Douglas D NDE

Experience Description

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It was one of those hot summer days in Michigan. My Dad asked me if I wanted to go for a swim and that sounded good to me. I recall that it was a weekend and early in the afternoon; because otherwise we would take a swim in the evening after Dad came home from work. Sometimes my mother would accompany us, but I don’t think she cared much for the water. Despite back in those days, the fresh water in our canal would be considered clean. We put on our bathing suits, and I hurried out the back door ahead of Dad. That’s what I usually did. Normally, I would head for the side door of the garage and grab 'my football' that was hanging by its open latch on a finishing nail. The nail was driven into the side of a wooden shelf that we kept our garden tools on. That’s where the Swim-Buoy lived when I wasn’t using it. But, that wasn’t what happened on this day.

For some reason I didn’t head for the garage. It was hot and I was ready for a refreshing jump into the canal. At age 4 years, it was all I could think about. I ran down the grassy route in our backyard towards the end of the dock and jumped feet first into the canal. This was something I had done many times in the past. Except this time, it was different. I didn’t shoot back up to the top of the water with the help of my 'football' life preserver. I went straight down to the bottom and my feet hit the sand that Dad had previously poured into the water off the end of our dock. Panic struck. I didn’t know how to swim. I turned quickly around back towards the dock while underwater. I pushed off with my feet from the sandy bottom of the canal. Both of my hands were outstretched and reaching upward trying to grab the wooden 4 x 4 supports at the front of the dock. I felt my hands and forearms break through the top of the water, but I wasn’t close enough to reach the edge of the dock. My jump had put me too far out in the canal. My head remained below water and I wasn’t able to take a breath.

Down I went again to the canal bottom. I pushed off once again as soon as my feet hit the sand. I had the good sense each time to push off at an angle aiming towards the dock because I needed to get to that dock. I hoped that I would at least reach the structure of the dock that was below the water. Then, I could grab the wood and pull myself up to the surface. But this time my forearms didn’t break through the water. I cleared the water only up to my wrists. Down I went again, and I felt shear panic. My strength was declining fast. I couldn’t breathe, and my yells for help went unheard under the water as I went down towards the bottom again. It was a mistake to try to yell since it forced the valuable oxygen out of my lungs. All I could do was stare up through the blurry water above me in sheer panic and hope that help would arrive. The reflex to inhale overpowered me, and the water began filling my lungs.

For the third time, I felt my feet hit the sand as they reached the canal bottom. Then I made one last effort, one last weak push, off and away from the canal bottom. My hands were extended upward, but they never reached the open air. I started to sink slowly back down. The intense pain in my lungs seemed to go to my head and I recall an incredible pounding pain. I wanted to breathe. I wanted to empty my lungs of the bad air and take a long deep breath of fresh breath.

I gave up and my effort stopped because I had no energy left. I was confused, in disbelief, and in shock at what just happened. It happened so fast! Then I realized that life must be over for me. At the very instant that this thought ended, my intense panic and confusion switched to an immense calm, and a feeling of comfort. I no longer felt the pain in my head. There was a deep silence that surrounded me. There was peacefulness, and I felt a sense of safety and comfort. I felt that everything was going to be ok. There was no sound. It was pitch black, yet I had the presence of being somewhere. I did not have the sensation of being wet and surrounded by water. And, oddly, I didn’t feel like I was alone. I knew something was nearby with me. This sensation is similar in nature to a person standing about two inches in front of a wall with your eyes closed. The presence, whatever it was, seemed to surround me with a deep sense of comfort. It made my panic and fear go away. There was a peaceful, soothing, and familiar warmth.

I was startled by an unexpected, deep baritone Male voice. Out of that divine darkness that voice said: 'It’s not your time.'

At that instant, I was no longer in the dark. I found myself hovering above the canal and looking down at the front of the dock from a distance of about 20 feet in the air. I saw my Dad dragging someone across the dock and to an area of grass just in front of a large evergreen bush. I watched him do this while I was very slowly descending. Then, it dawned on me that the someone was me.

