John Y NDE

Experience Description

While in the ambulance, I was in shock, from the pain of my accident(I fell from a ladder and landed feet first in the road; I crushed and broke both ankles, heels, feet; my right foot was partially detached from my leg--the bone was sticking through and blood was gushing out--I laid there for 5 minutes before someone found me).

The combination of pain, shock, loss of blood, caused my vital signs to take a nose dive; the attendants yelled to the driver--'you better hurry up--this guy is not going to make it!'

after I heard that, I remember I became hysterical and was crying; at that moment I remember seeing angels flying around the roof of the ambulance and they were reaching down to me as if they were going to pull me up to heaven--I became very panicky and became saying to myself that I would never see my wife and son again--I began flailing away away at the angels to chase them away--I was scared of them--it was not a pleasant experience for me--then we reached the hospital but for a moment I did not realize I was in the hospital--I thought I had been transported somewhere else--a hospital in heaven--it wasn't until I saw my wife that I realized I was still alive.

A SECOND CHANCE by John Yelavich

The towering pine trees became ever more stately,

thanks to a bounty of golden sunshine and gentle rain.

Pruning the old brittle limbs would make them seem shapely,

and the pinewoods could look healthy and trim once again.

Smelling the beauty of the pines from my perch up high,

I had a strange feeling that something possibly could go awry.

Those thoughts of uncertainly were casually brushed aside

as I felt secure for that one moment in the treetop I did reside.

It was dreary and sullen on that fateful day in August of 1998.

In the distant horizon was a northeasterly zephyr

blanketing the sky with a tinge of color the shade of slate

and for a brief moment, my tenure on earth became just a blur.

The breezes that blew were no longer so gentle

precipitating my fall to the ground as solely accidental.

While lying entwined with the branches I had just clipped

I screamed aloud for anyone whose hand I could grip.

A host of angels hovered over and greeted me

at a time when my body and soul were set to be free.

Visions of my family and friends glowed like bright lights,

as God's little attendants reached down to tug me off into flight.

A solitary guardian savior heard my hysteric and desperate pleas;

she opened up my eyes to the wonders I had yet to foresee.

Vowing my heart would be generous till my last dying gasp,

my divine messenger carefully released me from her grasp.

In some strange way my aborted journey to the hereafter

was for me an epiphany that encouraged me to envision

one’s lifetime should be reveled in and filled with laughter,

showing compassion to others would be my finest decision.

My renewed spirit has given me many precious blessings.

I’ve learned to love living with all its marvelous trimmings.

I thank that sacred being for asking me to dance,

forever thankful for being bestowed a second chance.

JLY, 7/11/01

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 8/27/1998

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident Life threatening event, but not clinical death I was riding in the ambulance on my way to the hospital. The two attendants in the back with me both said that I was not going to make it. My blood pressure was bottoming out since I suffered tremendous loss of blood--they said had the trip been 5 minutes longer--I would not have made it.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Mixed

Did you feel separated from your body? Uncertain At times I felt like my body was floating upwards toward heaven

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? I would say that because I was in shock(they had administered an IV and had me on a monitor) I was partially to somewhat unconscious for a period of time.

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning I lost sense of time--I had thought hours had passed; in reality the drive to the hospital was about 15 minutes.

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes I saw the angels--several of them flying around

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? anger; great sadness, hysteria

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

Did you come to a border or point of no return? No

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Moderate

What is your religion now? Moderate

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I never was religious--but I found myself, praying for the first time since I was a kid

The experience included: Presence of unearthly beings

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

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? there was no good for me--it was all very uncomfortable and unsettling--I think I may be an exception

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I have shared this with many people--they have all been genuine in their interest and concern and they have shown a belief in my experience--I have never been the victim of ridicule--people that know me well--believe me thoroughly

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Yes see 26 I was on painkillers and anti-depressants while recuperating--I was restricted to a hospital bed in my home for 12 weeks--could not get out for any reason--not even to go to the bathroom--my bed became my"world"--experienced many dreams--many of them unsettling

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? This is the strangest part for me--and I need help in trying to understand it, however, it is not directly related to the NDE, I had a life review 2 days later--post surgical experience I am very confused now--my view of life has changed and my emotions are not easily controlled--the pain and thoughts of my accident are still engraved in my brain and cause me pain; the thought of almost dying is something that no one understands--I feel that I have no one close to me who understands my pain--I constantly say to my wife: "You have no idea what I went through--you do not understand--you could never understand". The whole experience: accident, NDE in the ambulance; hospitalized for two weeks--overdo dosed on drugs --causing me to have experiences in my hospital bed where I saw aliens fly flying around the room; my memory focuses on 1 year of my life each and every day--ever since, Aug. 29th, when they gave me too much morphine, thorizine, and anti-depressants at one time, my mind wandered back to one year of my life: 1966, my senior year of high school--I cannot get this out of my memory--I constantly have dreams about this; particularly specific people--this is a whole other subject that I do not think falls into your realm--I really think I need to see a professional to exorcise the demons that I have in my brain.