Michael J FDE

Experience Description

I can say without hesitation that peer pressure, even at the youthful age of nine years placed me in a situation well over my head. While attending a church camp as the guest of a classmate who was also my immediate neighbor, I found myself standing on the end of a dock that jetted out over a natural lake in northeastern Indiana. I was taunted by other campers for not joining them out on a floating deck some forty to fifty feet from the dock. I gave into peer pressure and challenged them to race me from the deck to the floating deck. I couldn’t swim! About three of us jumped into the water and headed out to the deck. It soon became obvious to me that my inability to swim was rapidly becoming obvious as I tired rather quickly and found myself about ten feet short of the deck and ready to go under. As the others reached the deck and climbed aboard, they turned and looked at me, realizing I was struggling. I was able to shout, ‘help me!’ That was the last thing I said before going under. I remember one of the boys yelling back to shore ‘Brother Glenn is drowning’ right as I went under. The same boy jumped into the water and swam to me in an attempt to bring me back to the surface. I recall him reaching out to me, at which point I pushed down on his shoulders to lift myself. That allowed me to surface and very briefly get air before going back under, the whole time keeping my rescuer under water.

As I was under water, I very distinctly remember looking down at this boy and saw total panic in his expression. At that very moment a very audible calm voice said, ‘Mich'l look at what you are doing to him. Relax everything will be fine.’ The voice was so calming and reassuring that I immediately released him. Again, I heard the voice say, ‘Mich'l relax, everything will be fine.’ I no longer panicked. I no longer felt starved of oxygen. Then the water turned a bright yellow becoming incredibly clear. The whole time I felt so warm and so at peace. I was very much conscious during the event but no longer struggling. I was almost in a state of suspended animation, like everything came to a stop for that brief moment. I would say I was under for thirty to forty five seconds, still totally calm and still visualizing the bright yellow light that had accompanied the voice.

The next I know an arm reaches around my neck and takes me to the surface. I somehow knew not to panic and allowed the life guard to assist me. It to this day is fascinating to me that as I was taken to the floating deck that I never once felt although I had just almost drowned. It was like some demonstration or exercise that I had performed. There was no fear or any aspect of it. I climbed onto that deck in perfect shape, not out of breath, not panic stricken, not worried or concerned. I was totally calm. I looked over and saw the swimmer who had jumped in to assist me. He was as white as a sheet, out of breath and in the exact state of shock that should have been in.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: Age of nine years old approximately

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Other: Panic stricken only from a near-drowning event.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Entirely pleasant

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes No

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 was always conscious and alert, it’s just that when the voice was heard everything became crystal clear and the most incredible feeling of peace and calm took control of my actions. I had a feeling that the voice was not of this earth but the voice of God and the warmth of Heaven. Psalms 23 says it all. How can I truly put into words something so incredibly wonderful? It was perfect for that very moment when perfect should have been the last word to be used to describe the event.

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 no longer mattered. It wasn't even a consideration.

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 perfect.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. The voice, wow, what an incredible thing to have heard. The voice of God is perfect.

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

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

The experience included: Unearthly 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

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? No I knew I was here. I was just at peace.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Total peace.

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? I felt united or one with the world

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about myself or others Everything was perfect.

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? Moderately important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Protestant Sunday church goer with family.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

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

What is your religion now? Christian- Protestant Rarely attend church anymore

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was entirely consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience The event follows my beliefs.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I experienced changes in many life matters.

The experience included: Presence of unearthly beings

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? 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 See above.

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? Yes See above.

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? Yes A male voice spoke to me.

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

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes I knew that I needed to relax.

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

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? Yes See above.

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

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Yes Please read previous statements.

Did you fear death prior to your experience? Unknown

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 meaningful and significant

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

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? Greatly compassionate toward others

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

Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Large changes in my life I have a calmness I lacked before.

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

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes How does one describe what is perfect?

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 Like it happened two seconds ago but I could not tell you the name of the lake or what month it occurred in..

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes I can't really explain this, but yes, I do.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? I trust in the Lord.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I waited until I was an adult to tell everyone.

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

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real I have absolutely no doubt.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Yes The bond between me and my children.