I watched him push on my stomach and diaphragm, which resulted in water coming out of my mouth. He then turned me over on my stomach and pushed on my back to force more water out of my lungs. From my vantage point, in the air above the scene, I watched all this occurring while I seemed to float slowly downward. I was moving much as I got closer to my body. Suddenly, I felt the water come out of my mouth and I started coughing. My head was pounding with each heartbeat, and those beats were sharp and painful. But I could breathe again. My Dad had saved my life.

After many years of this memory I came to realize that my death experience provided an opportunity for insight into the afterlife. When I became a middle-aged adult, I began to wonder where did I go? I came to realize that there was something non-earthly within me. And, more importantly, I came to realize that consciousness is not physical in origin, nor is it produced by the brain. My body and brain were at the bottom of the canal. Yet my consciousness was not there. I continued in a different place to a have a sense of individual identity.

This is where I began to come to terms that human beings are both, mentally and physically, expressions of consciousness. I learned that the process of 'seeing' does not really need eyes. My eyes, and brain, were there on the ground below me and my Dad was driving the water out of my body. This 'seeing' process is, therefore, more than mere nerve impulses. It continues to function even after death.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: July 1957

NDE Elements:

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

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

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. I was more alert because I had no control over what was taking place. My vision was separating from seeing the water in front of me and into darkness. I sensed that I was rising up rapidly, like being in an elevator with my eyes shut.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? My consciousness continued throughout the entire event.

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. There was a discontinuity of time as related to normal, earthly time.

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. I was in darkness and sensed a warm presence. My fear of the unknown subsided. When my vision returned, I saw myself from above the scene as I was descending.

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

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

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Uncertain. It was in darkness and I was ascending. If it was a tunnel, I never saw a light at the other end.

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? No

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm. I believe now, some 63 years later, that I was still in the world but just beyond normal human sight.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Fear, and then calmness

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? 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 was your religion prior to your experience? Do not know. I was 4-years-old with no religious background at that time.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Uncertain. I believe that there are as many religious or spiritual practices in the world as there are people. We live your religion every day.

What is your religion now? Christian- Protestant. I believe that there are as many religions in the world as there are people.

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. My beliefs were those of a 4-year-old.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Uncertain. I was only 4 years old.

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. It was a deep baritone voice.

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? No

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? Yes

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes. A deep baritone voice said, 'It's not your time.' This voice implied that there would be 'a time' and it was clear that this voice had control over just when that 'time' would be.

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? No

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? An afterlife definitely exists. My consciousness was awake and alert during the experience.

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

During your experience, did you gain information about love? No

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Unknown. I was 4 years old at the time of my experience.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

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. The experience was unforgettable. Later in my life, I was able to put it in perspective.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Uncertain. Premonitions.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? The entire experience was significant. Only after I matured and was able to analyze the situation in detail, did I understand the importance of what really took place.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Uncertain. Over my lifetime, I have shared this experience with 2 people. Then after I retired, I published a book detailing the entire experience and exactly what I thought regarding it.

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 never forgot the experience, but at the age of 4, I really didn't share it with anyone. My father, who saved my life, never talked about it. He's passed on now and I wish that I had talked to him about it.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real. Reality is only the extent of one person's knowledge. If a person doesn't know of something, it can't be real to them. I know that we live after death, and I know why. This is why I do not fear death. But what I do fear is any pain that might come just prior to death. Our consciousness lives on.

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? One. During the early Christian church the gospel of reincarnation was taught. Once a person learns that consciousness lives beyond our transition, they will have to ask why? What is the purpose of this? The only thing we take with us after death is our personality. Every consciousness has its own personality. My personality was not mature at the age of 4 to make the transition and apparently, I was meant to have some kind of mission. Because 'It was not my time.'