James Y NDE

Experience Description

I traveled to the beach in Japan with friend. A typhoon was off the coast causing high surfs with five rows of breakers. I decided to try to dive through all five rows and then body surf back to beach. After diving through the first two breakers, I got caught in a spot where the waves were breaking on me and taking me to the bottom. This happened over and over until I was too tired to fight to the surface. I felt sure I was going to drown and was thinking how heartbroken my Mother was going to be when she got news of my death.

I could not understand why I started to feel this overwhelming peace; in fact, it was the most peaceful feeling I had ever experienced. About this time I noticed an oval about five feet wide with three female spirit-beings looking out. I could feel unconditional love coming from them. I understood that my home was with them. I wanted to go with them, not caring if I died.

At that moment, I floated up to the surface and no waves were crashing down on me. I could get a breath. Each wave after that, washed me toward the shore. My buddy ran up shouting, 'I thought you drowned!' I laid in the surf for several minutes before I could get up. I never told anyone about my experience for many years. At the time I was ashamed that I wanted to die and saw that as a weakness .

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: Summer 1962

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Illness, trauma or other condition not considered life threatening. Near drowning

How do you consider the content of your experience? Both pleasant AND distressing

Did you feel separated from your body? No 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 I remember it like it just happened.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? During the time from I felt the peace and until I floated to the surface.

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 My experience seemed longer than the time that passed.

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

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. It seemed like my vision was 360 degrees. I was not using my eyes. I don't know how to explain it.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I don't remember hearing anything.

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

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? No

Did you see an unearthly light? No

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? No

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Amazement

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? No

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

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? Not important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Unaffiliated- Atheist

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

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

What is your religion now? Unaffiliated- Agnostic

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was entirely not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience I thought everything was over when our body died.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes It's likely that life goes on after physical 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 I explained in my story.

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? Yes I understood that I had experienced similar things before and that I had lived other lives.

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 does not exist

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? No I am uncertain if God exists

Do you believe in the existence of God after your experience? I am uncertain if God exists

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes I understand that conscious continues after our physical life is over.

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 does not exist

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Yes An afterlife definitely exists; I understood that earth is not our home and that after this life we will return to our real home.

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? No

Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Moderate changes in my life

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Uncertain I haven't noticed any change.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes We don't have words to describe this kind of experience.

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 as accurately as other life events that occurred around the time of the experience.

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 40 years later

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 seemed to be real but I didn't understand what had caused it.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real Now I believe I had a NDE.

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