Ken L Intensive Care Unit Experience

Experience Description:

I'm writing this because my experience is very different than anything I've heard from anyone else in regard to near death and coma and I think I should at least put it out there for comparison purposes.

I cannot remember the accident, which caused my coma. For some reason I spent (from my perspective) what seemed to me to be several months to a year in what I can only describe as a kind of parallel world. Things were similar but very different. I remember being a prisoner much of this time while constantly plotting and even sometimes attempting and succeeding to escape. It may be that while I was in this coma my injured brain was trying to make sense of whatever input it was getting from the hospital room and operating room. I remember being drugged ostensibly from some sort of tube in my mouth that also provided my limited sustenance (like what was occurring in reality in the hospital room). I'm on this site writing not because I think this apparent coma/dream world in any way is comparable to other's more traditional NDE experiences but to explain that it may be possible to experience a sort of time expansion while in a coma.

I do not wish to go into most details of what happened over those (apparent) many months since some of it is rather personal but will mention some of the unusual features.

I spent many weeks in a seemingly desperate struggle to fight for circulation in whatever cramped, confined place I was being kept. This was so I could retain some motive ability if the chance for escape occurred. It was an intense and a so very slow and tedious a process of attempting to flex and move in a confined space. Also, I would experience periods of loss of consciousness (in this other dream/coma world) with a sense of time passed upon regaining consciousness (in this other place). I have never had a passing out or falling asleep occurrence within a dream before nor have I heard of this from someone else especially as it seemingly occurred many times. While in this immobile state in this coma dream world, I constantly sought any kind of information to figure out how I ended up in this condition.

I noticed I had some areas missing from my timeline of memory while in this place. Missing was the time period which would explain how I got there. It seemed real to me. It was my world. I spent much time listening for sounds it was usually dark so there was nothing to see. I even convinced myself that if tried hard enough I could begin to sense things, usually vague conversations with senses other than my ears. Eventually I gained the ability (in this likely imagined dream/coma world) to travel while in the otherworld's sleep state outside of my own body. From my point of view, this was to gather information to try to find out what was going on. This was my primary method for gaining information about this other place/world due to my confinement.

One thing I remember that stood out was after escaping and being recaptured was when I was in a hospital. I sensed a tremendous long-term despairing hopelessness around me. This didn't come from me but from others in this hospital like place who had been there a very long time. I rejected taking any of this onto myself. I have never experienced anything like this feeling in life and this was very odd. I do remember hearing a voice saying, 'It's New Year's,' around this time and I remember answering 'I know. I heard,' in the coma world after hearing it more than once. This phrase was completely out of place for this other world and I suspect I had heard someone actually say it in my real hospital room since my coma lasted from December 15 2005 to January 5 or January 6 2006 and an unexpected New Year's did occur.

There were many other experiences too numerous to mention without writing a very long and likely very tedious book. One thing that stood out was the concept of Spirit Power, which I think, was instrumental in my recovery. A lot of what occurred there involved the use of spirit energy to see, sense and persevere.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 12-15-2005 to 1-6-2006

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident Direct head injury 'Life threatening event, but not clinical death' Three week coma. Medically managed/induced coma due to massive head trauma to reduce brain swelling though I was in initial coma upon arrival at trauma center. Had side of head removed and stored in a freezer to allow brain to swell to reduce damage. Doctors seemed very surprised I was in such good condition after coming out of coma. I don't think they expected me to live or at least not with my mental faculties intact. A succession of four neurosurgeons one at a time would visit and just say 'You're doing amazingly well!' Some of them did so with somewhat shocked or bemused expressions.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Mixed

Did you feel separated from your body? Uncertain 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? Less consciousness and alertness than normal I frequently seemed as if I was drugged sluggish. Since I was in a barbiturate induced coma to reduce brain swelling this is not unexpected.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Not sure what is meant by highest level. I remember in the latter stages in the weird place trying to design in my mind some sort of audio interface to bridge the equipment from one civilization to another preparatory to a mass audience speech of critical importance. I had some difficulty with holding the details of it all together in my mind.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Time seemed to go faster than usual Time in this state was different than real world time. I was in a coma for three weeks but seemed to be somewhere for many months.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Neither

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Neither

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Uncertain Way too many situations to describe with any justice here.

Did you see any beings in your experience? Neither

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Uncertain Not in any direct of conventional sense.

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 In one instance but it did not have the semblance of afterlife or NDE. I had no knowledge at the time that I was in any way in the severe condition I was in.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Clearly mystical or unearthly realm

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Desperation to escape in at least one instance. A pervading sense of despair around me but not within me in another instance. Anger and a consistent iron resolve to persevere. A sense of empowerment of spirit energy as well as a challenge to it.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Neither

Did you have a feeling of joy? Neither

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? No longer in conflict with nature

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

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? Definite being, or voice clearly of mystical or other-worldly origin

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

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

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? No

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? The concept of spirit power.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? No

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Uncertain

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was probably not real It seemed so real it took some time after coming out of the coma before I was reasonably sure this world was not the same as the place I had just been.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was probably not real

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

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? I don't feel my experience was typical. It may have more relevance as a medical issue regarding patients who have experienced comas and severe brain injuries and how to deal with their mental state.