Fabio G NDE

Experience Description

I was in the hospital, due to a diving accident that happened on the same day. In the evening, I signed out to leave the hospital and went to a pizzeria with my friends and the diving team to which I belonged, also including a surgeon. We were sitting at the table. My friends suddenly saw that my eyes were showing the whites. My face became all colors and I fell back on the floor. The doctor saw I was dead.

I was sitting at the table waiting to eat when, suddenly, I saw a sort of black curtain coming up from below, and which soon blocked out my vision. I found myself projected into the middle of the universe. I was surprised, I looked at everything with curiosity, and I wondered what I was doing there. I did not recall who I was in the earthly life, no image, no reference to the Earth, but I had the absolute certainty of being 'me', I recognized myself as a thinking entity, although all references were missing. Nevertheless, I was surprised not to have a body and I pictured myself as a bright dot. After a short time, in the distance I saw a small black dot, becoming gradually larger. It was like a black hole that seemed to come closer to me I could not say if I was moving toward the black hole or it was moving toward me. Then I was in front of a gallery. A white-gray gas crossed the threshold. It seemed like cotton wool.

I went on and found myself in a sort of tunnel. I couldn't see the end. It was dark, but I quickly got used to that twilight. I wondered why I was able to see without eyes. I felt that my other senses were active. I felt the environment around me but I did not have a body. After a while, I saw some lights coming rapidly from the opposite direction and they rushed past. From behind me, other lights were coming, overtaking me with breakneck speed and then disappearing. I wondered where they were coming from and where they were going. I tried to see the end of the tunnel, but the tunnel was not straight. It curved slightly to the left, so it was impossible to see the end. To my surprise I discovered in that reality, I had an extra sense, an extra ability. I could see where I was going if I concentrated. It was a place full of light, glare and nothing else. It was only the threshold and I was going right there.

Then I thought, 'If I go there, I can't go back'. Then I said, 'But I don't want to go there, I want to go back'. I suddenly stopped. I was surprised, and wondered why it was so simple. I began to recede, always without any motion, without turning, which surprised me. The trip took much less time than the part I had already done, and in a moment, I found myself out of the tunnel. I was back into the space. I could see the stars, the nebul', the planets, and I was there in the middle. It was my reality; I was really in outer space. Before entering the tunnel, I was surprised, and I could not appreciate the beauty of the cosmos. Then I became more relaxed, I felt serene, and I got emotional in front of such magnificence. I pictured myself with open arms in ecstasy, even if I didn't have a body. After some time, from a specific part of the space, I 'felt' a presence, something, someone, I can't explain it. I saw nothing and heard no word, nevertheless, I suddenly realized that the 'speaker' had always been there, and had followed me while I was in the tunnel, and somehow he had perhaps helped me to turn back. We began a silent dialogue. I felt an immense and unconditional love, a flow of love. We continued like that for a while, and then I somehow felt that I had to go. I deliberately stayed a little longer. That state of being was so sublime. Then I knew that I had to go. I thanked him and said good-bye. I woke up on a stretcher bed, smiling. All around me, my friends were crying, there were a lot of people. My doctor friend approached me, asking me a few questions to see if I had brain damage. It had been about twenty minutes since my cardio-respiratory functions had stopped. They took me to the hospital, and there I stayed another two weeks.

This is the first time I've told anyone other than my friends what happened to me. It's an experience to be shared.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: luglio 1995

NDE Elements:

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

How do you consider the content of your experience? Wonderful

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? Normal consciousness and alertness

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Always

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

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. It's difficult to answer. It was a clearer vision but not more detailed. The visual details were perceived differently.

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? Yes The tunnel was not straight, it curved slightly to the left, and so it was impossible to see the end.

Did you see any beings in your experience? I actually saw them

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? No

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 I saw it when I wondered where I was going.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm ero in mezzo allo spazio cosmico, tra pianeti, stelle e nebulose..

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Not very different from my current emotions.

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 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

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Uncertain

What is your religion now? Liberal

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Uncertain

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? Uncertain

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Uncertain

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes The perceptions were difficult to describe.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? No

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I have shared it with family and friends when it happened. Every time I casually spoke about it, people have reacted nicely.

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 was never unconscious. Even if my body was dead, the linearity of my thoughts was never interrupted.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real

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