Derek L NDE

Experience Description

I was sitting in my Garage. As I stood up, I began to feel light headed. I sat down immediately but the feeling didn't stop and I went unconscious.

I woke up in a place with a lot of light. The light was different than what we see in a normal room or sunlight. I heard voices. The voices I heard were my Mother who had passed away in February 1980, my grandmother who had passed away a few years prior, and my grandfather who passed away earlier in 2008 or 2007. They were shocked and said my name. Mom and grandma were asking if I was all right. I looked up from the floor. I was still lying on the floor as if I was brought there that way. Grandpa was coming towards me. He asked me 'What about the kids?' I told them 'I'm o.k. I am getting up.'

When I stood up, I woke up lying on my garage floor. I had face-planted into the cement floor and split the skin over my right eye. When I stood up, the bleeding had already stopped. There was a small pool of blood on the floor, not a lot. Blood seemed to already be getting crusty on the right side of my right eye. My heart stopped on two other occasions. These times I was only out for a minute or less and had no other experience like the time in the garage. I believe I was not supposed to be there yet and was given the choice to return. I lost my Mother when I was 11 and my grandpa reminded me of the struggles I had growing up without a parent.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 3/15/2009

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Heart attack. Other: Heart Stopped, Alone at home I suffered a heart attack in December of 2008. Heart was stopping due to damage by heart attack prior to having an IED installed.

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

The experience included: Out of body experience

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. It felt exactly the same to me.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? It was very clear the entire experience, from hearing the voices and seeing my Grandfather. This will never leave me, I remember it like it was yesterday and always will.

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. It felt the same to me.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Hearing was the same.

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

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Uncertain I awoke in this other place.

The experience included: Presence of deceased persons

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

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

The experience included: Unearthly light

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? No

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes It was all encompassing.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm. I didn't really look around much. I woke up lying on the floor. When I looked up, I saw my Grandfather. I saw an unearthly light encompassing everything.

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I felt happy and had a strong feeling of love and caring.

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? 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 importance did you place on your religious/spiritual life prior to your experience? Slightly important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Other Christian

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes They have become stronger.

What importance do you place on your religious/spiritual life after your experience? Greatly important to me

What is your religion now? Christian- Other Christian

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 Made my spiritual and religioues beliefs stronger.

The experience included: Presence of unearthly beings

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? No

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? No

Did you believe in the existence of God prior to your experience? God definitely exists

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes. I felt like the light was the light of God.

Do you believe in the existence of God after your experience? God definitely exists

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? No

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are meaningful and significant

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

Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? An afterlife probably exists

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists. Yes. I saw and heard my family who had passed away.

Did you fear death prior to your experience? I moderately feared death

Do you fear death after your experience? I do not fear death

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Slightly fearful in living my earthly life

Were you fearful living your life after your experience? Not fearful in living my earthly life

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are meaningful and significant

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant after your experience? Are meaningful and significant

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

Were you compassionate prior to your experience? Slightly compassionate toward others

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Yes. I felt Love radiating everywhere.

Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Moderate changes in my life. I feel like my life has become more difficult. My children have had some major issues since this event and I am glad I have been here to support them. The only fear of death I have now is for the ones I leave behind.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes Became stronger and better.

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? Uncertain. I often feel things. I do not want to say specifics, but feel like I just know. Some of the things I feel like I just know have been proven or have come to pass.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? The entire experience was amazing.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes With a very few who are very close to me.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes I have heard of NDEs, just didn't know what to think.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real. It was so real. I don't know how to explain it. It was just real.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real. Sometimes I question it, but I still know it was real.

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