Gary M NDE

Experience Description

The first thing I remember was being helped from the back seat of the car by my friend Donnie. I immediately noticed that I could see the top of my own head and I could see Donnie helping me out of the car. He asked if I was all right and I remember feeling extremely ‘out of it.’ I said, ‘I think I hurt my arm.’ Donnie told me to lie down and he was going for the others. It was raining and when I laid back, I could feel the drops hitting my face.

After about 2 seconds, I quite suddenly just shot right out of my body. I was traveling at a very high speed into complete darkness, like a universe with no stars. Suddenly I started seeing some stars in the distance. Then, again quite suddenly, (I'll call them ‘light beings’) two light beings flew directly in front of me and stopped me cold. I could feel that I still had this ‘thrust’ behind me, that if they moved I would move again.

I remember quickly looking back, behind me and when I did, I saw a sort of umbilical cord of light going down to what appeared to be the world below. I gazed at the earth down there and it was spinning fast night/day/night/day like months were going by, and my light cord was attached to it. I turned back to the light beings and began to stare at them because it did not hurt to look at them, even though I thought it would make me squint. They had the appearance of hanging drapes sort of wavering a bit in a triangular shape with a pointed top and wide at the base. I remember saying ‘Let me go, I'd like to continue’ but it wasn't like my voice. It was as though it was telepathic somehow.

The lights immediately responded in a very kind way ‘You're not going anywhere.’ It sounds a bit blunt, but it didn't at the time, it was sweet like a parent or a lover’s voice. I then stared directly at the lights and saw these long, dark red, really sharp and pointy crystals come out of the light and then pass into me. It was a little unsettling but it happened so fast and then the crystals went into me I felt the most amazing level of euphoria I have experienced in this life. I felt so incredibly strong and good it's just a failure to try to describe this in words. It was ecstasy; it was pure beauty. At that very moment, up there with the light beings feeling the experience, I suddenly heard my buddy Donnie like he was right in my ear saying ‘Don't leave me Gary! Wake up!’ And I did. I was back in my body, I felt all of the pain and it was raining on my face.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 'December 14, 1992'

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident 'Life threatening event, but not clinical death' We were in a terribly violent car accident going off the road during a rain storm and crashing into trees.

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

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes The earthly event that occurred, I think was being pulled from the car. I felt out of my body already and my perspective was from about 5 feet above my own head. I remember seeing that I had a small bald spot starting and thinking, 'S#*t! I'm starting to go bald!’ I remember feeling a lot of love for my buddy Donnie who was helping me to get to a place where I could lay down. 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'd describe it this way: it was a completely new consciousness. I felt like I was experiencing things not just through the senses but through other, perhaps new senses that I wasn't aware of day to day. I felt like my eyes were WIDE open and I could see everything and it was so fascinating I was very aware of each detail.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? I would say the whole time.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Time seemed to go faster or slower than usual The only sense of time that I got during the experience was when I looked back at where I had come from and I could see the world spinning below. The world looked pure white as well, like a star, and it was spinning fast enough that it made me feel like days, weeks, and months were going by in seconds.

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 can only say that during the experience everything was heightened, it was on a high level. It felt like everything was brand new instead of having 30 years of wear on it.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. During the experience hearing was quite different from the everyday. I remember sensing sounds on a more physical level, like how a very powerful deep bass sound can rumble a whole room. Sounds seemed to vibrate from deep places. The brief conversation I had with the light beings was telepathic in nature so it was incredibly direct. No echoes or sound bouncing off surfaces, this was direct to the source.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? 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

The experience included: Void

The experience included: Darkness

The experience included: Unearthly 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 I saw the brightest most beautiful light that you could ever see. It can bring me to tears just to think of it. It wavered slightly and was shaped like a long thin triangle. My initial reaction was to squint because it was so bright, but there was no need. The more you looked at it, the more love and joy you felt.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I felt wonder, amazement, and love.

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

The experience included: Special knowledge or purpose

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

The experience included: Boundary

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? Yes My limiting physical structure were the lights themselves. They stopped me from traveling and they held me there until I regained consciousness. I was completely at their whim.

Did you come to a border or point of no return? No

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What importance did you place on your religious/spiritual life prior to your experience? Slightly important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Other or several faiths My religion is nature. I am not nor have I ever been a member of a church. My spirituality revolves around loved ones, my community and nature.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What importance do you place on your religious/spiritual life after your experience? Slightly important to me

What is your religion now? Other or several faiths My religion is nature. I am not nor have I ever been a member of a church. My spirituality revolves around loved ones, my community and nature.

