Doug C NDE

Experience Description

I had been on a long music tour with Country artist Merle Haggard. We had traveled all the way to the upper western corner of Canada from California and then returned to California. Most of the trip I had spent in the bus bunk with my laptop computer being my connection to the outside world. We traveled for days, probably 4 or 5.

When we finally got back to California I got in my little car and headed for my home about 40 minutes North on interstate five. I hadn't noticed yet that I had become badly dehydrated during the long trip.

I drove to my house in the mountains with little trouble, but it was morning and I was restless. My brother called me from the local Casino and wanted me to come down and play some slots with him. Although I felt light headed, I was still wanting to do something to break my feeling of restlessness from the long trip on the tour bus. I got in my car and headed back into town.

I arrived at the Casino to find my brother and a friend playing slots at the bar. I ordered an orange juice since I was remarkably thirsty and it was too early for a beer.

I sat on the bar stool for about 10 minutes playing Keno with my brother when I began to feel extremely light headed. I could tell I was going to pass out, so out of reflex I tried to stand up to try to regain control of myself. Then everything went dark. My brother says he saw me stand straight up and then become stiff like a board and fall directly backward onto the concrete floor. He also said that blood started to pool at the back of my head near the impact although I don't remember any of that.

Suddenly I was in an ethereal space, floating without my body. I remember being hyper aware of everything around me and I could see my body on the floor with my brother and our friend shaking me and yelling at me to wake up!

The first thought I had was "man, I'm glad that's over with!". I also remember being amazed that my sense of humor was still intact, and that I was still "ME" in this other place. I remember feeling so good and so light with no cares at all. I felt like I was finally going home and immediately was experiencing a presence through my being that I was communicating with instantly. It said to me first "Don't worry, we've got ya". Every thought I had was instantly answered as soon as I thought it. Time seemed to be irrelevant and I didn't care because I was enveloped in a blanket of what I could only describe as pure love and acceptance. I instantly knew everything was ok and I was welcome here (wherever here was). I then felt my focus going out into the heavens into a warm dark space with light all around. I knew I was connected to everything instantly and I knew I wanted to stay here. I can't overstate how much it felt like I had already been there before and that it felt like home overwhelmingly.

Then I had the thought that I never wanted to leave this place and wanted to continue further. As soon as I had that thought came the knowing that I had to return to my body because there was more I had to learn on Earth. I felt slightly disappointed at this thought but my bravery kicked in and I felt my focus returning to my life on Earth. It was then that I had several flashes from the past of interactions I had with others on Earth and I could feel and sense the emotions of everyone involved in the exchange like they were my own thoughts and emotions. I then understood the way that every little action we take in our lives echoes in this place forever and that we are all connected to each other and to God.

I cannot say if I was communicating with God or something else but I could feel the presence of what I can only describe as God from the moment I transmuted into this form and space. I felt a tug back toward my body and felt myself going through a dark tunnel that ended with my eyes opening slowly and hearing my brother and our friend yelling my name.

The paramedics had shown up by then and I was carried out on a gurney to the ambulance. I tried to communicate what I had just experienced but was unable to at the time. The paramedic told me I was in shock which slowly subsided. I spent the night in the hospital and even received a visit from my employer Merle Haggard that night in the hospital which was a wonderful thing!

I haven't talked about my experience much until I began seeing NDE videos on youtube with other people describing their experiences. It wasn't until then that I realized what had actually happened to me. Since the episode, I no longer am afraid of death because I know in my core that we continue to be ourselves after we leave this body. It has changed my thinking on the subject profoundly. I am very grateful that I was able to get a glimpse of the other side. Since then, I have lost quite a few friends and family who were close to me and I know without a shadow of a doubt that I will see them again and that they are experiencing the same love and eternal playground that I got to visit on that fateful day.

Sincerely,

Doug C 12-13-2022

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: May 2012

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident Direct head injury. Other Paramedics were on the way my brother said I was unresponsive and bleeding from back of my head I passed out from dehydration and fell backwards from standing position onto a concrete floor. Head trauma. Paramedic stated I was in a state of shock upon examination about 15 minutes later.

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

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I saw my body on the floor with my brother and our friend above it trying to wake me up. It seemed irrelevant to me at the time for some reason. 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 I was intensely aware of everything around me and felt I could instantly move anywhere at the speed of thought. I instantly could understand events of my life in enhanced detail.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? When my consciousness left the earthly realm where I was aware of my body and the room where the incident happened.

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 Everything seemed to be happening at the speed of thought, especially when I left the building where the accident had happened.

