Marian S Probable NDE

Experience Description

I was a teenager at the time of my experience. On 12/27/1987, I woke early with severe pain in my abdomen and went to see my doctor with my mother. He immediately referred me to the Hospital for emergency surgery. It was midday when my mother and I arrived. We waited in their hallway for three hours, along with several other people who were there for other reasons. I had a fever and my temperature was over 104°F. My mother gave the staff a hard time because of the lengthy wait and that increased my anxiety. The pain was unbearable and I was experiencing a reddish flicker in front of my eyes.

After waiting some considerable time, I was finally called. They gave me anesthesia. Whilst under the anesthetic, I noticed that I could hear what the doctors and other staff were saying to each other in the operating theatre. Then I found myself floating just above my body. From that vantage point, I observed the doctors bustling around and looking worried. They were to the left of me, to the right and even beneath the gurney. Everything seemed to be bathed in a purple light giving the whole scene a mystical ambiance. A bright, white light was shining on the end of the gurney and the doctors were fading in and out of my vision. It was almost as if I were seeing them in a series of endless mirrors. They were moving away from me, receding into smaller and smaller shapes repeatedly. Their spoken words seemed to echo. It felt as if I were floating in an in-between world.

That was it, until I woke up lying on a gurney.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 27.12.1987

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Surgery-related 'Life threatening event, but not clinical death' I had surgery for a ruptured appendix. At the same time, I had problems with my blood circulation and blood pressure, which was extremely high. The doctors said afterwards that my condition had been critical.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Mixed

The experience included: Out of body experience

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? More consciousness and alertness than normal

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Incredibly more vivid

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. It was a mystery to me and I cannot explain it. It was certainly not within the reality of the hospital. The purple color was extremely impressive and that purple color remains, right in front of my inner eye, to this day.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. As described in narrative above. As time has gone by, I have forgotten the exact details of the conversation that took place between the doctors during my surgery.

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? I actually saw them

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

The experience included: Light

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 A bright glowing purple light around the gurney and a bright white light shining on the end of it.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? No

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Confusion in the beginning, then calmness and silence.

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

Did you have a feeling of joy? incredible joy

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? I felt united or one with the world

The experience included: Special Knowledge

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

Did scenes from your past come back to you? My past flashed before me, out of my control

Did scenes from the future come to you? Scenes from the world's future

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

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Liberal streng atheistisch und materialistisch erzogen

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Uncertain I now believe in a kind of ‘holy awareness’ which surrounds us all. I have read many books about this subject including Dr Raymond Moody’s book ‘Life after Life’ written in the 1990s. Maybe it is possible that we will be born again on a different planet in this Universe. I see outer space as an endless awareness and Pim Van Lommel (Cardiologist and Author) writes about a similar thing.

What is your religion now? Liberal 'spirituell, Glaube an ein höheres Bewußtsein!'

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Uncertain I now believe in a kind of ‘holy awareness’ which surrounds us all. I have read many books about this subject including Dr Raymond Moody’s book ‘Life after Life’ written in the 1990s. Maybe it is possible that we will be born again on a different planet in this Universe. I see outer space as an endless awareness and Pim Van Lommel (Cardiologist and Author) writes about a similar thing.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? I encountered a definite being, or a voice clearly of mystical or unearthly origin

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? I actually saw them

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes I sensed there was a great deal of knowledge but what amazed me most at the time was that I could hear everything the doctors were saying, while under anesthetic! I remember thinking that I could read their thoughts too.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes I could barely put my emotions or the experience in to words.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes Since the experience I have been able to predict certain events before they happen. My wife has nicknamed me the "Old Croak", because I am always croaking (predicting) events that are going to happen and then do happen. My family humorously calls this my ‘new gift’. Recently I predicted the exact time of the birth of my third child - 8/11/2012 at 23:00. The midwives laughed as I had been so serious when I said this to them. The birth happened as I predicted. They exclaimed that a prediction like that had never come true before, they just could not understand it. Two midwives and my wife can testify to that event.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes At first with the doctors in the hospital then with my mother. After that, I stopped telling anyone. My interest was reignited after reading one of the books I own on the subject. It is only recently that I have started talking about it again.

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 was astonished that such an event was even a possibility. I was a teenager when it happened and I felt that nobody would believe me. I repressed the whole event for a long time.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real It is rooted deep in my mind. It is a pity that I cannot remember what the doctors were saying to each other. It was stranger still because it feels like it happened just yesterday.

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? Two days after my surgery, I was lying on my bed. At the foot of the bed, there was a little painted picture with a swan on it. At some point during that day and for only for 5-10 seconds, I felt paralyzed. I could not move and time seemed to stand still. The only movement seemed to be the swan moving its wings in the picture! After I was able to move my body again, I called the nurse. She told me that this had been caused by the anesthesia medication. For me however, it felt real albeit rather odd. It is possible that the nurse was right. I do not know.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? I work in public relations and feel the layout could be improved to make it easier for people to understand.