Jon S NDE

Experience Description

I was 7 years old and in the second grade. It was the fall, and a windstorm had blown down trees in my yard. My best friend and I were building a fort out of a fallen tree, and we were gathering branches to use for the roof of the fort. I went across the street in front of my house to pick up some branches.

I grabbed a branch, looked both ways before starting across the street, took three steps into the road, and on the fourth step, I found myself standing in my bedroom. It seemed perfectly normal for me to be there. The room was lit with a soothing bright white light. I felt totally comfortable and natural. There was a man in a white robe with a white beard and long white hair standing in front of the bay windows of my room. He was looking at me and smiling. I could tell he wanted me to look out the window. I came near the windows and looked out.

Down in the road there were several people gathered around in a group. The moment I saw this, everything went black. I heard a voice in the distance saying, 'Can you feel this? Can you feel this?' I started to see blurry forms around me and a squeezing sensation on my foot. I turned my head to the side and felt a hard, cold surface. There was blood in my mouth, and I was choking on it.

At that moment, I thought, 'Oh my god, this must be a nightmare! This can't be real because I was just standing in my bedroom! I need to wake up now!!' I strained and strained my eyes wider and wider to wake myself up. The whole time telling myself, 'Wake up now! Wake up now!' I thought for sure that I was dreaming because I could not understand how I got from the safety of my bedroom to here, lying in the street covered in blood.

I remember asking if this was real. And someone said, 'You have been hit by a car, Jon. We are taking you to the hospital. You are going to be okay.' I spent 5 days in the hospital. I had 10 stitches in my chin and 24 stitches in my tongue; I knocked out my front left tooth, and the front right tooth got pushed up into my gums. I had oral surgery. I had a massive bruise on my right hip where the car initially hit me, but no broken bones or major internal injury.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 'Fall, 1974'

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident Other: Unaware that accident had even occurred until afterwards. I was hit by a car, but did not know I was hit, and I never saw the car coming or felt the impact.

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? Yes I saw the accident scene in the road outside of my bedroom window, but I did not know it was me down there. 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

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? The striking thing was that when my consciousness left my body, it felt exactly the same as normal consciousness, except very calm and extremely peaceful.

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No

Were your senses more vivid than usual? No

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Crystal clear, very vivid.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. It was silent.

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

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Uncertain Upon seeing the accident scene from my bedroom, everything went dark, and I slowly came to on the road. It did feel as though I was being shot back into my body, but since I did not know that I was outside of my body in the first place, it felt more like I was falling into a dream/nightmare state.

Did you see any beings in your experience? I actually saw them

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

The experience included: Darkness

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? Yes In my bedroom it was all white and bright, but not blinding or harsh, very soothing.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? No

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Calm, serene, peaceful, loved.

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? No

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 importance did you place on your religious/spiritual life prior to your experience? Not important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Other Christian Christian based at time of event, mother christian scientist, father catholic.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I search for truths now that I can experience, and look for teachings that lead that way.

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

What is your religion now? Other or several faiths Deep interest in buddhism, taoism, and study of human consciousness and the mind body relationship.

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was entirely not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience I did not know what an outerbody experience was until about 10 years later when I saw a tv show about it. So, I did not share the experience with anyone until much later in my life when I realized what had happened to me.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I fully believe that we have a soul that can exist outside of the body.

The experience included: Presence of unearthly beings

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 a man standing by the windows in a white robe, long white hair and long white beard, he was smiling at me.

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? I actually saw them

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? God probably exists

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? No

Do you believe in the existence of God after your experience? Unknown

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

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

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Unknown

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

Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? Unknown

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists No

Did you fear death prior to your experience? I greatly 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? Unknown

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? No

Were you compassionate prior to your experience? Unknown

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

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 I was only 7 years old when it happened, but my mother said that I totally changed after the event. I became much quieter and more introspective. I became very interested in the arts and music; eventually becoming an art major in college, and a professional musician/guitarist. I excelled at everything I did. I excelled in sports as well, becoming a member of the US Ski Team. I am extremely interested in psychic phenomena and have had many experiences in that area.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes Yes I treasure my loved ones always.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

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 remember it like it happened to me yesterday. It happened 38 years ago.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Uncertain I was only seven so I'm not sure. Now I do have synchronistic events occurring all the time in my life; too many psychic occurrences to list.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? The most amazing aspect of my experience was how NORMAL it seemed. It wasn't until I started to 'regain consciousness' that I thought something was wrong or that I was now dreaming a nightmare which was actually reality. It was so natural to be outside my body, that I didn't even realize I was outside my body until I came back into it!

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes It was over 10 years later, and I'm not sure if they really believed me.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? No

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real It made me question reality in total. I thought I was dreaming when I was actually awake!

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real I have explored it deeply, and my view has only gotten more profound.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Yes Meditation comes close sometimes.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? I did not know what an out of body experience was until about 10 years later when I saw a TV show about it. I did not share the experience with anyone until much later in my life when I realized what had happened to me. I can remember it like it happened to me yesterday. It happened 38 years ago.