Donald C NDE

Experience Description

In the summer, prior to entering the 5th grade, I fell from our back yard tree. It had been infected with the spruce budworm disease, the limb that I was swinging from let go, and I fell approximately 15 feet. I broke both arms with my left arm being severely injured. I also impacted mud into my nose and throat. The lawn and bare ground around the tree was wet from rain from the prior night.

Initially as the branch snapped, and I started to fall, I was surprised to be caught mid-air by a bright glowing being, which carried me upwards. Upon reaching a glowing bight landscape, I was released. I became quite euphoric and joyous. I immediately recalled jewels floating everywhere. As I moved my hand around them, I came to the awareness that I was flying and floating above our house. I had a wide-angle view and began looking at the lighthouse from the rooftop.

I remember laughing at what my mom would say if she saw me on the top of our three-story home. I remember looking into the second story window of my parents’ bedroom. At this point, I started to hear someone calling my name. But this voice was saying Donald, not Donnie, which every one used, including my parents. I ignored the voice until a very stern woman’s voice said it again.

At this point, I turned and saw a tall square-jawed, heavy and slightly overweight woman in a yellow, flower-patterned sundress. I asked her who she was and she said ‘I'm your Grandmother.’ None of this was spoken in human language because I never saw her lips move. When I said, ‘No you're not! I know what my Gram looks like and it’s not you!’ At this point, I had only my paternal grandmother living and that was the grandmother I was talking about. She then said, ‘All mothers have a mother and that mother has a mother, and I am one of those.’ As she said this, in my mind I saw little pictures going back each generation. I noticed her image there two or three generations back.

I reached out and took her hand and she smiled. As we walked, I asked her where we were and was somewhat surprised with her reply of ‘heaven’. In a peculiar way, I seemed to doubt her and I said, ‘If I'm in Heaven, then I want to see Jesus.’ I was even more surprised when she said, ‘Okay’. As we moved on, I realized the area around us had changed and I was aware of a glowing building, (for lack of better words).

As we moved, I was aware that I thought it must be a library, because people were reading and learning. In one room, I was surprised to see an Indian, and as I thought that, a very annoyed reply came from the elaborately painted and feathered individual, ‘I am not an Indian I am a (??)!’ I have often thought of what he must have said. I remember how he was dressed and think he was one of the South American Native tribes on the line of the Mayans, but remember only being bewildered and replying: ‘Look like an Indian to me.’ A little ways later, after seeing other beings reading and learning, my Gram stopped and said, ‘wait here’. She would let Jesus know I was here. I remember that I thought I was outside the school’s principal office.

Oddly, I seemed to slightly hear the conversation in this ‘office’ as him on the telephone. After the short wait, I seemed to hear the phone receiver set down, just prior to him saying ‘Yes, Ok, right, good-bye.’ Then I got very nervous as I saw movement: a bright glow moving to the opening. I would have to say that at this point that I was awestruck! At this point, the Light was too much and I humbly lowered my head. I never got a clear view of this being my mom had talked so much about.

This would be the part that bothered me the most when I started to relive it later on. My Gram, at this moment said what I thought was ‘Yes you are a man, this is Donald.’ I was confused as to why she didn't just say ‘Jesus, this is Donald.’, but was too busy trying to understand why he was so bright. I even tried to look through my slightly opened fingers to get a glimpse. While I struggled to see, I remember him saying very little to my Gram.

All of a sudden, I was aware he was searching or maybe viewing my childhood up until that point. I remember him stopping at a memory of mine of which I was ashamed. I saw the event: the theft of a toy rubber knife from a Main Street department store: from a different angle. I saw me from a distance, running out the loading dock door and home. It was all from a distance and detached. He paused slightly to see my reaction, and with no judgment whizzed through the rest. After this, my Gram and he talked. She turned to me and said, ‘You have to go back.’ I think I even surprised myself when I said, ‘no, I want to stay here.’

Gram said that would make my family very sad, because they love me very much. I said, ‘no they don't’, and was told to look. As I looked down through what I thought was a television, I could see my sister and my brothers trying to revive me. My older sister was digging the mud out of my throat and nose. I was surprised. I could hear her saying ‘Donnie breathe, Donnie breathe, please’, as she slapped my face. Then my Gram bent down and while on one knee turned me around and looked me straight in the face. With her hands on my shoulders, she said the words that would haunt me, ’Donald you've got to go back, but remember. Remember You Are Part of Something Very Important!’ As I turned to look again, at what was happening with my body, being confused as to what my Gram meant; and before I could inquire, I felt a huge push from behind. I fell headlong into the limp body and started gasping for and gulping air. The pain was awful. I started to relate what had happened, but no one believed a word. Over time, even I forgot. Sounds impossible, but when all your family tells you you’re mistaken even you start to believe it. So back into the back of my mind it went.

I was married for 8 years, and having the last of our four children born, when this all started coming back to me. In dreams, hearing certain things, and then my brother tells me the Hebrew name for Jesus was Yeshua, Boom! What a lot of memories then! I didn't get to tell my mother the whole story until she was in the hospital and had only two weeks to live.

She made me promise to tell my siblings, all 7 of them. When I finally told my wife she said ‘Honey, I can see why you never told anyone, you we're afraid no one would believe you.’ I laughed aloud, and was surprised to hear myself say, ‘No Dear, I didn't tell anyone because I didn't believe it!’ because after years of being an atheist, it didn't have a place. I’d like to end by saying that I've tried over the last 5 years to tell people this event. Even now when I get to the point where Yeshua comes out to greet me, I get that same Rush of emotions. It gets me crying and embarrassed. I think that’s why when they asked me if I knew my mother and family loved me, I said ‘no, not like this!’ It seems that love in the physical sense is nothing compared to real love.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 1972

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function or brain function) I fell out of a tree.

