Jeff C NDE

Experience Description

I had stents inserted in Feb 2015. A few months later, in June 2015, I started having chest discomfort and pain similar to what I experienced before the stents. They moved me by air ambulance from the island where I live to the hospital in Bellingham for observation.

During the exam, I was lying on the table. I was awake, alert, and in no distress when they inserted the catheter probe via my inner thigh. After a few minutes, the Cardiologist asked me if I could feel the probe and if it caused me any discomfort. I told him, 'I haven't felt anything but haven't really been paying attention. Try again and I'll let you know.' At this point I closed my eyes and focused within. I felt nothing physically at all, but did feel my attention going even deeper, like it does during meditation.

I felt very calm. It was dark but it was a soft, comfortable dark. I could 'feel' the presence of others and one being was, I believe, my father who had passed away in 2011 with me at his side. There was communication but not spoken or in words. It was more like assurances and everything is exactly the way it's supposed to be. Time seemed to stop or really slow down.

I remember opening my eyes and was surprised to see all the doctors, nurses and techs scrambling around. I felt very peaceful. I said, 'Wow! I must've fallen asleep.' One of the staff just looked at me and said, 'Yeah, something like that.' I didn't think anything unusual had occurred. I did not see the cardiologist amongst the crowd. The staff took me into the recovery room for observation. I was there for perhaps an hour before they wheeled me to my room. Again, I felt very calm and peaceful.

A few years following this experience, I returned to the hospital for a couple days of extensive cardiology testing. During my stay, I had a meeting with a nurse-practitioner from Cardiology who was involved with the stress testing that involved using a radioactive contrasting agent. I definitely recognized him from my NDE and I said, 'Nice to see you again.' He gave me a really strange look and said, 'We've never met.' I tried to pin him down but he was clearly uncomfortable and did not want to talk. I do not recall seeing him before or after the NDE. However, I know he was in that room on that day, even though he denied it. My sense is he might have even been the one who applied the defibrillation shock.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: June 2015

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes CPR given. I was in the cardiology catheter lab to examine stents inserted a few months earlier. Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function) While undergoing a catheter exam of my previously inserted stents my heart stopped and I had to be resuscitated.

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

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. It's just that everything was very clear and without any outside distraction.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? It seemed much the same during the whole duration. I was not aware of anything external, but was totally engaged within.

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Time seemed to go faster or slower than usual. Time seemed to stop or really slow down.

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. There was no visuals to my experience because everything was dark

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. There was no 'hearing' but there was communication.

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? I sensed their presence

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

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I felt calm and peaceful.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Incredible peace or pleasantness

Did you have a feeling of joy? No

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? 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 was your religion prior to your experience? Other or several faiths: Christian Protestant tradition as a child. Explored various teachings later in life. Had a couple years of auditing in Scientology before the experience.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes It has taken time, actually several years, for me to sort things out as a result of the circumstances leading to the experience. I also needed to integrate the content and meaning from my experience into my waking reality. What I have found is that I have developed a very strong interest in understanding my spiritual nature and searching for answers. I do a lot of reading about spiritual stuff, including religion. I do a lot of writing about what I observe and through reflection and meditation; both of which have become daily habits. I have even attended a few Christian services, although the music was awful.

What is your religion now? Other or several faiths. I do not currently follow any faith or religion, but I have attended a few fundamental Christian services where I live and I do a lot of reading about ontology, God, religion, philosophy and all that.

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. Content gave me a certainty on some things and validation of other beliefs.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I felt more grounded in my beliefs afterward. I felt more able to apply my beliefs to my everyday living.

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. There was at least one presence. I believe my father was there.

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? I sensed their presence

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? Uncertain Nothing in words, just expansive cognition.

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? Uncertain. I could answer 'yes' simply due to the expanded awareness and certainty I gained during the experience.

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Uncertain I did not encounter any 'specific' information of this sort, but the nature of my communication conveyed a certainty that there is some sort of governing principle involved. That's the best way to describe what I felt/sensed during the experience.

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? No

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

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? Yes I became aware of the presence of others, including my deceased father. It was communicated to me (without words) that everything was as it's suppoded to be. I guess you could say there was a validation conveyed that our physical life is not our ultimate existence or experience. It's hard to describe.

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

During your experience, did you gain information about love? No

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Large changes in my life. I would say that any uncertainty I previously held as to my spiritual nature as a Being and as regards to whether life has a purpose and is meaningful were resolved.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? I am no longer willing to waste time and energy on negative relationships. I have reduced my circle of friends and acquaintances. At the same time, I am more appreciative of the positive relationships in my life.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes. It's difficult to describe. There was at least one presence, who I believe was my father. There was communication but it was non-verbal.

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 can recall with extreme intensity what and how I felt during the encounter.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Uncertain My intuition seems sharper. I now have dreams that seem like they come from a place of higher spirituality. They can be extremely vivid and carry strong, clear and positive messages or lessons.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? I guess the calmness and peacefulness and the certainty I feel are the most significant.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Uncertain I have shared a little with some of my family but it's hard to describe. Some get uncomfortable with the topic.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes I was aware that people claimed to have had such but never paid that much attention. It did not affect my experience in any way.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real. It took a while for it to sink-in. When I realized I went into the catheter lab basically a healthy person and almost came out in a body bag, I was pretty disturbed. However, I was not disturbed by the NDE but rather by the way it came about.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real. I generally believe everything happens exactly the way it's supposed to happen. That was also one of the messages I received during the experience. In that sense I was meant by God or Divine Nature to have this experience in order to promote my spiritual growth.

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? Not at this time.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? It's a good format.

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