Douglas T NDE

Experience Description

On Sunday the 11th of September, 2001 I awoke around 10:30 am got my laundry in order to do some washing. Piles of dirty clothes on my living room floor and stacks of quarters on my coffee table. Someone was using the washing machines in my apartment complex so I thought I'd take a hot bath. I sat in the bath for forty-five minutes and read the Sunday paper. After my bath, I did a little house keeping. Around 3:00 pm, I started to feel bad. I got on the phone to a dear friend and at that time, she was on her computer, so it went straight to her voice mail. The next thing I remember is stand at the foot of my bed and watching the phone fall out of my hand and thinking that was the dumbest thing I ever done. 911 was called and I didn't not do that so I do give that over to God. Seven minutes later the Fire Department broke down my door and found me dead at the foot of my bed were I had fallen onto the TV stand where I had hit my jaw and had broken out a tooth but because my heart had stopped beating there was no blood. They defibrillated me twelve times from the time they found me to the time I arrived at the hospital.

Now while all this was happening, two hundred miles away my grandfather had a heart attack at the same time. We were both kept alive through the night but the next morning we both had heart attacks again. At that time, I had my NDE. There was no tunnel of light that I hear so much about, it was just an expanse of white light. Off in the distance to my right was what appeared to be the shadow of a large oak tree with a large group of people standing under it. As I got closer to this group, I recognized the people standing in the front of the group. I saw my grandmother; my great uncle Glenn; my great aunt Lala; my great aunt Wanda and her husband Lee; a woman that was like a grandmother to my sister and me; and then a group of people that I thought I knew but at that time I couldn't put names to their faces. I tried to speak to them but all they would say to me is, 'We're not waiting for you go home.' I spoke to most of these people and everyone said the same thing 'We're not waiting for you go home.' Then the last thing I remember from that side was my grandfather's voice, I did not see him I just heard his voice say, 'You're the luckiest boy I know.'

Three days later, I awoke in the hospital with my mother and sister standing over my bed. My mother says that my first question was about the play I was working on at the time and my second question was about my grandfather. The doctors told her not to tell me right away that he had died two days earlier so as not to put me in shock.

I've told this story to many people and the local weekly wrote an article about my experience. But I still struggle with this every day.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 01-06-1962

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Heart attack Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function or brain function) . My grandfather died at the same time two hundred miles away.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Wonderful

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes
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 As above.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? From the time I was in the light till I heard my grandfather's voice.

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

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Incredibly more vivid

Did your vision differ in any way from normal? Very bright and clear and encompassing.

Did your hearing differ in any way from normal? Very clear.

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? No

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 Deceased family members and the only thing they would say was 'We're not waiting for you go home.'

The experience included: 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 A huge expanse of white light.

The experience included: A landscape or city

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm It was defenitly some place not of this world although It had some familier site.

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Confusion, joy, love, whatever the opposite of pressure is.

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 the universe

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

Did scenes from the future come to you? Scenes from the world's future

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

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Liberal No religious affiliation at the time.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Liberal none

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? I encountered a definite being, or a voice clearly of mystical or unearthly origin

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? I actually saw them

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? No

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes Hard to put in words but it concerns me greatly.

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? No

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? Seeing my deceased relatives and hearing my grandfather's voice.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes The next day and for many days after.

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. It was as if I were seeing and talking to anyone any day of the week.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real. It still hangs over me as if it happened today.

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? It makes me feel that I missing something that I can't put my finger on.