Jason C FDE

Experience Description

I had gone to a park with a friend of mine. We always went out and swam in the river. It wasn't deep just wide. There were old bridge supports made out of rock towers going up about thirty to thirty-five feet to the forest. The base of these towers were in the river. For whatever reason I decided I would free-climb (without a rope or harness) one of these rock towers. I was up about twenty-five feet when I was stuck. I knew where I needed to put my hand next to pull up. I only had three points of contact at that point on the rock tower (my feet and left hand) I sort of leaped/reached for it. I grabbed hold of the rock jutting out with my right and let go with my left hand. I still had my feet firmly planted in the holds when I reached this point. Physically I saw the rock fly out of the rock tower and I fell. I fell like one would be sitting up in a lounge chair. I hit tail bone first on a rock (shaped like two hands praying with the fingers pointing up). I was washed downstream came to while I was breathing water (drowning) with my head under a rock. Now I said that is what happened physically.

This is what I saw. I remember seeing the rock fly out of the hold and thinking 'Oh no.' All of a sudden I was knocked out of my body. It was like someone pushed me hard but instead of my body going with the push it was just my soul. I saw myself fall down to the rocks below. At this point, I got confused. I thought 'Well, If I am up here who's down there?' I remember bringing my hands up to where they should've been and seeing something like a static light where they should've been. Right at this point, for whatever reason I started noticing my surroundings. The river below me looked like a liquid crystal. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. The leaves on the trees were bright neon green. Then everything started getting extremely bright.

All of a sudden, there was this brilliant flash of light. Then it went completely dark. I wasn't scared, I was still trying to figure out what was going on. Then I heard all these people talking (men, women). It sounded like I landed right in the middle of a cocktail party. I said 'Where am I?' It was strange here because when I 'spoke' this I thought it the same time. It was also strange because I felt like I here was for quite some time. I lost all sense of time. I heard a women tell me that I had a choice. Her voice was very peaceful and calming. I asked her what my choice was. She said, 'You can come with us or go back and finish your work.' I had no grasp of what was going on still. I said 'Well, I need to get back because if I miss supper my mother is going to kill me.'

As soon as I said this, I felt a tug and 'Wham' I opened my eyes and realized I was drowning. I pulled my head out from under the rock and pulled myself halfway out of the water. My friend helped me out the rest of the way. He asked me what had happened. He never saw me fall. In conclusion, I went to the doctor who was surprised I was alive one, and two, still walking. I told him how I fell. He said I should been killed instantly or paralyzed for life. Needless to say I couldn't walk real well if at all for about four weeks.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: Late Summer 1996

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident Rock climbing fall Life threatening event, but not clinical death I fell from free climbing (rock climbing without a rope) from a height of somewhere between twenty to twenty-five feet.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Mixed

The experience included: Out of body experience

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? More consciousness and alertness than normal As above.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? When I was looking at everything out-of-body (the forest, river, and trees) I realized everything living was really and truly alive as much as I was.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Incredibly fast

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. The colors of everything was extremely intense.

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

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

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes

The experience included: 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

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

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

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 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? Moderate Christian

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I don't think there is one singularly right answer to reaching God.

What is your religion now? Liberal I believed in God. I was a Christian at the time

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I don't think there is one singularly right answer to reaching God.

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

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? No

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Uncertain

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes It's hard to convey what I saw in terms of the magnitude of the feeling and what I was seeing at the same time.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes I seemingly even to this day call my friends whenever they need to hear from me most.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Only my wife believes me.

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

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