Joseph M NDE

Experience Description

I remember rising up over my body and looking around the ICU room. There were frantic doctors who were confused about what to do.

I saw my maternal grandfather yelling at the doctors and telling them what to do. He had passed over a while ago. He appeared to be about 35 years old, which was much younger than I remember him. Than somewhat slowly the room and then the earth moved away from me. I distinctly remember that there were no stars in the space around the earth and clouds on the earth.

I seemed to stop moving away at some point and became aware of an unknown source of great energy behind me. I could feel it against my back. I remember thinking about whether I should turn around and face the energy. But I had young children who needed a father, so I considered that as well. In my mind, I had a choice to stay here and enter the energy knowing there could be no return if i did. Or I could return and raise my kids. The very instant I decided I wanted to go to raise my kids, I was back in my body.

I do not fear death any longer. I feel that I was given the gift of empathy to a much greater degree than I ever experienced before. I am permanently changed. My wife also agrees that the event profoundly changed me. She says that 'I see people' now for who they really are. I agree with that assessment, but I had to learn to trust it.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: May/June 1998

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Illness Other critical/unstable condition from illness I was in the critical care unit for infectious colitis for between 5-10 days.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Both pleasant AND distressing

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I clearly left my body and existed outside it

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness? Normal consciousness and alertness was not different from normal

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? throughout it all

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. I don't remember any difference

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I don't remember any difference

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere, as if by ESP? Yes, and the facts have been checked out

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

Did you see any beings in your experience? No

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes my maternal grandfather

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? No

Did you see an unearthly light? Uncertain It felt more like an energy but I did not look at it

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Some unfamiliar and strange place I seemed to be out of the realm of planet earth but not clearly in outer space

What emotions did you feel during the experience? peacefulness, calmness

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? I came to a definite conscious decision to return to life. As I reached the boundary, I knew that if I turned toward it, then I could not return to raise my kids. So, I did not turn or look.

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Unaffiliated- Nothing in particular- Secular unaffiliated

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Unaffiliated- Nothing in particular- Secular unaffiliated

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 I didn't think this was real or possible. I now stand corrected.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes every day is much more important and precious

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

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? No

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

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

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

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

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

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? An afterlife definitely exists Yes the overall experience made it clear to me that I had crossed some unknown boundary which contained that knowledge

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

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

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Moderate changes in my life I feel much more spiritual and empathic

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Uncertain my wife says i have changed from it and am much more sensitive to others feelings

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 still view it clearly in my mind's eye

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes I occasionally have premonitions of seeming meaningless events which do occur at some point in the future. Things like a phone call, I will often know who's calling before looking or answering

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I shared it with my doctor within days after my recovery. he was receptive to my thoughts about it

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 I still feel the same, definitely real. it just felt and still feels real

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real still feels real and I can remember it quite well

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