Darrell C NDE

Experience Description

I flatlined for the 12 minutes that I left my body. I was hovering about 3 feet above my bed and looking at my body.

My wife sitting beside the left side of my bed. A beautiful blue, shimmering light appeared in between us. The blue light communicated with me a profound and powerful sense of love. I quickly ascertained that I was in the presence of the creator of the universe and in the presence of the holy spirit. Initially, I thought it might be God himself, but then realized that God is a person not a blue, shimmering light. After a few minutes, the whole scene just dissipated.

My next conscious thought was 17 days later, when they decided that I was now able to breath on my own.

I was Christian-protestant before this experience. I thought I was a Christian but was not born again. I just went to church.

A few minutes after coming out of my induced coma and waking up, I look to my right and my wife was sitting there holding my hand. The first words out of my mouth were, 'I am going to serve the Lord the rest of my life.' I have no idea where that statement came from. It just came out.

I vividly remember my experience, but I have no recollection of visiting with my sons who came to visit me in the hospital. The experience has had a large impact on my life and I have spent every waking moment since that time serving the lord.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 12/1/2012

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Life threatening event, but not clinical death. Heart attack. I was rushed to hospital put on life support where I remained for seventeen days. I flat lined three times all together. One time, I flatlined for 12 minutes.

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

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I was aware that I was looking at my body and aware of my wife's presence in the room. 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? Less consciousness and alertness than normal. I don’t know how to answer this question. I was not conscious for 17 days

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? I was in a coma for 17 days

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. I had no previous vision

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Not applicable

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

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

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? No

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Joy and peace and the love coming from the holy spirit

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. Hard question to answer. It was just a state of euphoria

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? No

God, Spiritual and Religion:

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

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes Like I already said, I am an extremely committed believer

What is your religion now? Christian- Protestant I am a born again, bible reading, bible believing, biblically centered believer in and follower of Jesus Christ

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

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes Much more aware of my propensity to anger

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? 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? Yes The holy spirit is part of the trinity so is part of the creator God

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes I later determined that the blue light was a manifestation of the holy spirit.

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? An afterlife definitely exists. I was aware of eternal life

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? Yes I knew that I was in the presence of the holy spirit which is love.

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Large changes in my life. The holy spirit placed within me an insatiable desire to get to know God personally. I have spent thousands of hours in the bible since.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes I have developed many close, intimate friendships.

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. Vivid recall even these many years later.

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? One of the most remarkable things about my experience was my wife's response when I said to her, 'I am going to serve the Lord the rest of my life.' Her reply was, 'So am I.'

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes As soon as I could I shared it with my pastor. Since then, I've told anyone who will listen. I have impacted many people.

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’m the one that had the experience and don’t care what others think. Makes no difference to me.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real. I have zero doubt it was real

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? No

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? Can’t think of any