David R NDE

Experience Description

In 1963 I was hit by a car while riding my bike. My body flew 40 feet from the site of impact. I was left with an open compound fracture to my left Fibula and Tibia and a broken left knee. I do not remember the accident but I do remember watching myself being loaded into the ambulance. It was the old fashion kind, like a hearse-looking vehicle where the one back door opens all the way. My next thought was one of floating through white clouds. There was no sky, no ground, no trees and no animals.

I was floating toward an open gate where the light coming from beyond the gate was brighter than the sun but soft enough that you could look at it. I saw a long line of people 4 or 5 abreast going into the gate. As I approached the gate, I was greeted by my grandmother and what I knew to be her sister although we had never met. My grandmother told me to go back, it wasn't my time but I still approached her. After much meditation on the experience as to whether there were arms and legs, I remembered, my grandmother's sister raised her arm out of the mist and pointed and said 'look'. As I turned and looked, I saw an ambulance going down the road about to go under an over pass. As I turned back to my grandmother, I opened my eyes and I was back in the ambulance and we were going under that over pass.

The next thing I remember was waking up in the hospital. I had a cast on my left leg from my toes to my hip. The first thing I said to my mother who was rubbing my temples when I woke up was, 'I saw grandma', SSSHHHHH she said, we will talk about that later. Well later never came and my young mind soon forgot about it. Over the years, I have wondered if it was even real. I wish my mom would have talked to me about it. But even more than that, I wish that I was able to go through the gate to see the other side. Are there trees and animals in heaven? I do not know but I do know that I experienced something beyond this life. Although the thoughts are very vivid, my mind still has trouble accepting the fact that it happened.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 6/18/1963

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? No. Accident Life threatening event, but not clinical death

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

Did you feel separated from your body? No 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 When I was about 5 years old, I was traumatized. I was left with minimal brain damage from lack of 02. It left my thinking dulled. While in heaven, my thinking was still dulled as if the trauma affected my very soul which was now in heaven.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? When talking with my grandmother

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. no change

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. There was no talking through the mouth in heaven and as I think about it, there was no sound at all. We communicated telepathically.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere, as if by ESP? Yes, but the facts have not been checked out

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

Did you see any beings in your experience? I actually saw them

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes my grandmother and her sister

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? An unusually bright light

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes I saw a light shining from the gates of heaven. The light was brighter than the sun but soft enough that you could look at it. I was stopped before I could get through the gates to witness the source of light.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Some unfamiliar and strange place All that I can remember is floating through the clouds toward the bright light.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? none

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? 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? No

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Unaffiliated- Nothing in particular- Religious unaffiliated

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Christian- Catholic

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

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? No

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? I actually saw them

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? Uncertain after seeing my grandmother, I am almost convinced of life after death

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? Uncertain Since I was unable to relate my experiences right after they happened, I am a little uncertain that it was real.

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 probably exists. I experienced a life threatening event and almost died and almost made it to heaven,

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? Slight changes in my life. Not much changed until years later when I started remembering and meditating on my experience.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

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.

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 only wish I could have gone through the gate.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes 50 years later, I told my doctors and my priest. The priest was amazed the doctors just gave me more drugs.

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 not real I was 11 years old. My young mind could not perceive it, and no one talked to me about it.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was probably real. I wish I could feel it was real with All my heart.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? No

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? none