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? Yes As listed above I was instructed to view my siblings around my body as evidence that they did love me or they would not be trying to remove material from my airways. 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 At one point I knew that even the walls loved me; that the plants, the ground, and ‘air’ were there for me. I remember flying and realizing how easy and effortless it was. All I needed to do was put my attention to a spot and glide. My mother nailed my window shut, because on more than one occasion I was going to show her how easy it is. Communication seemed effortless almost telepathic in many ways. It was richer.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? While in the presence of Yeshua.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Incredibly fast

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning At times I viewed my siblings frozen in place, other times it was as if they were moving slowly, and other times I seemed to not have any reference.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Incredibly more vivid

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Vision seemed to be like through a wide angle lens. At one point while watching everyone rushing to my aid, I was also aware of a gentleman looking into the engine of a car across the lawn next door, who also ran over to me: a good 100 yards away.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I had no recall of hearing other worldly sounds, but was not hampered in communication.

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

The experience included: Tunnel

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Uncertain There was a short ‘movement’ initially, while being carried up by a bright entity. Later I would have this in a dream with future event knowledge included.

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? Yes I recently was given photographs after my mother died in 2009 and in the group was a photo of my maternal grandfather's maternal grandmother (she died in about 1913). This looks like the grandmother that took care of me during my out of body NDE.

The experience included: Unearthly light

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 seemed to permeate the walls and then Yeshua, as mentioned above, was the epitome of unearthly light.

The experience included: A landscape or city

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm Heaven, I was told, but I'm sure that was for 10 year olds ‘ears’.

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Intense love. Euphoria after leaving my body.

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

The experience included: Special knowledge or purpose

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? No

The experience included: Life review

Did scenes from your past come back to you? My past flashed before me, out of my control

The experience included: Awareness of the future

Did scenes from the future come to you? Scenes from the world's future Later on, after this event, things started returning to my memory, additional information not initially available to me, which included floods that have occurred and the death of a neighbor's father.

The experience included: Boundary

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? No

Did you come to a border or point of no return? I came to a barrier that I was not permitted to cross; or was sent back against my will I was told that I had no choice but to return. That was against my apparent wishes.

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What importance did you place on your religious/spiritual life prior to your experience? Not important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Protestant My family was Baptist and early in life, including the time of my accident we participated in Sunday services. But as my sibling entered puberty there came a persistant materialistic/athiestic overtone.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes Never is my spiritual focus too far away from whatever is happening. Or what appears to be happening.

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

What is your religion now? Buddhist I closely connect with Tibetan Buddhism, in which Saint Issa is honered. A healthy non-dualistic view.

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was both consistent and not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience I grew up with Jesus and at 10 had no knowledge that the name we used was just a translation, and was bewildered when just by chance that my younger bother brought up the issue. Its hard to put in words what happened the first time my ears heard his Hebrew name over 25 years after the event.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes My wife says she has been married to two different men both the same guy. She married a militant atheist and now is married to someone who quotes Jesus with much fondness.

The experience included: Presence of unearthly beings

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 See my story above. I encountered several unearthly beings in the ‘library’. Initially, upon falling I was carried up by one and the contact with The Light of the World.

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.)? Yes My great grandmother and Yeshua. A native American.

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? Unknown

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? No

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? Uncertain I was confused when told I was part of something very important, but what exactly, was not told to me.

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are not meaningful and significant

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? Uncertain The most striking part was the moment prior to being pushed back to my body my grandmother took the time to come face to face with me and even got down to the level of a 10 year old and say yo me, "Donald remember, you are part of something Very important

Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? Unknown

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Yes Yes, encountered my great grand mother and Yeshua and went through a library where a lot of entities were studdying.

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

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

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Moderately 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 not meaningful and significant

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant after your experience? Are possibly 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 Non physical love is hard to discribe but seems to be everywhere.

Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Large changes in my life Large changes in my life. Most of my adult life I lived as an atheist and loved to dig at the Bible and quote the less than uplifting passages and Jesus was my favorite punching bag. Even when memories of the NDE started coming back I would push it away ignore it. It wasn't real. It couldn't be. But over and over that immense Love kept showing itself. It shook me. With that, I found out I was just wrong about my view of life after death and I needed to admit it.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes Yes Much more compassionate than before.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes Because so much of the communication and interaction was emotion- based. To tell someone, ‘Then Yeshua, in extreme brilliance, entered and stood in front of me.’, pales in content to the magnitude of feeling that came with that light. Light that lives and moves, that senses and expresses. Most times at the start of sharing that moment, I would seize up and stop and end right there. I still have trouble with that moment. The Bible called him the light of the world, and that is a gross understatement. That’s exactly my point.

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 I have to say I remember very little at that time, but flash backs if this event 20 years later pushed it through and into permanent memory.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Uncertain I have had some very realistic dreams; future events in some cases.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? As stated above, the whole encounter with Yeshua, and the final words on departure from my grandmother.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Initially I shared openly, but buried it in my subconscious. It was like a dream, because my older siblings thought It was just nonsense, so that's what it became. My younger brothers have no memory of me ever mentioning it, until my mother started getting ill and her health declining.

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 It seems like I must have thought it real at the time, but shortly after it became apparent that no one wanted to hear, so life just took off and we went our merry way not believing in much of anything nonphysical.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real It’s hard to put into words. Again, it’s the immense feelings that drove the experience home, if you will. Without those feelings, there would be very little and to say I stood in front of Yeshua and we viewed my life up to that point says very little, because so much was conveyed without conversation. I'm fortunate in that I know what ultimate Love for someone is. I felt it; I experienced IT! I know what it is. He and I shared it. For that, I'm thankful.

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