Murray S Probable NDE

Experience Description

This is transcribed from my Great-Uncle Murray's article he penned for a church newsletter regarding his NDE in the early 1970s. Uncle Murray has since departed this life. I hope he won't mind me sharing his experience here.

In the early 1970s I developed a nasal drip. As my mother had sinus trouble which gave her much the same problem, I dismissed this as the same without getting medical advice. Several months later, I had such a severe headache attack that an ambulance was called to take me to the Hospital. I was treated with painkillers, admitted, and assigned a room on the sixth floor, right opposite the nursing station, where I could be under the watchful eye of the night nurse. The doctor had diagnosed my case as a growth on the pituitary gland which had worn a hole into the sinus cavity, causing infection to enter the brain cavity resulting in meningitis.

During the night I awakened, arose, and went into the hall. The nurse was not at the desk. I assumed that she was taking care of someone else on the floor. I continued on down the hall. About half way down the length of the hall, I came to a set of automatically-opening sliding doors which led into a long dark tunnel, with bright white light coming in at the far end. Although I didn't know where I was going, I felt that was where I was supposed to go. The feeling of happiness and love was overwhelming.

As I started down the tunnel, I noticed a lady ahead of me. As she arrived at the far end, I noticed a man sitting along the side, who was apparently waiting for her, get up, and approach her. They greeted each other most affectionately, put their arms around each other's waist and walked off around the corner into the light.

As I got closer to the far end of the tunnel, I noticed several chairs along the side. It was then that someone I recognized who was tall, straight, and dressed in white, stood up, came forward to greet me, raised his right hand, and said, 'Not now, Murray! Go back and finish the job.'

My first thoughts were 'No! for I want to go on.' The feeling was overpowering, but then I started to think straight. I had a beautiful wife, H, at home. I still had children to raise: R, D, G, K. These were especially important to me. I was a bishop in the Edmonton (LDS Church) Second Ward. I was a science department head and teacher at a high school. I also thought of my many friends and acquaintances everywhere. People are so very important at times like this. It is their faith and prayers that pull you through. These thoughts sustained me all the way back up the tunnel. The doors at the top opened as I arrived. The nurse was not yet back at her station when I passed there. As I entered my room and was looking inside, that is when reality struck me.

I saw me lying in bed.

Ever since this experience, I have such a calm feeling regarding crises in my life, serious operations and illness or death. I have been privileged to serve two proselytizing missions with my wife and hold several other callings in the (LDS/Mormon) church since then.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: Early 1970s

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Life threatening event, but not clinical death. The doctor had diagnosed my case as a growth on the pituitary gland, which had worn a hole into the sinus cavity, causing infection to enter the brain cavity resulting in meningitis

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

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? Uncertain Unknown - experience transcribed from a written account 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? Normal consciousness and alertness Unknown - experience transcribed from a written account

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Unknown - experience transcribed from a written account

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No

Were your senses more vivid than usual? No

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Unknown - experience transcribed from a written account

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Unknown - experience transcribed from a written account

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

The experience included: Tunnel

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes See Experience

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: Unearthly light

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? An unusually bright light

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes Unknown - experience transcribed from a written account

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Unknown - experience transcribed from a written account

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? No

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? No

Did scenes from your past come back to you? No See Experience

Did scenes from the future come to you? No

The experience included: Boundary

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? 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? Unknown

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Mormon

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Uncertain Unknown - experience transcribed from a written account

What importance do you place on your religious/spiritual life after your experience? Unknown

What is your religion now? Christian- Mormon Uncle Murray was born and died a Mormon

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

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? No See Experience

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

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 See Experience

During your experience, did you gain information about premortal existence? No

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? Unknown

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? No Unknown - experience transcribed from a written account

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? No

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

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

Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? Unknown

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? Unknown Yes Unknown - experience transcribed from a written account

Did you fear death prior to your experience? Unknown

Do you fear death after your experience? Unknown

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Unknown

Were you fearful living your life after your experience? Unknown

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

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? Unknown

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

Were you compassionate after your experience? Unknown

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Unknown Unknown

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Uncertain Unknown - experience transcribed from a written account

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Uncertain Unknown - experience transcribed from a written account

How accurately do you remember the experience in comparison to other life events that occurred around the time of the experience? I do not know how my remembrance of the experience compares to my remembrance of other life events t

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? Unknown - experience transcribed from a written account

Have you ever shared this experience with others? No Unknown - experience transcribed from a written account

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Uncertain Unknown - experience transcribed from a written account

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real Unknown - experience transcribed from a written account

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real Unknown, experience transcribed from a written account

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Uncertain experience transcribed from a written account