Michael H NDE

Experience Description

When I was about five, I went with my family to Duluth where we stayed at the Holiday Inn. We went in the indoor pool, and I rode on my teen-aged Uncle Hank's back as he swam around. I fell off his back, and as I sank down, I panicked and was screaming and crying. This caused me to inhale water and I drowned. It was terrible. I started to hear bells ringing and everything got dark.

Suddenly I was floating up in the air over the pool, watching all of the activity and seeing people working on my body. I wasn't afraid but I remember feeling sad because my uncle Hank was crying. I started to notice a bright light up in the corner of the ceiling and I headed toward it, or down through a long tunnel of light and sound. I noticed that the sides of the tunnel were blurred and had all different colors. I heard bells, like phones ringing and large bells gonging. Then I heard a deep voice say, 'No!' and it felt like someone grabbed me by the back of the neck and pulled very hard. It didn't hurt, but I was suddenly being pulled very fast from behind, and I watched the tunnel receding.

Then I was awake with all of these people standing around the pool staring at me as I lay there. I remember I cried because I was afraid of all the concerned faces looking down at me.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 1972

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Drowning Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function or brain function) I was in the pool with my uncle and I drowned.

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

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes From above, I saw all the chaos with people working on my body. 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? Normal consciousness and alertness It seemed very clear and very vivid, not dreamy or blurry.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? It was during the trip down, or through, the tunnel.

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Time seemed to go faster or slower than usual Things seemed more 'sped up.'

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. My vision was clear straight ahead, and blurry on the sides.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I heard bells and chimes ringing during the experience. This experience has never been replicated in any way since.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? No

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes It was a long tunnel of light with a brighter light at the end. The sides of the tunnel were blurry and I was rushing forward fast. I could hear the wind in my ears as if I were traveling very quickly.

Did you see any beings in your experience? No

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

The experience included: Unearthly light

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

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes It was bright at the end of the tunnel.

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I felt confusion and sadness but no pain or fear.

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

The experience included: Special knowledge or purpose

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? No

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What importance did you place on your religious/spiritual life prior to your experience? Slightly important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Protestant I was five years old, attended sunday school at the Presbyterian Church with my parents

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What importance do you place on your religious/spiritual life after your experience? Moderately important to me

What is your religion now? Unaffiliated- Nothing in particular- Secular unaffiliated SPIRITUAL, ALITTLE OF EVERYTHING

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 was five years old, and didn't have experience with death or the afterlife other than what I heard about heaven in sunday school or that my family might discuss. I didn't know anything about heaven other than angel's flew with wings through the clouds and heaven was waaaay above us.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I feel like I was given an experience that some people will only have when they die, and I was lucky enough to come back.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? I heard a voice I could not identify It was a deep, although not scary, voice that said, 'No!' very loudly.

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? Yes I had hunches and knew things after the event. it's gone away over time, but occassionally I will just " know " things and they are true or will come to pass.

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? No

Did you believe in the existence of God prior to your experience? God definitely exists

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Uncertain I " knew " I was going somewhere, and I had a feeling of anticipation, but I never found out where I was supposed to go. I just heard " NO " and was pulled back. I don't know if it was from GOD or an Angel or spirit, or the EMT or rescue person that was reviving me.

Do you believe in the existence of God after your experience? Unknown

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes After I drowned I had a sense of 'knowing' things that some people may call psychic, but over time it has diminished.

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are probably meaningful and significant

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

Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? An afterlife definitely exists

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? Unknown Uncertain When I " returned " I began having hunches and I knew things that I shouldn't have. I knew that people or relatives were coming over or bringing certain things, when I should'nt have. I could finish my parents or brothers sentences or would know when they

Did you fear death prior to your experience? I slightly feared death

Do you fear death after your experience? I do not fear death

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Not fearful in living my earthly life

Were you fearful living your life after your experience? Not fearful in living my earthly life

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are probably meaningful and significant

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant after your experience? Unknown

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

Were you compassionate prior to your experience? Moderately compassionate toward others

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

Were you compassionate after your experience? Moderately compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? No changes in my life There were no changes in my life.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes I'm trying to describe it the way I experienced it when I was five, which is difficult.

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 remember wanting to share and talk about what happened and my family " humored " me and let me discuss it. I felt like it was something I had to share with others and I was afraid if I didn't I would forget it. It was very vivid for years, now its an old memory and not as clear as it once was.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes I had very good intuition for years after the event and sometimes still do. Sometimes I just know things. My family accepts this and actually will call and ask me for advice, like whether they should do certain things or not.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? Most significant to me were the bells and ringing sounds.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I've shared it with friends and family. Sometimes I get a raised eyebrow or funny looks.

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 It happened and it was exciting and frightening, and I had to tell people about it.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real I have always felt that what happened really did happen.

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? No.