Dane L NDE

Experience Description

I was in a dark area, like in a room. I saw a light coming from around the door. It was as if the door couldn’t stop the light. I went to the door and opened it. I saw a long, bright, clean corridor. I “walked”, not sure how I moved, down the corridor toward a white door at the end. I noticed that the door was very beautiful, not ornate, but clean and had a very beautiful gold knob. I looked at the knob for what seemed several minutes. I knew I could not open the door, but I wanted to. I knew that Heaven was on the other side, but I couldn’t go. I didn’t hear a voice but knew I couldn’t open it. The only way to describe what I felt in that corridor was love, no pain, no pressures, and no sadness. I turned and went back through the door where I came in and shut it.

That’s the first time I remember waking up in the hospital after the car accident.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 09/04/1981

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident. Life threatening event, but not clinical death. Very bad car accident that I should not have lived through it.

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

Did you feel separated from your body? No

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 knew I was close to Heaven and in the corridor I knew where it went. I felt I knew these things with nothing being spoken.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? In the corridor.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

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. I felt my senses were heightened but not drastically so.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I felt thoughts without hearing anything.

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

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes As described, it was a corridor.

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? Yes The light in the dark area could not be stopped or contained in my opinion.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm. I knew that corridor led to Heaven

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Love!

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? 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. I knew I had to go back and could not pass through the door. I wanted to open the door.

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Unaffiliated- Nothing in particular- Secular unaffiliated I knew of God, had been to churches, but was not a born again christian.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes After accepting Christ, I try to live my life according to God.

What is your religion now? Christian- Protestant Accepted Christ 06/10/1999

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 didn’t believe in God like I should.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes After I was born again.

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. I don’t remember hearing but knew there was communication.

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? Yes I was aware of God and Heaven, before it seemed like a subconscious thought.

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? Yes Very clear to me that there was God and Heaven.

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes With all my being, I knew God was beyond that door.

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Uncertain. I say uncertain because I had an ignorant haughtiness that God had a special purpose for me. He was letting me know of His love.

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

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? Yes I knew God and Heaven were beyond the door.

Did you gain information about how to live our lives? Yes Years later after accepting Christ, and reading Matthew 7:8. I knew that I couldn’t open the door because I had not knocked, or asked God for forgiveness through His Son, Jesus Christ.

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 Only way I can describe that corridor is love.

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Large changes in my life After this kind of experience I’m embarrassed to say it took me 18 years later to finally accept Christ as my Lord and Savior.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes I forgive because I’ve been forgiven. I know I have a Holy Spirit that guides me.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes I wasn’t certain people would believe me. But you can’t take away from me the way I felt.

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 remember that event, but don’t remember anything that happened a couple weeks prior to the accident. I didn’t know what hospital I was in or why I was there.

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? Yes, Gods love for us, I was a twenty-year-old US Marine who definitely didn’t or now does not deserve Gods love. He was showing me His love and is a patient God who waited for me to accept Him 18 years later.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes But not much. I’m hesitant because of peoples' reactions.

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. When I woke after closing the door, I was in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital. Machines and tubes hooked up to me. But my first thought was I got in Heaven because the drapes were pulled around me and no one was in there. I went back out, and the second time I woke up there was a nurse there. This was four days after the accident. I was in a coma for four days I was told.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real. I know I really wanted to go through that door and into Heaven. It wasn’t like a dream to me, but very real.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Yes I have a friend, a spiritual mentor who is gifted with seeing things in the spiritual world. While on the phone praying with him I reached up and clenched my fist and felt love come down my arm and I saw I had ahold of a garment, a robe, and I looked up and Jesus was dragging me and He said if this is how we have to do it then this is how we’ll do it. I think my NDE helped me to see and understand this.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? I got your website reading Pastor John Burkes book Imagine Heaven. It is good to read this and see how my experience and how I’ve felt is similar to others. Although I’m jealous I didn’t get to see Heaven and God like some did.