Joseph V NDE

Experience Description:

While attending a Summer camp in 1952 at eight years old I ventured into line at the diving board end of the swimming pool. When it was my turn to jump off the board I was filled with a dreadful sense of fear. As I backed away, someone pushed me off. I remember going to the surface twice then I was surrounded by a beautiful white light. I was in a tunnel but remember little more of the experience. Thinking back on the event the vision of things was not the same as seeing. It's like seeing without knowing what you're seeing.Up to that time, I had been an angry boy. My father suffered a paralyzing stroke right in front of me at age four. After this NDE experience, I became calmer and less angry. The other thing that happened was losing my competitive drive. For all of my life I refuse to compete within anyone over anything. Nowadays I force myself to compete and feel uncomfortable doing it. The big problem for me is waiting so long to say anything as a public record. The memory had a huge impact on me but I was never sure how or why. I always assumed it was because I was so young and did not have enough knowledge to fully appreciate the event.I did go back just once. In church, while thinking about the experience the thought jumped into my mind that the brain stores everything and that if I tried maybe I could remember. Sure enough for a split second, the bright light came flooding back then disappeared and has never reappeared. I am a nut for knowledge and read a very wide range of ANSWER material. I'm into Physics, Cosmology, History, and all Technologies. Would like to live where the sky is crystal clear so the stars can be seen at night without a telescope.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: July 1952

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident 'Life threatening event, but not clinical death' Drowning in swimming pool.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Wonderful

Did you feel separated from your body? No 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? More consciousness and alertness than normal Not sure how but it was good feeling.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? All the time during. But it wasn't normal. It was more like you feel when you really understand something special.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Incredibly fast

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening all at once Vision was extreme for the things that can be seen.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Incredibly more so

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. It's not the same as eye vision. It's more like seeing many things at once.

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

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes

Did you see any beings in your experience? Neither

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

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? A light clearly of mystical or other-worldly origin

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes Bright warm soft and did not hurt to look at.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Unfamiliar, strange place Had an image of a small village but not sure.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Confused but unafraid.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Incredible peace or pleasantness

Did you have a feeling of joy? Incredible joy

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? United, one with the world

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about the universe

Did scenes from your past come back to you? Neither

Did scenes from the future come to you? Neither I know things before they happen but I usually dismiss it as a logical outcome of previous events.

Did you come to a border or point of no return? Neither

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Moderate

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Moderate

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? No

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? Neither

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? Neither

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes I think I'm supposed to do something before I go back.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Uncertain Less angry.

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? Uncertain Logical outcomes of certain behavior is predicable but is it ESP? People who have been fighting each other for hundreds of years will eventually return to fighting each other.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Actually this is the first time I have tried to share this much detail. I usually just affirm that I had a NDE and saw a bright light.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? No I was eight years old. Could barely read or write.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real

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

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? The attitude going into and after is important. How this thing changed me? I did not have much of a life before so I have no way to compare it. But this thing changed me nonetheless.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? Suggest you have NDE sit down a talk to each other. Or have one NDEr question another NDEr. The NDE experience is so personal and somewhat confusing that is hard to explain things that you KNOW but have never seen before. Think of it this way. There are several BILLION people in the world searching for GOD. If the NDErs have seen him then they are very special people. But if having a NDE is all you need to see God then why is it so special?