas and it didn’t feel right to me to die without them being there. So, I made the decision to return. The sensation of floating away stopped. I began floating back a level at a time in the darkness. At each level, I would rest for a while.

I reached a level where I could begin to hear voices. At the next level, I could begin to make out light. Finally, I returned to consciousness.

The medical staff asked me if I knew my name, where I was, and if I knew who the president was. But, I couldn't speak. I couldn't get my mouth to form words. During the next week, medical staff would have to change the bedding several times a day because of sweating from the fever.

Many people become religious after a near-death experience, but for me it was just the opposite. My NDE brought me to a place where I no longer need answers to all the big questions. I’m content to let the mystery be.

These pictures are from my NDE. When I use a type of 3D glasses, the painted pictures appear in 3D and look like the images are floating.




Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 6 Sep 1991

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Illness Life threatening event, but not clinical death. I contracted three strains of the mosquito-borne disease, dengue fever, while was working in Mexico. By the time I reached a CDC-affiliated doctor in Atlanta, my condition had deteriorated into meningoencephalitis.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Neither pleasant NOR distressing

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I found myself up in the corner of the ceiling watching the doctor draw fluid from my spine. When he pulled the needle out, I shot back into my body and out the other side. Later, during the floating away, I heard a disembodied voice say 'You understand you are dying now.' 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 don't know if I experienced a change in consciousness. This is a difficult question to answer.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? I would guess when I found myself up in the corner of the room looking down on the doctors treating me in the hospital.

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. I had the experience of floating away, but time lost its 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. I was floating away in darkness. My vision was of blackness.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I only heard the disembodied voice.

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

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Uncertain. I was surrounded by blackness so I don't know where I was at.

Did you see any beings in your experience? No

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? No

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

Did you see an unearthly light? No

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Some unfamiliar and strange place. I began floating away in blackness. It was very peaceful, very calming, and very quiet.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Peaceful, calm, love.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Relief or calmness

Did you have a feeling of joy? No

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 definite conscious decision to return to life I began floating away in blackness. It was very peaceful, very calming, very quiet. After a time, I heard a disembodied voice say 'You understand you are dying now.' I felt that I was being given a choice. To continue floating away or to return. Susan and my daughters were still at the border in Texas and it didn’t feel right to me to die without them being there. So, I made the decision to return. The sensation of floating away stopped. I began floating back a level at a time in the darkness. At each level, I would rest for a while. I reached a level where I could begin to hear voices. At the next level, I could begin to make out light. Finally, I returned to consciousness.

God, Spiritual and Religion:

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

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes Many people become religious after a near-death experience, but for me it was just the opposite. My NDE brought me to a place where I no longer need answers to all the big questions. I’m content to let the mystery be.

What is your religion now? Unaffiliated- Nothing in particular- Religious unaffiliated

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was entirely consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience. I didn't really assign any relation to my beliefs during the NDE. It just happened. I never assigned an identity to the voice that I heard.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes Many people become religious after a near-death experience, but for me it was just the opposite. My NDE brought me to a place where I no longer need answers to all the big questions. I’m content to let the mystery be.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? I heard a voice I could not identify. I began floating away in blackness. It was very peaceful, very calming, very quiet. After a time, I heard a disembodied voice say 'You understand you are dying now.'

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

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

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? No

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

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? No

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

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

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Large changes in my life Many people become religious after a near-death experience, but for me it was just the opposite. My NDE brought me to a place where I no longer need answers to all the big questions. I’m content to let the mystery be.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? I went from having a degree in geology and teaching appropriate technology around the world to becoming an artist and writer. This had a dramatic effect on my relationship with friends and family.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes I had suffered a brain injury from the multiple fevers. It took me years to find a way to express what had happened to me.

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. Thirty-two years later, the intensity and remembrance of the NDE has not faded.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes I became an artist and writer.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? That I felt as if I was floating away, not going to a light. That it was the love of my wife and family that brought me back.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Several months.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes Just general knowledge that they occurred.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real. Because of the brain injury, it took me several months to process what had happened to me.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real. Every aspect of my life has been impacted by the NDE.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Yes My nights became filled with mystical, primal, otherworldly dreams. I would have to hold onto the bed frame to keep myself from falling through the bed or from floating away. I lost the sense of being contained in my body.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? I believe that during my near death experience my brain opened a door into my sub-conscious into the realm of primal experience.