Rafael A FDE

Experience Description

My experience goes back to 2014, at a time of year in which the weather is usually rough for those nearby. It is colder and is like a funeral that is testified by those of Lima by birth. As I am one of these, the weather gives me a certain state of depression. Nevertheless, the day of my experience gave me a ray of hope, as it was my twenty-first birthday, not especially important in South America, but important for oneself and close ones. A number of best wishes and calls, throughout the day had cheered me up and built up my ego, (they were) made from the station and my emotional state was more bearable. Nothing exciting happened; until I decided to meet up with some friends to have some drinks with the excuse that it was my (name saints day). (This is instead of celebrating a birthday, in this case the celebration of the feast of St Rafael.) It was eight in the evening and the bell rang out, my friend was the perfect person for the occasion, he had also just had his 21st birthday. The problem was that the innocence of my friend didn't allow him to assess the risks in that neighborhood, in this way he was not at all to blame, but this led him to bring a few belongings to my home.

After a long conversation and some drinks, we decided on a different course to return to the home of Jos, a mutual friend, who lived about eight blocks away. So we were ready to buy more alcohol and soda. Always taking adequate precautions going out that late at night, always leaving valuables behind, and today was no exception. It was exactly midnight and we began to leave. With every step, my thoughts were expanding, as far away as possible from any greater fear. I would like to say that my blood became ever more intoxicated, and so made me less human and more immune to the impression. We reached the crossroads of Emilio Fernandez and Montero Rosas Street, which made us less confident, but in this case, gave us courage. This courage began to dissipate when a car turned around the corner and then came towards us, now in the opposite direction. The vehicle slowed down as it approached. The suspicion of a classic robbery came to me, and I said to myself 'Taxi anyway' it was normal to look at, a grey sedan with semi tinted windows, and a modern model. Said car came to the point in which it stopped us completely, some meters away, I was paralyzed from the inside, but my legs continued carrying me forward. I heard a click from one of the doors, and was witness to the biggest uncertainty of my life; suddenly a hooded man got out, with a lowered gaze and stepped towards us.

Any doubts became clear very quickly. The man had a pistol pointed directly at me, then at my friend then at me again. 'Against the wall Son of a b$%#$' was the first and only thing he said, before coming up to me with a pistol in his hand, and going through my pockets, and anywhere where there might have been anything of interest to him. We had absolutely nothing except a bottle of alcohol and some soda, as I mentioned earlier. It was possible to sense his extreme frustration. At not finding anything he wanted, my skin went to goose bumps. The man continued to look at my friend, there came a moment where I didn't know what to do, a moment in which my stupid common sense, not to take action and raise my eyes to look at the car, from where this man had come. Another pistol was pointed directly at me, from the driver's seat, this other person threatened to kill me, if I didn't look away, so at least then, they didn't want their identities revealed. I did so. In that moment, my friend was outraged with these things, and I stopped, looking at the wall, though being threatened with death, probably still having the gun pointed at me. I remember that everything snowed-out in a white color; I wasn't there for a second, and yet it felt like an eternity. I remembered my lover, (now my wife), my family, my life, and I also thought about all my future plans. I saw them in a graphic way, as if come to life. I had never experienced this kind of revelation, about what I wanted to do or how I feel about my loved ones in reality. I thought about all the material products that I would want to protect my legacy, as depressing and ironic as if I would die on my birthday, with someone else that also went through the same experience. 'You must run!' Neither did anyone say it, and I don't know why, I just ran and my friend also. I was a tortoise poking his head out of his shell... and suddenly I returned to reality.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 28-08-2014

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? No. Life threatening event, but not clinical death. Criminal attack

How do you consider the content of your experience? Both pleasant AND 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. Higher level of consciousness in a metaphysical way, I would say. I didn't feel like I was there, my mind left, I thought I had died, but nothing happened physically.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Right when the second man pulled his gun.

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 Time and space disappeared, it seemed like a lifetime, but it was no more than 7 to 10 seconds.

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. Cloudy, blurry, and then momentarily gone. I usually can see just fine.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. My mind brought in waves of sound from the past and future as I was in a state of shock from the outside, but realizations inside.

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? No

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Fear, despair, abandonment and eventually enlightenment

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

The experience included: Life review

Did scenes from your past come back to you? My past flashed before me, out of my control I saw mistakes, I regretted them, I accepted myself and then moved onto the future and then back into the past, it was a zigzag I can't explain in order.

The experience included: Awareness of the future

Did scenes from the future come to you? Scenes from my personal future See Description

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? Unaffiliated- Agnostic My religious views didn't change whatsoever.

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? 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

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes

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

Did you believe in the existence of God prior to your experience? I was uncertain if God 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? I was uncertain if an afterlife exists

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? I am uncertain if an afterlife exists No

Did you fear death prior to your experience? I moderately feared death

Do you fear death after your experience? I slightly fear death

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Slightly 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? Yes

Were you compassionate prior to your experience? Slightly compassionate toward others

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Yes I became aware of how much I actually love my people, a thing unknown to me or unclear before, which made me feel guilty, also something I had been looking for an answer to for a while.

Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Heavy changes, such as getting decisions done more quickly, less second thoughts, more action and more positivity towards it all.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes Everything took a sharper, more solid form.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes Nothing was clear; nothing was perfectly separated at the moment of climax in order to organize facts textually.

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

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes As soon as an hour or so after the event. Their reactions were pitiful and no, they weren't necessarily influenced, I don't think.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes TV Shows, stories I've heard from people and overall general knowledge. No, I don't think it did.

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

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? Less redundancy in the questionnaire, please! Especially since, I cleared out a bunch of stuff in the story anyway. Great website, nonetheless.