Grady NDE

Experience Description

I suffered a cardiac arrest after 4 bypass surgeries. The first time was for 7 minutes. They had taken me off life support. I was wired, stapled, and stitched up when I had a drug reaction. The doctors had to hurry up and re-open my chest in order to do hand message of the heart.

During this, I could hear the thumping of my heart slowing and I was in this Pure White area kind of like a train car of sorts. I was falling and the thumping noise stopped and then 2 angel figures, one at each hip, and 1 angel behind my head put their arms under me and as clear as I am sitting here the one behind me said, 'We have you.'

At that moment, I could hear the thumping noise (my heart beat) and I was back on the table. A few minutes later, I went back into cardiac arrest again. This time, since they had to re-open my chest, they were able to hook me back up to the heart-lung machine for 35 minutes. The doctors struggled to get me back.

This time I was in the purest white that you could never describe. I was watching the doctors scrambling to figure out why I was gone again. I kept telling them that I was still there, not in a panic way; but I knew that if they quit then I was gone. I could hear the doctor cussing. The nurses were frantic and the anesthesiologist, who I had never met named Steve, was all going nuts. They stuck with me.

After a drug induced coma for 5 days, they woke me up, I asked my surgeon why he kept trying to keep me alive and he said he didn't know, that something kept urging him on. That's when I repeated to him some of the things that were being said during that frantic hour that I witnessed above the table. The surgeon and the nurse verified some of the things that I told them I heard.

I ended up with both vocal chords paralyzed because of a damaged nerve when they were in there doing the heart message and had the right side vocal chords removed to open airway to breath without a trachea tube. It sure was a bad day but not my turn to go!

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 05-14-2008

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Surgery-related. Allergic reaction. Drug or medication overdose. While under general anesthesia. CPR given. Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function or brain function) I suffered a reaction to the drug Protamine after open heart surgery.

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 surgeon and the nurse verified some of the things that I told them I heard. 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 knew exactly where I was and what was happening.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? It was after I was in cardiac arrest.

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No

Were your senses more vivid than usual? No

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. The same.

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

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? Uncertain I was for sure in pure white surroundings.

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? A light clearly of mystical or other-worldly origin

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes The first time was like a train car type thing, and everything was pure white.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm I was definitely out of my body and in a calm place.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I felt calm, not panic.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Relief or calmness

Did you have a feeling of joy? Happiness

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 understood what was happening to me.

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

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Catholic

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

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

What is your religion now? Christian- Catholic

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 I believe there is life of some type after death

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I don't fear death.

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 The first time I went into cardiac arrest, three angels took hold of me, two at my hips and one behind my head. The one behind my head said, 'We got you.'

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.)? Yes

During your experience, did you gain information about premortal existence? Yes when it's time to go its time

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? Yes yes, I believe that in some way I made a connection to the Surgon.

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

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes these three angels were sent to recover me.

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 I learned that I am not afraid of death.

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are probably 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 definitely exists Yes The presence of angels and the pure white surroundings so pure you can't begin to describe.

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? Moderately 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 probably meaningful and significant

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant after your experience? Are probably 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? No

Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Slight changes in my life I believe there is life of some type after death.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes Because some people think your nuts but others know exactly what you mean.

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 knew exactly where I was and what I was there for.

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? Knowing that someone is always looking out for you is quite a relief.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I shared with my Doctor and some of the nurses right after they woke me from the coma. They were very interested in what I told them. They said that they have heard of such things but have never been so close to the event.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes I have heard of people having an experience before but didn't know anyone personally.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real Some of the things that I repeated that I heard in the OR I would have never known if I was clinically dead.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real It's like it happened yesterday.

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? Thank God!

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? No other questions.