George E Probable NDE

Experience Description 20130 9/7/2014

I was working on a construction job in Puerto Rico. It was 1967. I was seventeen years old. I contracted a severe case of gastroenteritis, and was unable to afford proper medical care. I went to a clinic, got a bottle of pills, and went back to the room where I lived. To put it mildly, I had the most severe diarrhea you can imagine. I was losing water at this fantastic rate, just going to the bathroom all the time. The woman who ran the rooming house was good enough to bring me water, but I ate nothing. Oh man, I was SICK! I was getting weaker and weaker.

On the eighth day of this misery, I seemed to float right up out of my body. So I'm looking down at my body lying in the bed still as a corpse, and I said ‘Oh (beep)! I've died!!’ I was unnerved by this. But in the next second, I thought to myself ‘Hey, if I'm dead, who is thinking these thoughts??’ So then, I felt calm and very good, thinking ‘Well this sure beats being sick as a dog, this is quite okay.’ So I'm floating in the room, right? And it is daytime. Outside there was a church and the bells started ringing. This was normal. I had a strong urge to go check it out so I floated out of the window. Outside it was blindingly bright. Whoa! It was SO BRIGHT. In a word, it was hard to see. Don't ask see with what, because I don't have a clue, my eyes being back in my body. But I could see the church steeple, and made a circuit of it. At this point I'm feeling very exhilarated. I'm flying around free of my body! And two things really hit me at that moment: first, the body isn't ME, it's just a body; and second, the whole heaven and hell thing is nonsense, we all just float off peacefully, because the spirit endures. So that was a great thing to know. At last though, some part of me got lonely for my body, and I went back inside, and sort of lay down in my body. And I slept. And the next thing I knew, the illness had broken and I was recovering.

Now-- Because of this experience, I came to think at the time that the spirit endures, and we go off peacefully. This idea I have entertained ever since to a degree, but I rather think now that it was merely a biochemical sort of effect, not anything 'real' in the sense of supernatural. I accept the idea it could be a hallucination of some sort, but it seemed very genuine at the time. So on the real significance of out of body experiences, I just don't know. But I've not feared death per se during my life for which I am very grateful.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: August 1967

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Uncertain Illness 'Illness, trauma or other condition not considered life threatening' I was very sick. Life threatening? Probably not.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Positive

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes Totally disembodied. I saw my body on the bed.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? I seemed perfectly alert.

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No

Did your hearing differ in any way from normal? Church bells.

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

The experience included: Light

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes It was very bright. Blindingly bright actually, like being surrounded by very bright sunlight.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm Well, everything seemed normal. I could hear and see. I can't say there was any sensation of feeling. In fact, I guess I'd say there was not any sensation of feeling or touch. But it wasn't like numbness.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Initially, anxiety. Afterwards, exhilaration and a sort of curiosity.

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about the universe I concluded during the experience that it was a great joke on Christianity, that heaven and hell were obviously false and unreal, and this amused me and pleased me, that these people were so wrong and foolish. I was giddy with the knowledge that death was so easy and pleasant. That's how I was feeling at that time, that it was just a matter of floating away.

Did scenes from your past come back to you? My past flashed before me, out of my control I went out the window, and flew around. It was very pleasant.

Did scenes from the future come to you? No

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 Yes. I decided to go back to the body. I thought ‘Well, this is cool, but enough is enough, I'll just go lie back in the body, and if I'm dead well no problem, and if I'm not, that's fine too.’

God, Spiritual and Religion:

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I became a more confirmed atheist and infidel. Before, I was uncertain about the claims of religion, but afterwards I thought, ‘These guys are just like scam artists, they don't have a clue about any of it.’

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

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? The best part was flying. There was no bad part, really.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I don't really emphasize the supposedly spiritual dimension, and I have not told very many people, but I've told a few that death is just nothing to fear. That we all will float off peacefully.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? I do not think, after years of reflection on it, that my experience is anything that would tend to prove that the spirit or soul or mind survives death. I thought at the time that this was what my experience demonstrated, but I now tend to think it was just some sort of biochemical thing. Either way, it’s no big deal really.

Did the questions asked and information that you provided accurately and comprehensively describe your experience? Uncertain

Experience Description 6923 9/29/2013

On the eighth day of my illness, I seemed to just float right up out of my body. I saw my body from above. I'm looking down at my body lying in the bed, still as a corpse, and I said, ‘Oh, sh#$! I've died!!’ I was basically unnerved by this. But in the next second, I thought to myself, ‘Hey, if I'm dead, who is thinking these thoughts??’

So, then I felt calm and very good, thinking, ‘Well this sure beats being sick as a dog. This is quite okay.’

I'm floating in the room, now feeling elated, and I decided to float out the window. The windows in this rooming house where I lived were just a series of louvers. You could stick your hand right outside the building if you wanted to. I had a strong urge to go check out what was outside so I floated out of the window.

Outside it was blindingly bright, with the light everywhere, not coming from any particular source, but as if the light were a liquid and I was in a sea of light.

At this point, I'm feeling very exhilarated, completely euphoric. I'm moving around free of my body. And two things really hit me at that moment. First, the body isn't ME. It's just a body. Second, the whole heaven and hell thing is nonsense, in terms of the popular images of streets of gold and pearly gates versus the lake of fire and the eternal torment. We all just float off peacefully because the spirit endures. So that was a great thing to know.

