Norbert E Probable NDE

Experience Description

When I was young, I went to a New Year's Party with my friends. I was not used to drinking alcohol, but to make the party more cheerful; my friends insisted that I drink several glasses of champagne. Soon I fell into an alcoholic coma. While I was unconscious, my friends carried me into one of the bedrooms so I could sleep it off.

When I 'regained consciousness,' I found myself in an ambiance that was neither bright nor dark. It was like what you see through your eyelids when you close your eyes in sunlight. I was not aware of having a body. I felt the presence of a being that I could not see. He communicated with me telepathically. Very calmly, he twice asked me the following question: 'Now that you are close to death, what do you choose?' He simply waited for my answer. It took me some time for me to respond, because I really didn't know what I should reply. I remember distinctly what I thought to myself: 'You are young (remember, at the time, I was only twenty years old) - maybe there are still some interesting things for you to live for.'

As soon as I had formulated that thought, I immediately had the quite disagreeable sensation of being back in my body.

The following morning I woke up 'normally,' and my friends told me that during the night they had checked on my condition. My pulse had become very weak and I had been given an injection to stabilize my heart. Everything had gone back to normal. Of course, at that moment I had been unconscious. Maybe my experience happened at that time? I have no way of knowing.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: Août 1970

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes 'Life threatening event, but not clinical death'

How do you consider the content of your experience? Neither pleasant NOR distressing

Did you feel separated from your body? No 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? More consciousness and alertness than normal I had the impression that everything that existed was condensed into the question that the being asked me.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? When the being asked me the question.

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 The temporal dimension of existence had disappeared completely.

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. In all honesty, I didn't 'see' anything.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. The communication with the being was done telepathically, not through hearing.

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

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? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm It was a timeless, spaceless but indistinct world. There was no landscape, simply a soft light.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? A feeling of indecision, but no fear nor joy.

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? I felt united or one with the world

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? I came to a barrier that I was not permitted to cross; or was sent back against my will At the time of the experience, I was only twenty years old. Without being completely convinced, I thought to myself that life might be worth living. Immediately after that, I was back in my body and the being and his questions were gone.

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- Catholic

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I think there is a meaning to our existence, but that this meaning is only partially revealed by the great religions.

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

What is your religion now? Unaffiliated- Agnostic

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 J'avais reçu une éducation chrétienne. J'ai été élevé dans une institution religieuse, tenu par les jésuites. L'existence d'un Etre supérieur n'était donc pas contraire à mes convictions. Mais je n'imaginais nullement qu'une telle expérience put avoir lieu. Ce n'est que quelques années après, en lisant le livre de Raymond Moody lors de sa parution, La vie après la vie, que j'ai compris exactement ce qui s'était passé.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes Yes. During difficult moments in my life (death, disease) my experience has helped me to reassure myself that maybe not everything is over at death.

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 There was definitely a being, but it wasn't exactly visible.

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

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

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

Do you believe in the existence of God after your experience? I am uncertain if God exists

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? 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 probably exists

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? Unknown No

Did you fear death prior to your experience? I did not fear death

Do you fear death after your experience? I moderately 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? Are probably 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? Slightly 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 No changes. All the more so because I didn't know that NDEs existed.

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

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 as accurately as other life events that occurred around the time of the experience

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? When the superior being asked me the question about whether I wanted to live or die.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Two or three hours later I told my ex-wife, but she said I probably had just dreamed it. After that, I only told it to close friends.

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 This experience was obviously completely real.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real On the one hand, I remember this experience as if it happened only a few minutes ago, and yet it really happened forty-five years ago. On the other hand, since in the meantime I have read plenty of books about NDEs, this experience makes perfect sense to me.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? No