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've never been religious partially because almost if not every religion has a story about what happens after you die. I have never bought into any of those stories so my "beliefs" are more rooted in nature and science if you will. That said I've never completely rejected the notion of an afterlife. To me this experience seemed perfectly natural. In hindsight it was the next logical step, you leave your body, you go into an entirely new realm and you begin to learn the new system.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Uncertain I've never been religious partially because almost, if not, every religion has a story about what happens after you die. I have never bought into any of those stories so my ‘beliefs’ are more rooted in nature and science if you will. That said I've never completely rejected the notion of an afterlife. To me this experience seemed perfectly natural. In hindsight it was the next logical step, you leave your body, you go into an entirely new realm and you begin to learn the new system.

The experience included: Presence of unearthly beings

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 I encountered a definite being, or a voice clearly of mystical origin. I spoke with the light beings asking if I could continue on. They told me that I wasn't going anywhere. Our communication seemed to be telepathic.

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 I felt the positivity, warmth and comfort of the light beings. I felt like they truly were there to take care of me, that I was some sort of newcomer who needed guidance. I felt that there was some kind of connection between myself and them and everythi

Did you believe in the existence of God prior to your experience? God probably does not exist

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? No

Do you believe in the existence of God after your experience? God probably does not exist

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes I believed at the time that the very existence of the light beings proved there is some other realm of being beyond this life.

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are meaningful and significant

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? No

Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? An afterlife probably exists

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife probably exists Yes I believed at the time that the very existence of the light beings proved there is some other realm of being beyond this life.

Did you fear death prior to your experience? I moderately feared death

Do you fear death after your experience? I do not fear death

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Not fearful in living my earthly life

Were you fearful living your life after your experience? Not fearful in living my earthly life

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are meaningful and significant

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant after your experience? Are meaningful and significant

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

Were you compassionate prior to your experience? Moderately compassionate toward others

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Yes I felt as if I had found the eternal fountain of love and I was splashing around in it. The overwhelming "vibe" from the light beings was love. It almost felt like love was the glue holding everything together including myself.

Were you compassionate after your experience? Moderately compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Slight changes in my life I will never see the world the same way again after my near death experience.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes Yes I cherish my loved ones, family and friends, more than ever and I try never to take that for granted since the experience.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes It's simply impossible to describe with words. Although part of the reason I'm doing this is that when I hear other people tell their NDE stories, I immediately bond with that and feel like I know exactly what they're talking about.

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 This was an experience that eclipses every other experience in my life. I remember it like it happened 5 minutes ago, every detail. Other things going on in my life at that time, I'm very sketchy on details.

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? It didn't cause a huge swing in my beliefs or change my thinking that much. Having experienced the light beings and perhaps having taken that first step toward death was something that will stay with me to the day I do die and I think when that day comes I'll chuckle that it's the same the second time around and here we go!

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I'm not shy so I shared right away. Thing is though, I didn't recall any of it until Donnie, my buddy who helped me out of the car, came to visit me in the hospital. Donnie only lost his front teeth in the accident. I was sitting next to him in the back seat. All of the ribs on my right side were broken, collapsed lung, and arm broken in four places. When Donnie came to visit me, he leaned in and asked me ‘Do you remember what happened? ’ With those words, it all came flooding back immediately, the entire experience and I started weeping and telling the story to him and his mother. They were both weeping and listening just amazed. After that I told others, but only people I trusted to not take it lightly

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes Only through movies or the media (papers, television). I had never met anyone who had experienced it.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real The experience was so vivid and clear it didn't seem possible that it wasn't real. That's how I felt in the short time afterward.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was probably real Over the years I've been torn between thinking it was definitely real to thinking it might have been an ‘internal’ journey as opposed to an external one. Going into the depths of our minds can be as massive as the universe I think and perhaps it was simply the brain going into shock, you see lights then whatever. I simply don't have the answer, but my gut feeling is that I left my body and it was probably real.

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? I felt the positivity, warmth and comfort of the light beings. I felt like they truly were there to take care of me, like I was some sort of newcomer who needed guidance. I felt that there was some kind of connection between myself and them and everything else around us.