Nick S NDE

Experience Description

My swimming teacher instructed the class to swim to the other end of the pool with a kickboard and by holding it with one hand. We were to practice our freestyle stroke. She asked me to go first. Then she whispered in my ear to hold on with both hands and practice my kicking. Half way down the pool, I looked over my shoulder and noticed the other kid using one arm. Thinking I could do the same, I removed my hand from the kickboard with my mouth open. I instantly went under water, panicked and swallowed water. I remember vividly, sinking slowly as I saw the fluorescent lights above the pool.

Everything slowly faded into black. There was a brief moment where I saw images from my little life. Then I was jerked to the corner of the room where I watched my mother rush to the pool fence. She was screaming and pointing. I watched the teacher turn and dive towards me. She swam like a dolphin for a bit and then began swimming with her arms towards me. I watched her lift me up and take me to the side of the pool. Other parents held my mother back whilst the teacher performed CPR on me. I came back into my body.

For years I only had the memory of waking up. I remember being puzzled as to why my Mum was so distressed as she dragged me out of the building and put me in the car. Years later, when I was 12 years old, I had another near-drowning incident. I was boogie boarding with cousins and got dumped by a huge wave. I got disorientated in the wave and swam to the sea floor. As soon as I saw the sand, I thought, 'I've been here before' and it all came rushing back. I quickly span around, kicked off the sea floor and desperately swam for the surface. I made it to the top, spat some water out, and swam for shore. My cousin rushed over asking if I was all right. The first words out of my mouth were, 'I drowned when I was 4 years old!'

I then asked my mum if I ever drowned. I asked her to describe the building to me too. What she said lined up with my memory of the event and building.

The memory was repressed for 8 years. I used to lay on the bottom of pools and look up as a kid. I did it in every pool. It all made sense once that memory returned to my mind. I had also regressed in toilet training after the drowning incident and didn't get control of my bowels until I was 12 after the second near drowning.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 2002

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident Drowning CPR given Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function) I drowned in a pool during a swimming lesson

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

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I watched the entire event unfold after I drowned. I watched the rescue and resuscitation, my mother's reaction and other parents holding her back to allow the teacher to revive me. 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. I saw everything in that room, I was aware of myself, my mother, the teacher, and other parents. Typically, I don't pay much attention to anyone, as I am mildly autistic.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Whilst I was completely dead, it was the most vivid.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Incredibly fast

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning It all happened in an instant, it felt like a whirlwind.

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's difficult to compare, I would say that during the experience what I saw was vivid and during normal life it was plain.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. My hearing was nonexistent during the experience, like I left that under the water.

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

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes During the blackout phase I was in a dark tunnel of sorts that showed images of my life.

Did you see any beings in your experience? No

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

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

Did you see an unearthly light? No

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I felt calm and at peace. It wasn't scary.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Incredible peace or pleasantness

Did you have a feeling of joy? Happiness

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? My past flashed before me, out of my control

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 was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Catholic Went to church routinely at the time.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Unaffiliated- Agnostic

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. I was too young to of formed any religious or big picture ideas so I simply saw life as it was in the few years that proceeded my drowning.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes After recollecting my experience, I don't have fear of death. I accepted the fragility of life and embraced the opportunity to live a loving life, sharing my soul with whomever I can if it benefits them or me.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? No

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? No

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

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? No

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? No

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

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? Uncertain I only saw things pertaining to my life as it was, images of people and places.

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

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

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Moderate changes in my life. I don't believe in any creator or god. However, I believe that every one of us should strive to treat everyone with compassion and care as we are all in this together and creating problems helps no one. I just want everyone to be happy. I know this is a utopian view, but what else should we strive for if not unity and love?

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? I became more loving and open as I dealt with the trauma of it all with psychologists and friends. I decided to embrace love and life.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

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 can still picture it vividly. Although it is hard to describe in detail without spending a significant amount of time detailing things worn by the teacher, the building etc.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes I used to have a lot of Deja vu growing up. Also, dreams that became reality, though I haven't had one of those since I was a teenager.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? The out of body experience is the most meaningful part to me. If I was truly dead, how did I see all that? It's impossible to explain other than going down the DMT route. That the brain released a chemical that made me trip out, but even then, how does one view one's self and remain in their body? Its illogical.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I began sharing it at age 12, many people are moved by it. I later learned that my grandmother drowned at age 4. She had the tunnel experience with angels. She said she felt at peace and wanted to go with them, but she was revived. She told me she lashed out at her parents saying she wanted to go back, she didn't want to be here. She has been religious her whole life as a result.

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 was repressed for 8 years. When I did recall it, I didn't give my mother any information from my memory. I let her explain her side, and it matched my memory to a tee.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real. It was repressed for 8 years, but when I did recall it I didn't give my mother any information from my memory, I let her explain her side. It matched my memory to a tee. I believe whole heartedly that it happened. I get emotional thinking about the fact that I died and saw that. LSD also made me have an out of body experience once which was eerily similar to the one I had at age 4. So, I know my brain is capable of using that same neural pathway.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Yes I took LSD once and I had an out of body experience. I was talking to the bloke that gave it to me, I thought he wasn't looking at me. So, I said 'Why aren't you looking at me?' He chuckled and said he was. Then my view shifted and I saw the both of us sitting in chairs from the corner of the courtyard. He told me to go lie down. As I got up, I flew back into my body.

jlpjs2z