Douglas B NDE

Experience Description

The following is my best recollection of events that occurred while I was undergoing a surgical procedure on December 27, 2017.

I was placed onto my stomach with my head turned to the right; being prepped for a surgical procedure called an ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-Pancreatography). The procedure is really more exploratory than surgical in nature and involves a camera scope being fed down through the mouth and stomach, and then into the small intestine to examine and x-ray the bile and pancreatic ducts. The found that a bile duct had become blocked when several stones had passed from my gallbladder and into the common bile duct. This blockage was causing problems with my pancreas and liver, which was now only operating at 3% capacity. This procedure was being performed before the surgery to remove the gallbladder. As I was positioned onto my stomach, I began to have difficulty breathing. I told one of the nurses of this. She told the rest of her team that I was beginning to get anxious, and they needed to move the process along faster. I had already been praying. I continued praying, asking Jesus to be with me through this, and that I was placing myself into His hands, although I knew He was already there with me. A device was placed into my mouth, holding it fully opened. Less than a minute later, I again told the nurst that I couldn’t breathe.

My next recollection is of being someplace else. I was no longer lying on my stomach with that uncomfortable device in my mouth. I don’t have any recollection on whether I was standing, or lying down. I just know that I was someplace else, without any pain or discomfort. There was light all around me. It was not especially bright or coming from any one place. The light was just everywhere around me. There was no glare, but the light illuminated everything without shadows. All around me, I felt a strong, yet calm, reassuring presence. Before me, I could see moving text. It looked like the credits one sees at the end of a movie. The text was scripture; scrolling upwards and away from me, and moving at a slow, smooth, and continuous pace. To the left of this scrolling scripture, distinctly separated from the scripture on the right, was an area that was empty, and black. The area appeared distinct, not only appeared filled with darkness, but also completely void. It was absent of anything at all. As the scripture scrolled upwards I could hear, and feel, a voice reading the words aloud. I also had the feeling, but never heard it read, that all the events of my life had been read and were known. Through out this reading, I felt no fear, or uncertainty. I felt a complete sense of calm, as I heard (in my mind), and saw the words passing before me. I don’t recall all the scripture I saw before me, but I do recall seeing the Gospel of John, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…”

I awakened in the recovery area to people shouting at me and trying to get me to breathe. They began to tell me the procedure was aborted shortly after they began due to my going into cardiac and respiratory distress. This was not a big surprise to me since I kept telling them that. After a brief period, I was whisked off to get another set of chest x-rays. I’m not sure why they needed them, but the team performing the procedure seemed to all be quite flustered. I felt they were trying to put together a story as to what happened and quickly pass me off to the next guy. Some of my family in the waiting area said the doctor came in, seemingly uncomfortable, saying they aborted the procedure after my heart and breathing had gone into distress, and I had to be resuscitated.


Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 12/27/2017

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Surgery-related Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function) Liver/Organ failure

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

Did you feel separated from your body? No I lost awareness of my body

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. Just a greater sense of self-awareness. It was honest, true introspection about things done in the past and things left undone.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Not sure what you need here. I felt alert during all the vent.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning. There was no sense of time, since many thoughts feeling and events seemed to all have a common time reference

Were your senses More vivid than usual? More vivid than usual

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. It was clearer. All things were in focus regardless of distance, and there seemed to be infinite depth

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Hearing seemed to be more internalized, like I was hearing in my mind.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere, as if by ESP? No

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

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? Yes there was a bright, warm light, coming from all directions, yet it didn't seam to have a source. There was no glare, no shadows, and the light was not blinding.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Some unfamiliar and strange place. Before me, I could see moving text, almost like that of the credits one sees at the end of a movie. The text was scripture; scrolling upwards and away from me, at a slow, smooth, and continuous pace. To the left of this scrolling scripture, distinctly separated from the scripture on the right, was an area that was empty, and black. The area appeared distinct, not only appeared filled with darkness, but also completely void, and absent of anything at all. As the scripture scrolled upwards I could hear, and feel, a voice reading the words aloud.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? high degree of calmness, no fear, no urgency

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Incredible peace or pleasantness

Did you have a feeling of joy? Happiness

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? I felt united or one with the world

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about myself or others. I was aware of myself to a higher degree and understood what I had done and not done.

Did scenes from your past come back to you? I remembered many past events. I was aware of the sermons I had delivered and written

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? Christian- Other Christian

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I am more focused on my living, the living of others, and in the Word of God.

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 More conscious of my actions and motives.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? I heard a voice I could not identify. I heard a voice in my mind that was reading the scrolling of scripture as it moved in front of me.

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.)? Yes I felt the presence of Jesus. Though I didn't see Him, I could hear Him speaking in my mind.

During your experience, did you gain information about premortal existence? No

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? Yes I had the feeling all the events of my life and were known.

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes I also had the feeling, but never heard it read, that all the events of my life had been read, and were known. Through this, I felt no fear, or uncertainty. I felt a complete sense of calm, as I heard, and saw the words passing before me. I don’t recall all the scripture I saw before me, but I do recall seeing the Gospel of John, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…”

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes Knowledge of the Word of God and to live in that Word, knowing He will know my heart and its intentions without deceit.

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 definitely exists. I became more aware that there was something ahead of where I was at but it was dependent upon the review

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 Knowledge of love, honesty and living in the Word of God

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Yes generally a feeling of having/should have cared and loved all people

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Moderate changes in my life. I am more aware of my actions and motives. I am more observant of my Christianity and service to God, greater desire to live a more sin free life and be in service to others.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes They have grown stronger and more meaningful. Every minute is a gift from God, and in 5 minutes everything in your world could be completely changed.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes The feeling of self-awareness and feeling of all I was and had done being known. There was no need to talk or explain; it was already known.

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? Yes I felt a greater sense of others' emotions and thoughts. I felt a greater sense of what may happen in the future based upon my actions and stronger feelings to avoid a choice that will have a negative result, a far greater sense of integrity and righteousness; a stronger conscience, although it was already strong before the experience.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? Yes, God knowing and reading my heart. He will not be deceived. I already knew that, but feeling Him read and know my heart was intense. Feeling that He and the Word are one. The surrounding of light in His presence, and the darkness of His absence to the left of the Word.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes The same day I shared it with my family, and shortly thereafter with my friends in ministry. One Pastor friend is greatly interested and wants to have me guest pastor one Sunday. Another Chaplain friend is skeptical and feels it may all be just an illusion from the 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 definitely real. In the first few days, I felt it was very real and wrote it out in the next few days.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real. In the coming months, I have found even more reason to accept it happened because there is much scripture that supports what I saw and felt. I know it happened, and God left a message for me to share with all that will hear.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Yes I have had dreams in the past of being in the presence of Jesus and being told things that ultimately became true or I found reference to in scripture that I was not aware of before.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? God is real and the day will come when I will be judged by His word.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? Good questions. I would love to see that statistical results; demographics, etc. My dissertation for my PhD was on the prevalence of prayer and forgiveness among Christian police officers, and those numbers/demographics were very interesting.