John V Probable NDE

Experience Description

I was in treatment for stage 4 Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma I was home and in tremendous pain. I started to pray to God to please take me. I felt my pain suddenly stop and I was looking down at myself.

Suddenly, I found myself in a tunnel that was somewhat scary and musty smelling. At the end was a brilliant light. I walked toward the light and through into another world. ‘Heaven?’ There was a point where I couldn't go any further. My grandmother was there crying with her arms held out to me. She had died when I was a teenager. She hugged me. It was like when you would come out of a cold lake, and your mother would wrap a warm towel around you. I had a feeling of total unconditional love. I had no pain just a feeling of total wellness. While hugging her, I realized we were floating. I could see people waving to me as if welcoming me home.

My grandmother spoke to me in Polish, as she did when I was a child. She told me how sorry she was that I was sick but that I had to go back and finish my life. A young man appeared. He resembled my nephew that had died in a car accident but it wasn't him. He said his name was Steven and I had never met him.

Suddenly in an instant, I was back in my body; my wife was holding her hands over me and praying aloud. I didn't tell her what had happened. I started to go into remission when the doctors had told me to put my life in order. They had given me a one in four chance to live. It took me about two years to talk to my wife about what I had experienced. She told me that she thought I had left her. She also told me that I was very angry when I woke up. I began to tell her what I had seen. Vivid colors: all my senses were stimulated. I then told her about the young man Steven that I had met. When I told her he looked like my nephew but slightly older she started to cry. Two years before my nephew that had died, my sister had a stillborn baby boy. What I didn't know is that they had named him Steven. This was, to me, the proof that what I had experienced was real.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: October of 2003

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Illness 'Illness, trauma or other condition not considered life threatening' I had stage 4 cancer.

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? 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

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Upon coming out of the tunnel: vivid colors and sound.

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 Everything was so wonderful you could see and experience everything, seemingly at once.

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. I have poor eye sight normally. There you are whole.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Same as with my eye sight.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? No

The experience included: Tunnel

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes The tunnel was dark and musty smelling but the light at the end was bright and was pulling me toward it.

The experience included: Presence of deceased persons

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 grandmother and nephew.

The experience included: Unearthly light

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? An unusually bright light

Did you see an unearthly light? Uncertain Just brilliancy.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm The door of heaven.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Totally loved.

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

Did you have a feeling of joy? incredible joy

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? My past flashed before me, out of my control

Did scenes from the future come to you? No

The experience included: Boundary

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? Yes It was a feeling that I couldn't go any further.

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 I was told it wasn't my time and I had my life to finish.

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 I went to church on Sunday as a practicing Catholic.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I don't believe in one kind of religion anymore.

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

What is your religion now? Christian- Other Christian I no longer believe in the politics of one church.

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 you can believe in an afterlife but also have some doubt that it exist

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes see previous.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? No

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? No

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? I was uncertain if God exists

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes It was a feeling

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? Uncertain

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? Uncertain Only that we all have some purpose on this earth to fulfill.

Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? I was uncertain if an afterlife exists

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Yes I felt like I would be able to be all things all the time

Did you fear death prior to your experience? I slightly 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? Yes only that there is a place without any of that.

Were you compassionate prior to your experience? Moderately compassionate toward others

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Yes I had a feeling that I was unconditionally loved.

Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Large changes in my life Large changes in my life. I used to be a very busy person; I had many acquaintances, now I have friends. I try to be as caring to people as I can. I understand that money will mean nothing someday but the kind of person I was will.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes Yes I try to surround myself with good people. Not everyone believes about my experience but that's okay, as long as they are a good person they’ll find out for themselves someday.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes I didn't think anyone would believe me.

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 think about it every day with my prayers. It is something I could never forget It's vivid above other anything I have experienced.

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? Meeting my nephew, who died at birth.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes It took 2 years to tell my wife, followed by a year later, my sister who is the mother of the nephew I met. It is a comforting feeling to everyone I tell. People are genuinely interested in the afterlife.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes Just what you would read or hear about.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real I know what I experienced; I'll never forget it and I selfishly can’t wait to return.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real See above

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