Ji-Hoon Kim Probable NDE

Experience Description:

The water in my lungs left me be in a state of coma for four days. The things that I am about to explain took place during the four days. The doctors say that I was in a definite state of coma. And this is what I could clearly remember from this state.

I am in a something that is like the clouds or the fog. I don't know where I am. Also, I don't know why I'm here. I don't even know the directions but I start to walk slowly.

Then I see two or three tetrahedron shaped chairs in front of me. There are people in white dresses and they are either sitting down or standing and talking to each other. To my notion, they seem about ten years older than me. I feel a sense of barrier towards them so I start to walk towards them, slowly. They do not seem to take notice of me. Now I am with them. At first, I am standing, and then I take a seat on the floor. All the chairs are occupied at that time. I start to listen in on their conversations. To my observation, there are a mixture of genders among that group. One person asks me where I am from. I tell him/her that I am not sure. Then that person starts to talk again. I ask them where this place is and what they are doing here but nobody answers back.

After I ask them few more times, one person finally tells me that they are just waiting. I am not satisfied with the answer but I decide to be satisfied with the fact that I even got an answer so I just nod. People start to talk to each other again. The number of people start to increase. Now there are about seven to ten people. Their clothes seem white. It is generally dark but because there's white fog-like substance surrounding them, it seems white.

After a while, one more person joins. He is younger than me. A young man in his twenties. I ask him where he is from. He says that he is in an army and that he came because he became ill during his training. I ask him what part of his body is ill. He says that he collapsed during the training session because he could not withstand it. I say that the military training is harsh and that they ask the soldiers to do push-ups, making things hard. (I was stationed in KATUSA: Korean Augmentation Troops to the United States Army. Katusas are on a joint duty with U.S. soldiers.) After my shared a conversation with him my conscious came back.

I was in an intensive care unit. I could not see anything with my eyes and because my conscious did not come back fully, I just forgot about the whole experience, which seem nothing more than a dream.

Then after about fifteen days later when I was moved to a regular hospital room, I heard a story from my wife that absolutely shocked me. She told me that one or two days after I fell into a coma, an army soldier had collapsed during his training and had been placed in the same intensive care unit. I wanted to ask that solider whether he had the same dream or experience as me. But because my health was getting poor, I did not get a chance to. However, I do get a sense that it was one of the patients in the intensive care unit who caught the same virus.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: Oct 2002

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Uncertain Illness 감염으빺 폐에 물이 차고, 내장출혈과 함께 백혈구 수치가 현저히 감소되어 지혈이 불가한 상황이었음. 폐에 차는 물빺 인해 호흡이 절대 곤蔥臼느? Life threatening event, but not clinical death 유행성출혈열 (빢토스피?에 감염되었으나, 감기인줄 알고 버티다가 객혈을 한 후 종합병원에 걋립? 이미 어빦운상황이窄? 한국 최고 병원 3군데 중 아는 의사가 있는 병원으빺 가箚?함. (당시 새벽2시) I was in a coma.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Frightening

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? Normal consciousness and alertness Yes, similar. I'm not sure. I don't know if my dream happened to be a coincidence, but it was very clear in my memory. And because it was so clear and real, I don't consider it as just a dream. However, I didn't tell anyone except my wife because I didn't think anyone would believe. I feel as though that kind of experience could have happened during my normal everyday life.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? It was when I felt most sense of comfort and a sense of relief. I felt like I was waiting for some kind of decision-making time.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Neither

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Neither Not sure. But it seemed like I was in clouds amongst the darkness.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Neither

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I felt it was similar to the everyday life.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. It was difficult to hear or understand the conversations that they were having. But I know for sure that it was in Korean. It was just that I could hear and comprehend, but not take in fully.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Neither

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

Did you see any beings in your experience? Neither

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes I just felt a bit bored and was waiting for quite some time.

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? Neither

Did you see an unearthly light? Uncertain There was a cloud or fog-like substance amongst the darkness. I'm not sure if there was a light. But the surrounding was dark. It also seemed like the place where people were conversing was lit up, as if a bright room lit up by light bulbs. So I was able to see everything.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Unfamiliar, strange place 없음

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Fear, curiosity, comfort, coziness, bored, relief.

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

Did you have a feeling of joy? Neither

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? Neither

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about the universe

Did scenes from your past come back to you? Neither

Did scenes from the future come to you? Neither

Did you come to a border or point of no return? Neither

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Liberal 하나님은 믿으나 교회는 안 가는 헐빀이 신자

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Uncertain I did get a strong acknowledgement of spirits and the afterlife. Before this experience, I wasn't sure but now I am.

What is your religion now? Liberal 역시 같음

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Uncertain I did get a strong acknowledgement of spirits and the afterlife. Before this experience, I wasn't sure but now I am.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? Neither

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? Neither

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? Yes I've realized the importance of family and I've come to see things in a wider and broader perspective.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes It is difficult to describe the place and the situation.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? No My sixth sense has been developed quite a bit. It is to a point where I can just make decisions based on my mere senses.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? The conversation with the soldier. Although that soldier did stay alive, I did not get a chance to meet him.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes After finding out about the soldier, I finally told my wife about three weeks later.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes I did encounter some books at the library. However, I did not have the typical encounters such as seeing a light, walking towards the light, or seeing anyone who has passed away.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was probably real No matter how much I think about it, there are no exaggerations. I am just explaining the exact things that I've encountered and seen. I did see the solider in real life. And although I could not see well due to my bad eye sight during my stay at the intensive care unit, but I did see few people who had passed away who were in my experience.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was probably real Same as above. No definite proof.

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