Joseph G NDE

Experience Description

At the time of the experience, I was a police officer in Florida. I went to the emergency room of the hospital because of a bad reaction to a tetanus shot. While in the emergency room, I was given two shots of penicillin. After the second shot, I fell to the floor. All of a sudden, I found myself floating at the ceiling watching the turmoil going on in the room. My body was on the gurney jumping and shaking. The room was full people working on me; pounding on me. The nurse who gave me the shots was sitting on the floor in the corner, hysterical. I saw them use the electric paddles, trying to start my heart, with no luck. I thought I heard someone say that I was dead. Suddenly, this doctor rushed into the room, shoving everyone out of the way. He was carrying this long syringe with a long needle and plunged it into my chest. That was the last thing I remember.

A week or so later I suddenly woke up. I was in a hospital room. As I woke up, a doctor entered the room. I recognized him as the one with the needle. The first words I said to him were, ‘I guess it's a good thing you came when you did.’ He was totally shocked! He asked the nurse who had I talked too? She told him, ‘No one, he just woke up from a coma.’ He told the nurse that no one was to speak to me including her until he came back. When he returned, he had a large group of doctors with him. He asked me to repeat what I said. I did. He said there was no way that I saw him, that I was dead by then. He asked me to tell him what else I remembered. I told them all I remembered as it happened and described all I saw. They were all shocked because I was dead during the whole thing. I remember that later he told me that before my episode he was an atheist. But no more now, though.

It was quite a story in the Miami Herald for quite a long time.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: July, 1957

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Allergic reaction Clinical death

How do you consider the content of your experience? Disturbing

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I was floating above the room, watching everything that was going on.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? I was completely conscious.

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes The other people in the room.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? None. I just felt peaceful.

The experience included: Special Knowledge

Did scenes from your past come back to you? My past flashed before me, out of my control I saw everything that was going on in the room.

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Conservative/fundamentalist

What is your religion now? Liberal

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes My main attitudes were about death. From that time until today, I don’t fear dying. In fact I look forward to it.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I have told my story to many people, especially people afraid of dying.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Yes Since that episode I have had many experiences that would kill anyone else, but not me. Example right now, I am recovering from a broken neck. The top three vertebra were broken and that usually results in being paralyzed, such as happened to Christopher Reeves. My neck was broken in the same place.