David K NDEs

Experience Description

At the age of 28 (1978), I was a full-time professional musician working for RCA recording artist Razzy Bailey. My wisdom teeth had finally come in and I decided to find a local dentist to remove them. So, after locating a dentist I set up a time when I could get it done.

On the day of my dental visit, I realized that he was not going to put me to sleep like I had been told by other folks. He assured me that there would be no problem with the procedure. I was born premature with many health problems. When I was a child, I had numerous situations where my heart would go into arrythmia and I would collapse on the floor for up to an hour or more, and then eventually my heart would reset on its own back to normal rhythm. By my teen years it had settled down and was not as bothersome.

After the dentist gave me some shots to numb the pain for the procedure he proceeded with the extractions. After a few short minutes I begin to realize I was in trouble. Even though the dentist gave me a local shot, the pain was excruciating. I also found out that the dentist was in over his head with my procedure. My wisdom teeth had curves at the root which made it extremely difficult to extract the teeth. After trying with all his strength, he decided to get his sledge hammer and chisel (dentist version) and tried splitting the teeth in two. He had me help support my jaw by holding the bottom of my jaw every time he hit the tooth with his sledge hammer and chisel. By then my heart was starting to act up really bad. I was going in and out of arrythmia and consciousness.

And then it happened. The next thing I knew I was above my body looking down at the dentist and the assistant. I wasn’t sure who that was in the dentist chair and was not really concerned. Both the dentist and dental assistant were slapping and shaking the body in the chair and screaming at it. I then realized at that moment that I was not in any kind of pain and I felt just fine, almost oblivious to what was going on. I found myself up near the ceiling of the surgery suite but I could also see the other rooms. I could see my wife in the waiting room sitting up and putting down her magazine and looking startled and looking at the surgery suite where I was at. The receptionist was also looking concerned and facing the surgery suite. I found out later they both could hear the doctor/assistant slapping and screaming at me. We also found out later that the dentist said that they could not find a pulse during that time.

I don’t know how long I was in this way. I just know that I was content and I enjoying the moment. Everything felt very peaceful. Eventually, my heart started up again and the next thing I knew I was back in my body and feeling horrible from the pain and beating. Between the teeth/jaw hurting and the result of the dentist and assistant shaking and slapping me, I felt miserable.

My wife immediately took me home for a while (I actually had a musical performance that evening). During the ride home I was still trying to figure out what happened to me. At first, I did not know what happened with me but over the next few days I begin to realize that I had actually left my body. I did not tell anyone though! In 1978 I had never even heard of a near death experience. I was afraid that everybody would think I was nuts.

Over the course of the next few years my heart would slip into arrhythmia too many times to count. The result was that I ended up in the cardio unit of intensive care in the local hospital many times. At the worst of my heart health experience, I was in arrhythmia for over two months. When I am in arrhythmia, I cannot even sit up, or walk and my heart is racing extremely fast.

There were several more times when my heart stopped. One of the most dramatic events was when I was in the intensive care unit in the cardio ward at the hospital. I was already in arrythmia and completely wired up and monitored. At that time my heart stopped again. I was considered code blue and everybody was scrambling to my bed. During this time, I again left my body, but this time I was in a completely dark room. I was totally aware that I was out of my body but was in a very dark and peaceful space. After what seemed like quite a while I was suddenly thrust back into my body with the doctors and nurses working on me. They told me that the monitors showed that my heart had stopped for a few minutes.

There was another time when I was at home when my heart decided to stop while I was trying to walk down my hallway (while in AFib). My wife immediately called the paramedics (who happened to be almost next door). They started working on me and told my wife that they could not find a pulse. During this time, I again found myself in a dark room floating around. But after a few minutes my heart restarted and I again woke up.

Over time the doctors figured out that I had a condition called sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). SCA is the sudden loss of all heart activity due to an irregular heart rhythm. Breathing stops. The person becomes unconscious. Without immediate treatment, sudden cardiac arrest can lead to death.

By my middle thirties this condition improved enough that my heart never stopped again. And eventually my arrythmia also ceased.

As the years have passed, I now understand what an NDE is. I feel like I had a mini NDE because I did not see the white light or go to Heaven. I just left my body. But I experienced enough to know that I am no longer afraid of death. I know that we are all eternal beings.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 1978

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Surgery-related Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function) I died while the dentist was removing my wisdom teeth. It took a few minutes for the dentist to get my heart to restart.

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

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I could see the dentist, the assistant, my wife, and the receptionist becoming alarmed over my heart stopping. 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 aware of my surroundings that I saw while I was up near the ceiling out of my body.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? The entire time

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No

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 could see 360 degrees when I was experiencing the NDE.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I could hear everything in all three rooms at the same time.

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? 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? I was very calm and tranquil, very peaceful.

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

Did you have a feeling of joy? Happiness

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? No

God, Spiritual and Religion:

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

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I am much less religious but much more spiritual.

What is your religion now? Unaffiliated- Nothing in particular- Religious unaffiliated I am spiritual but not religious

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 was raised a Methodist. What happened to me during my NDE went against all of my religious upbringing.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes Knowing we are eternal beings and not fearing death has changed how I look at life now.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? No

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? Moderate changes in my life. I don't fear death anymore.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? I am a lot more loving and forgiving to others. Yes

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes At the time is was impossible to describe.

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 experienc.e I can still remember the color and style of the furniture in the waiting room (1960's style) and what the dentist looked like (older-silver hair balding).

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? I guess knowing that is a lot more to us than this earthly existence.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes It was close to thirty years before I shared it with my wife. Eventually I wrote a book about it.

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 probably real. I believe it was to show me that there is a lot more to our physical experience than just what we have on Earth.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real. I have done a lot of research regarding NDEs and now know there is a much larger picture to our existence.

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? I believe my NDE was to show me that there is a larger picture for all of us.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? You covered it very well.

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