Joshua G NDE

Experience Description

On the day this happened, I was at home with my parents and had started drinking early in the evening. I was feeling depressed due to issues in my long-distance relationship, which was causing me emotional distress. I was consuming Jack Daniels mixed with a small amount of Cola and also drank straight from the bottle at times. I continued to binge drink into the night for a few hours until I violently vomited and choked, unable to clear my airway. I collapsed on the floor in the bathroom and lost consciousness.

My mother later told me that she heard the commotion and entered the bathroom to find me lying face down on the floor. She tried to wake me but noticed that I wasn't breathing and began to panic. I wasn't responding when she called out to me. She grabbed her phone to call the Australian emergency number and explained the situation to the operator. She instructed my mother on how to perform CPR until multiple ambulances and police arrived within minutes.

While unconscious, I found myself standing in the middle of a crowded path. There were men, women, and children of various backgrounds. In the distance, I saw the skyline of a city with tall, shiny, silver skyscrapers surrounded by mountains. To my right, there was a large blue lake and green grass, bushes, and shrubs. The path was lined with glass-paneled railings made of bronze-colored stone.

I remained still and tried to understand my surroundings and where I was. I watched the people walking by and they stared back at me. I couldn't bring myself to speak. I didn't feel threatened, but rather had a sense of neutrality.

While I wasn't scared by the experience, I was upset because I could hear my mother faintly screaming and crying for me. I could also hear the emergency operator trying to calm her down.

I remember feeling cold and breathing in fresh air while a cool breeze brushed over me. The environment seemed cold and I didn't feel sick from alcohol poisoning while unconscious. The people I saw were walking in and out of the city and it felt like I was there for only a few minutes. The weather was clear with a few clouds and the sky was blue, similar to what it is on Earth.

While I could hear what was happening in the waking world, I could also hear people talking and the sounds of the environment I was in. I started to take small steps towards the city, but then regained consciousness.

I woke up to find my mother, paramedics, and police officers surrounding me with medical equipment in the bathroom. I stood up and went into a flight or fight response, trying to escape from the bathroom. I used physical force against the emergency personnel until I had to be restrained and sedated for my own safety and the safety of those around me.

I later woke up in the hospital's emergency department and could still vividly recall my experience. It felt very real and immersive, and to this day I remember every detail.

A few months later, I went online and tried to search for others who had similar experiences, but I barely found any results. Eventually, I came across a website about near-death experiences (NDEs) called "The City of Light" that had detailed accounts of an environment strikingly similar to the one I found myself in. I remain somewhat skeptical and unsure of what exactly I experienced, but less than a year later, paranormal activity began to occur in the household, leading to events that I am not yet comfortable sharing.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 2020

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Uncertain. Alcohol intoxication. Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function) Uncertain

How do you consider the content of your experience? Neither pleasant NOR distressing

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I could faintly hear my mother crying and talking to the emergency operator on the phone while the operator was instructing her how to perform CPR. It sounded somewhat echoed. 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. I honestly don't know how to describe it.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? I'm not sure, but it could have been either when I could barely hear my mother talking to the emergency operator on the phone or when I was in an unfamiliar place while I was unconscious.

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning. Time seemed normal, but it felt like I was there for a longer period of time.

Were your senses More vivid than usual? More vivid than usual

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. It was similar, but I would say that my vision was more vibrant in color during the experience.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. It was similar, but I would say that I could hear more clearly and loudly in the environment I was in during unconsciousness than in my normal waking life.

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? No

Did you see any beings in your experience? No

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

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

Did you see an unearthly light? No

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Some unfamiliar and strange place. The place and environment felt and looked very similar to Earth. The skyscrapers appeared to have a modern design.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I felt upset and wanted to cry, but I couldn't because I felt for my mother. At the same time, I felt somewhat calm and safe and wasn't scared of dying. I also felt a strong sense of curiosity.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Relief or calmness

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 barrier that I was not permitted to cross; or was sent back against my will I woke up back into my normal waking life, but it felt like I was suddenly thrust back into reality. It went dark again, and then I immediately saw the bathroom and everyone around me.

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Unaffiliated- Atheist

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I experienced growth in my spirituality.

What is your religion now? Do not know

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

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I began questioning more and being more open-minded, and my spirituality increased in the events that followed that experience.

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? Uncertain Uncertain.

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? Uncertain In some way, I did feel that what I experienced was real, but I wasn't sure what it was. I did sense that the people I saw were real, and I could feel their energy just by looking at them. I sometimes wonder if they were actual people who had died or were having a near-death experience, and they ended up in the same place as me.

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. After that event and the events that followed, I am more open-minded and curious about the universe and existence.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes In a way, for a few weeks after it happened, I wasn't able to accurately describe all the details of what I had witnessed and experienced. Even now, it can be difficult for me to explain it to the best of my ability.

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 as accurately as other life events that occurred around the time of the experience

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Uncertain

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? I'm not sure, but it was something extraordinary and different.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I shared with my partner about the event a few months later, and although he didn't know exactly how to react, he has been supportive and understanding.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes I had heard stories about near-death experiences on social media prior to having one myself.

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 probably real. Although the experience felt very real to me, I am uncertain whether what I saw and experienced was actually real or just my imagination. I am open to all possibilities, but I tend to believe that it was real.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? My spirituality deepened in the aftermath of the event.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? No suggestions.