David D STE

Experience Description

I dreamed a vivid dream. It was like no other before or since. There was no tunnel, but there was a bright light. It was full of love. It was all encompassing. I understood it to be the Savior, Jesus Christ, but I couldn't see a person in the light. The light was bright beyond description, yet no uncomfortable to look at. In fact, I couldn't look away. It was the most comfortable I've ever been. I have never felt such complete love. I felt nothing else communicated other than the unimaginable love I felt from the light. I loved the light. I loved the source of the light. I awoke still surrounded by glow and love that I felt. I was perfectly awake, but didn't want to move. I had never been more comfortable. I still felt the love and light for several minutes after I awoke. It was an experience I don't fully understand, but one that I treasure and reflect back upon often.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 2001

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Uncertain Dream while sleeping. Possible trouble breathing. Other , but possibly either just an abnormally vivid dream, or trouble breathing NDE. Never clinica Not that I know of. But if it was NDE, then probably a breathing problem during sleep. But I awoke with no discomfort or alarm. Quite the opposite, actually.

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

Did you feel separated from your body? No I lost awareness of my body

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 seemed normally conscious and alert.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? The dream was brief, and my conciousness level was full and consistent. I awoke right after the dream and literally completely alert and concious, and felt I completely remembered the dream from just before I awoke.

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 would not have been able to look at a light so bright with normal vision, yet it was more than comfortable to see in the dream.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I don't remember hearing anything in the dream.

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

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

Did you see any beings in your experience? I sensed their presence

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

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 Incredibly bright, white light. So warm, so comforting, so inviting. It surrounded me and I felt love beyond description.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm I wasn't very aware of the location where I experienced the light, but it did not seem like an earthly location. But the light overwhelmed everything else, so it's hard to say. However, it did seem more like I was brought to His location rather than He came to me. That said, I don't recall any sense of being transported. I was just there.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Just the amazing love I felt from the light.

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? 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? No

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Mormon Devout, practicing member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Christian- Mormon Same. Devout, practicing member.

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 Though experience was consistent with my beliefs, the experience was important to add to my belief. The extent of the love I felt couldn't be understood without experiencing it.

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? I encountered a definite being, or a voice clearly of mystical or unearthly origin I felt a being of love in the light, but could not see a person. But I understood that it was Jesus Christ because of the incredible love I felt emanating from the light. No words can describe the intensity of the love I felt from the being in the light.

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? I sensed their presence

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.)? Yes I understood that it was Jesus in the light, but could not see Him.

During your experience, did you gain information about premortal existence? No

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? Uncertain Perhaps indirectly. The love I felt from the light was surely not limited to me, although I was feeling the love for me at the time of the experience. But I am confident that love I felt from that loving being was much bigger than just the love I felt directed at me.

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes Yes. I understood that Jesus was in the light, even though I could not see Him. I felt his infinite love for me. I felt so much love for Him. Only God could love me that much--that perfectly.

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes Knowing that He loved me that much was pretty special knowledge. No other knowledge was conveyed during the experience, however.

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? Yes I gained a greater understanding of the two great commandments (love God, love your neighbor) on which "hang all the law and the prophets." I felt a love that I should aspire to feel for others, and a love that I should try to be worthy of.

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? Yes It was indirect, but the fact that it seemed to be in an other-worldly place, and that the resurrected Jesus Christ was the source of the light, and present within the light that I saw, I would say that is evidence of a continued existence after this 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 Yes. Love was basically the whole experience. I felt the amazing love from the light. I felt bathed in the love, just as I was bathed in the light. The love and light may have been the same thing, one just seen, and one felt emotionally. What amazing love. It was beyond description.

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Slight changes in my life Not much changed other than I had some grasp on the unimaginable amount of love God felt for me. But that was probably important and I'm sure it has permeated all aspects of my life.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes Yes. At least I hope so. The love I felt from God made me feel that I could love others better. I'm definitely a work in progress, but no doubt, I think of that love I felt, and feel like I should come closer to that in my relationships with those I encounter day-to-day.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes The light and love were beyond description.

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 While the experience seemed as real as conscious events at the time, I have often pondered it since, and so it has remained fresher in my mind than the ordinary events of the time.

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? The amazing light and the warmth and love I felt from it were very meaningful and significant. Knowing not just that God loves me, in some esoteric way, but that He knows and loves me so much, so integrally, has been very important to me.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I shared it with my wife. Probably the same day. But it did not seem to have much impact. But I understand why. It needed to be experienced, not described since no description could come anywhere close to the experience itself. But when I hear of others' NDEs, with the light and love, I feel like I know exactly what they are describing, and I would fumble for words to describe my experience just as they do with theirs.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes I think I had read the book Life After Life back when I was in high school.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real Though it came to me in the context of a dream, it was more real than being awake. I realized that as soon as I woke up, shortly after the dream and have never doubted it since then.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real The glow I felt during the dream continued into the several minutes of being awake after the dream. It was very real at the time and that feeling has never diminished in the least.

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? I think you have done a good job with the questionnaire.