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. Time seemed irrelevant and everything happened literally at the speed of thought. When I thought a question, it was already being answered.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. My hearing and sight were not connected to a physical conduit, as I stated earlier it was all happening at the speed of thought, including all my senses.

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

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes I really only perceived a tunnel on the way back into my body where I began to hear my brother and our friend shouting at me.

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? Uncertain I was aware of lights or beings in my perception but do not remember seeing the big bright light that people describe although I felt that something like this was the next thing I would encounter if I stayed in this state.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm I was floating in a comfortable space that I believe was somewhere other than our celestial plane.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Love, fullness, acceptance, non judgement, Happiness, wonder, curiosity.

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? I felt no longer in conflict with nature

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about the universe I felt connected to everything and everyone deeply and felt I was part of everything but individual with my own personality.

Did scenes from your past come back to you? My past flashed before me, out of my control I saw an encounter I had in grade school where I had a fight with another kid and could hear and feel the thoughts and emotions of all parties present. There were others but I cannot recall them now.

Did scenes from the future come to you? No

Did you come to a border or point of no return? I came to a definite conscious decision to return to life The thought came to me "I do not want to go back".. and then the decision that I had to go back came and this is when I felt the tunnel effect back to my body. I felt this was a choice that I was given by the energy and love I was enveloped in, and it took me deciding to not be in this amazing state of being any more to come back. (Sorry this is hard to describe)..

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Protestant Raised in a traditional christian home charismatic faith. My NDE did not seem like what I would expect it to be from what I was taught in church.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I don't believe God is withholding his love from us to make us behave in certain ways.

What is your religion now? Christian- Protestant Christian / Buddhism Mix

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 believed I would instantly be standing in front of Jesus when I died and be judged for my actions and sent to heaven or hell.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I do not participate in group religious events as much anymore.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? I heard a voice I could not identify I was instantly in communication with an intelligence other than my own. It was part of the presence that I was enveloped in from the moment I transitioned into my out of body state.

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? Yes The feeling of being here before was also overwhelming and I had the knowledge that I had been in this space before, and that I had been through this experience before. As weird as that sounds, I knew this to be true and didn't feel judged for thinking it as I would have felt in a traditional Christian experience.

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? Yes I felt instantly connected to everything through this God presence that enveloped my being yes.

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes I knew I was in contact with God the minute I realized I was no longer without a body. The first thought "It's ok, we've got ya" and the feeling of acceptance and unconditional love was overwhelming and extremely pleasant to be in.

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? Yes That the smallest action on Earth can affect things on a Universal scale in many places. All matter seemed connected and unique.

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? Yes I was instantly aware that I was outside of my body and fully "myself". This was the most amazing thing to me and that I could "Do things" in my new state of being. My first thought "I'm glad that's over with" was the awareness that I had finished my life and was going back home again.

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? Yes That we all have the same connection to the Universal consciousness.

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Yes Love transcends time and space. The love we feel here is nothing like what I felt. I can only describe it as a parents love for a child but without psychical definitions. It felt like I was loved because I was made by this intelligence. Every particle of my being was loved by this intelligence that I was connected to.

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Moderate changes in my life The biggest change for me is the lack of the fear of dying and the knowing that everything is connected. Also, I have lost many friends since then I am comforted to know that they are having the time of their lives in this eternal realm as well. I believe I will be able to see everyone again in this eternal existence.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes The experience itself was overwhelming from the of the experience. I was amazed at how at ease I felt.. and how great I felt in general and how awake I was. I was absolutely in love with this state of being and being fully immersed in what I can only call "God" consciousness.

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 remember the Canadian tour and playing the bass for Merle Haggard on the shows pretty well still. This experience was unlike anything else I have ever experienced in my life though. I have no memory of ever being so hyper aware or felt so accepted and loved.

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? The fact that I will be aware after I die and the fact that I will be going somewhere that felt like home to me.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I began sharing this about a year ago. (9 years after the experience). Most people would look away and seem uncomfortable when I shared this after it happened. Since the appearance of books and the sharing of many other stories by people, it is not as taboo of a subject. I feel more comfortable sharing this in 2022.

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 I have never experienced anything close to this state of being since then, or before then. I had some crazy party days when I was younger and had experimented with mushrooms and other types of psychoactive substances as well. Nothing has ever come close to what I experienced during my NDE.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real It has changed the way I see death completely.

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? There is definitely consciousness in other realms and we continue to be ourselves outside of our bodies.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? I believe this was a great questionnaire and I feel it was exhaustive and respectful.