Derric B NDE

Experience Description :

It was summertime and I was at a church swimming party and cook out. We where all in the pool playing I was on a raft hanging on the side of the pool. One of the ladies called out food is ready. Everybody was getting out of the pool when one kid thought it would be funny to toss me off the raft as he got out of the pool. As I was tossed off the raft, I tried to stay to the side of the pool and to stay above the water but panic soon set in. As the panicking got worse, I started to go under. As I go under, I can't get back to the surface of the water. I soon start to scream for help, not even realizing that I'm under water. I soon start to breath in water then darkness comes.

When I wake from the darkness, I look around as if nothing happened until I see that I'm floating. I look down and see a boy face down floating in the water with no movement, no life, not even realizing at the time that I'm looking at myself. Then everything goes black but I'm aware somehow. Then this light slowly engulfs everything. As this is happening, I feel a warmth, love, and peace that words are hard to describe. I then hear a voice that tells me that it's not my time yet and I must go back.

I then wake up leaning over a rocking chair throwing up water wanting to go back to where I had just come from. I then passed out and woke up in the hospital connected to pumps and life support. As I lie in bed, my dad was there the whole time and never left my side. I asked him who is the man at the foot of my bed but they told me nobody was there - but the man stayed there until the day I left the hospital. It's like he disappeared.

The person who gave me mouth to mouth and chest compressions was a boy scout around ten to twelve years of age. The whole drowning was published in the Daily Oklahoman and my family and the boy scouts family was invited to the state capitol from the governor. The governor gave the Boy Scout an award and me free swimming lessons but I never learned to until twenty-eight years of age by the U.S. Navy Seals instructors. The Boy Scout now works for the Oklahoma City Fire Department. Since the accident, I feel like I see life and everything different from everybody else. I also feel like I'm searching for something but don't know what. I have felt this way since the accident. I'm still searching, don't know if I will ever find it here in this world. God bless everyone.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: summer 1981

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes drowning Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function or brain function) Drowning

How do you consider the content of your experience? Wonderful

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes 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? More consciousness and alertness than normal Seemed more in tune with life in general.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? While I was engulfed by the light.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening all at once

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Incredibly more so

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I wear glasses but while I was in the light I didn't need them or have them.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Yes, and the facts have been checked out

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Uncertain As I was in the light I passed partly into it but was stopped.

Did you see any beings in your experience? Sensed their presence

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Uncertain Just heard a voice from everywhere. I told it I wanted to stay but didn't speak that - thought it in a way.

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 It's a light, a very bright one, but on the other hand it wasn't light at all it was warm and comforting.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Neither

What emotions did you feel during the experience? No pain or suffering, felt calm.

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? United, one with the world

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about the universe

Did scenes from your past come back to you? Neither

Did scenes from the future come to you? Neither

Did you come to a border or point of no return? A barrier I was not permitted to cross; or 'sent back' to life involuntarily

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Conservative/fundamentalist nazarene

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Conservative/fundamentalist nazarene

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? Definite being, or voice clearly of mystical or other-worldly origin

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? Sensed their presence

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Uncertain I seem to understand and see things different from everybody else my parents had my body tested shortly after for any lasting effects I was submitted to magnetic resonance imaging, electroencephalogram, electrocardiogram, cat scan's, and sleep studies. They found that my brain and neurological thinking is ten times more than the average person.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes I can sometimes feel things around me but not of this world, but it is sketchy.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Days after with my family, my family believes that I am different from everyone else.

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 No doubt about it this was a life changing real event. It was the thing that unlocked things in my mind.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real Unlimited knowledge and questions.

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? You have heard the saying read between the lines. As a society, we tend to stick between these lines and are scared to go outside them. As a society we should look at the whole picture, not always between the lines as society tells us.