Jon NDE

Compared to others, I had a bad childhood. I was often truant from school and got into a lot of fights. One of these fights took place at a bowling alley in the video game room. I had, with two friends, instigated a little trouble with this one particular kid and, well, he and his “gang” came a' calling. It didn't go well for us: seven against three. When the gang showed up, I was terrified. I ended up having the side of my head smashed into a brick wall and that's when it happened.

At first, all was black, but then I found myself looking down upon the whole scene. The first thing I noticed was that I was somehow seeing the events before me, from within the top of the walls of this video-game room. I saw a larger and older boy pulling the guy who had been kicking me in the side of the head off of me. Then I noticed two younger kids, a boy and a girl, run up to the game-room window, under me, and look in. All the while, I heard nothing. The terror I felt before everything went black was gone. I felt, well, I want to say relaxed, but I think the better way to describe it is "neutral", like observing without feeling. As I observed, the skeletal features of my face were not present. Let me explain: when you look at the world, your whole life, you have obstructions that limit your view. Since you have always had these obstructions, you don't really notice them till they’re gone: eyebrows, nose, eyelashes, cheekbones and so on.

That experience, I believe, is one of the oddest parts about the entire event. Behind me (in the wall itself or the ceiling) was blackness. I could see adults from the billiard-room next door rushing towards the game-room. Then all went black again. Next, I remember going in and out of consciousness on the way to the hospital.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: April 1980

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Life threatening event, but not clinical death It was a street-fight in a bowling alley game-room. My head was being smashed between a steel-toed boot and a brick wall. I think it qualifies as life-threatening.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Positive

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes See above narrative.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Totally alert!

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning I was 13 years old at the time - something was certainly different, but whether or not it had to do with time or space, I just don't know.

Did your hearing differ in any way from normal? If there were sounds, then they were muffled and were almost inaudible.

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? No

The experience included: Darkness

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? No emotions. Total neutrality.

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? Liberal

What is your religion now? Liberal

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes Since then, I have not been afraid to die.

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? The best: I wasn't scared anymore. The worst: the blackness surrounding me (thinking about it, after the fact) was an uncomfortable thought. I think now that it was most likely because I was looking through the wall and perhaps there was just nothing to see in the stone behind me. Still an odd feeling though.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? No

Did the questions asked and information that you provided accurately and comprehensively describe your experience? Uncertain