Oscar S NDE

Experience Description:

After arriving at the hospital for a lumbar hernia, the doctor decided to operate on me for a gastric bypass to help lower my weight. The first operation went badly so they operated a second time where I went into a coma from complete septicemia. My breathing, my heart, my kidneys, liver, pancreas, lungs, all stopped functioning. All my vital signs were bad and fell below acceptable levels. My family was notified that I was on death's door just in time for Holy Week. A few days went by and I was given the last rites by the hospital chaplain. My family came to say their goodbyes. During all of this, I had been in the intensive care unit and the intensive therapy unit for forty-five days. I then began a miraculous recovery, first by breathing without a respirator and then returning to consciousness. My family members told me things had gone badly and that I was very sick. I was so out of it I thought I had only slept for one day. Then my slow recuperation began because I was left with neurological problems that incapacitated somewhat the movement in my left arm and right leg. This is what motivated my retirement from the police force after twenty-two years.

I should tell you that I belong to the Masonic Order. They gave me the ability to look for truth by way of reason, but I proved empirically that it isn't really like that because the trip I took was truly marvelous and escapes all logical rationality. I remember that suddenly I was floating outside my body and was absorbed by a dark vortex that allowed a few rays of light to come through. I moved rapidly towards the end of the vortex or tunnel. I glanced at my side and saw I was accompanied by my father who had died in 1991. This unsettled me and I felt fear and began to analyze the things I was seeing. I realized I was dying. Finally, I arrived at the end of the tunnel where I found a large door of magnificent proportions that slowly began to open from the other side. I could only see light shining so powerfully that I had to cover my face. At that moment, my thoughts were very clear. I was dying and I thought about my little children and my wife, the suffering I caused them and that I wouldn't see them again. At the same time, I also felt a profound peace that was broken when I heard voices saying to me, 'Oscar, don't die. Come back.' And almost without realizing it, I began returning by the same tunnel I had arrived through.

When I realized I was back in my hospital bed, I had a vision I was surrounded by several men (six or seven) who wore white tunics and were of advanced years. They were around my bed and spoke to me. Afterwards, I went back to sleep but when I woke up, I only remembered those two episodes to tell my family and the brothers of my Mason's lodge.

Months later my wife told me she had made a spiritual connection with astral physicians to bring about my healing since I was healed so miraculously and known throughout the hospital. I asked about the men in white who visited me and I was told I was never visited by anyone in white, much less with the characteristics I remembered.

Well, this is the account of what happened to me that year during Holy Week. Events full of symbols and messages that I am still trying to discover. But I am absolutely sure of something and that is there is life on the other side, with beings who are higher and better than we are.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 10/04/2000

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Uncertain Surgery-related 'Life threatening event, but not clinical death' I don't know because I was in a coma for two months.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Mixed

Did you feel separated from your body? Uncertain 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

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? When I traveled through the vortex, when I saw my dead father, when I arrived at the end of the tunnel, when I heard the voices.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening all at once

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Incredibly more so

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. When the door opened and I saw the light, I covered my eyes with one of my hands, but it (my hand) was transparent.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. It seemed to me I heard very special music, but I don't remember well.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Neither

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes After floating through the darkness a tunnel or vortex held me and I was drawn up until I arrived at the end where there was light and a door that began to open.

Did you see any beings in your experience? Saw them

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes When I saw I was back in the hospital bed, after the journey, I saw myself surrounded by elderly beings in white, but I don't remember whether or not they spoke to me.

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 When the doorway opened, from among the leaves there shone such a resplendent light it was as if looking directly at the sun. I covered my eyes with one hand and the light still shone right through me. It was incredible.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Clearly mystical or unearthly realm No recuerdo todo.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I was excited, startled, my senses were very alert. I also felt peaceful at one point, but when I remembered about my wife and children, I got worried.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Relief or calmness

Did you have a feeling of joy? Happiness

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? No longer in conflict with nature

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about the universe

Did scenes from your past come back to you? Neither It reinforced by belief in God and in life after death. I know that we don't just end here but that our life continues and that other missions and experiences will come. The sad part is leaving those people with whom we have bonds of friendship and love.

Did scenes from the future come to you? Neither

Did you come to a border or point of no return? A barrier I was not permitted to cross; or 'sent back' to life involuntarily

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Liberal

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Liberal

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? Unidentifiable voice

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? Saw them

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes Now, everything has meaning, other beings, nature, everything is intimately bound together and we can't decipher it.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

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? The encounter with my dead father, going through the tunnel, the door that opened, the voices that told me not to die.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes The month when I left the intensive care unit I spoke to my wife and lodge brothers, and also with my mother.

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

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