At last though, some part of me got lonely for my body and I went back inside. I thought it was better not to just leave my body there, though it was purely joyful in the sea of light. I went back in the room and I sort of lay down in my body to rest. The next thing I knew, the illness had broken and I was recovering, and I was not dead. I had thought that after taking a little rest in the body, now that I knew that being dead was okay, I’d be able to go back to the sea of light. This was not to be, though. Not right then anyway.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: Summer 1967

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Illness Life threatening event, but not clinical death I was working on a construction job in Puerto Rico. It was 1967. I was seventeen years old. I contracted a severe case of gastroenteritis and was unable to afford proper medical care. I went to a clinic, got a bottle of pills, and went back to the room where I lived. To put it mildly, I had the most severe diarrhea you can imagine. I was extremely ill, suffering from painful cramps. I was losing water at a fantastic rate, just going to the bathroom all the time. The woman who ran the rooming house was good enough to bring me water, but basically I ate nothing. I was getting weaker and weaker.

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 I saw my body on the bed. That is not a moment I'll ever forget. I heard the bells of the church nearby.
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 Well, it is hard to explain. It is as if you suddenly understand that the physical life of the body is just a part of the reality, and the life of the spirit is more real, as if the physical world is a stage set sort of--- it looks real enough but it is just appearances.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? I would say in the sea of light part, it seemed hyper-real, extremely joyful and also peaceful.

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No

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

Did your vision differ in any way from normal? You can't close your eyes because you do not have eyes. I recall being able to look in a particular direction though. Vision was very sharp. The incredibly bright light in the sea of light was not painful.

Did your hearing differ in any way from normal? I could hear. I heard church bells. There was a church nearby. Hearing seemed normal I should say.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? No

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Uncertain It was not a tunnel, it was a sea of light. The light was everywhere but with no source.

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: Unearthly light

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? An unusually bright light

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes If you just imagine being deep in the ocean and every molecule of water is radiating light that will give you an idea of what it was like.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Some unfamiliar and strange place It was sure not anyplace earthly. Though I did not sense other beings, it still was not a lonely place. It was strange, but also like home. So you feel, oh good, I'm home, everything is okay. Death is not what folks think. It's okay.

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? First, fear. I was dead, and if you could die twice seeing my body on the bed would have scared me to death again! Then, immediately thereafter, I was able to reason that I was really okay, because I could think and see things. Then I was very joyful. In the sea of light, it was wonderful, joyful, and peaceful. I should not have left.

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

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about myself or others I would not say I understood everything!! It is different from that. It's like you see things as they really are, or understand that you don't need to be concerned about the details, because it's all fine, it's all okay, you're home again.

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? I came to a barrier that I was not permitted to cross; or was sent back against my will I did not think I was returning to life. I thought I'd just take a rest in my body, then go back to the sea of light. Now I have to die all over again to get back there.

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? Christian- Protestant I have been educated in Episcopal Church schools, and had at the time of the experience a great deal of religious instruction including daily chapel. I was not however a believer in any deep sense.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes Well, not as a direct result, but over time I've had religious experiences that I finally integrated with the near death experience. I do not know, Why me? It is a great puzzle. I suppose some are chosen or something. I guess we'll find out later on.

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

What is your religion now? Christian- Protestant From the time of the experience to the present, a period of nearly half a century, I have been subjected to divine manifestations including outright miracles. God pestered me until I surrendered. I did not want to believe. I worked in a scientific department at a university. It was not at all convenient to be a Christian. Nevertheless, I was finally forced to it. I have no idea why. It is all very strange and mysterious to me. I was not looking for this transcendent divine love: it knocked me repeatedly in the head until I accepted its reality.

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 was not understanding about what love means. It is not something you earn by being a good person.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes Be good. Do the right thing. Read scripture. Pray for help, understanding, and forgiveness. Keep trying. Try to do better. Do not be afraid. It's all okay!

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? No

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? No

Did you believe in the existence of God prior to your experience? God probably exists┬

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Uncertain During the time of the experience I was mostly amused that the idea of hell with fire etc and heaven with pearly gates was wrong, that you just float off peacefully. I did not at that time understand that the peace and joy and love actually = God. That came much later.

Do you believe in the existence of God after your experience? God definitely exists

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes Well, I know something of great value, that most people do not know, for which I am eternally grateful. How can I tell you? It is so simple, but folks hear it and ignore it. Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself, and don't do to others that which you hate, and trust in God, and do not be afraid. Do your best, do the right thing. It's all okay.

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 does not exist

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Oh yes, consciousness and personality continues after bodily death. To that extent there is no death really. The body dies. You do not die. You are not equal to your body. Mind is not the same thing as brain.

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? Slightly 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 possibly 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? Yes Don't be afraid. Death is nothing to fear. It is quite okay. You do your best in your life and the rest takes care of itself.

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 Love is limitless and a quite real thing, like air or water. We do not feel this when in the body.

Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Large changes in my life I do not know why, but my life from that time to now has consistently had strange interventions. Any way I put this will sound absurd. My life has been blessed with lots of silly little miracles. God is a great joker in my case. He always reminds me that he's with me. The Almighty has a sense of humor. I always try to rationalize what happens but really, I've given up. God acts in the everyday world. That is the miracle of God. The miracle is all around us, and we do not see it.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Uncertain I can't really say.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No It was not especially difficult except it was unlike anything else and so when I describe it, it sounds a bit silly, like something made up. So for many years I told nobody about it, because I thought they'd think I was nuts or lying.

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 I remember exactly. It is as vivid now as 46 years ago.

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? The sea of light. I should have stayed!

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Oh years and years went by! I'd say thirty years. Finally I heard of these near death experiences, and I said ‘Oh yes, that's like what happened to me.’ I don't think people are much influenced by hearing the experiences of others. If it had not happened to me I would not believe it myself.

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 real. It really happened. There was never the slightest doubt of that.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real. Well, it was more real than anything in my life. I could sooner believe my whole life is a dream. The experience was just very, very real.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? No I've had very many drug trips and similar things, but nothing is even remotely like the near death experience. On some drugs you do feel the oneness though. That is similar.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? I am so grateful to have been chosen to have this experience.