Richard H NDE

Experience Description:

It was August 1968 in Viet Nam on the DaNang River; I was traveling down river returning from a mission out in the bush. The Am track I was riding on hit a large unexploded five hundred pound round which was booby-trapped by the Viet Cong. I regained consciousness about a week later. The story here is of the week that I was unconscious. From the time that I was blown up until the time I regained conscious, the doctors explained to me that on two different occasions I had clinically died. The first time I died for twenty-one minutes, and the second time for twenty-four minutes. Here is what I remember of this account.

I was sitting on top of the Am track and the next thing I remember is my soul is separating from my body. During the process of dying, I can hear as the doctors pronounce me dead. Then I see my double, a lifeless body, lying below me surrounded by doctors and nurses trying to revive me. This scene was quite a shock, for the first time I am looking upon myself from outside my body. It is at this point that I began to realize that all of my abilities, to see, to hear, to think, etc. continue to function, but now completely independent of my body and flesh. Finding myself floating above the people in the room, I instinctively tried to make them aware of my presence by touching or speaking, no one hears or notices me. At the same time, I am puzzled by these feelings of relief, peace and even happiness. There is no longer that part of 'me,' which suffers and is always complaining about something. Having experienced such ease, the soul did not want to return to my broken and shattered body.

This lasted a short time until I saw a bright light and soon after I was in a place that was extremely bright. I felt that I was joined by those who loved me, and a penetrating voice told me, I needed to change the way I was dealing with my life. The exact words do not come because I don't remember if language was used. But the feeling of knowledge was generated into my soul. The time of this experience was not of any consequence, because it felt like time no longer existed.

The second trip to the light was more instructive than the first. It had more purpose to it. This trip changed the very core of my being. From being hell bent on destruction to being creative, peaceful, and helping those who are unable. During that second NDE, I reached that plane that many reach. Many people call it The Plane of All Knowing where you just suddenly know all things and all the puzzles of life unravel themselves and you understand everything and the why of things.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: August 1968

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function or brain function) Blown up by land mind. Broke most of the bones in my body.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Wonderful

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes 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 Things seemed like it was normal and peaceful.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Entering the light the second time. I thought I was going to stay.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Incredibly fast

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening all at once Time seemed totally not in the picture at all. The altered space was on the way to the light.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Neither

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. More intense brightness, depth perception was bad.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. There was no sound but a feeling of penetrating (knowledge) this is the hard part to explain of what was.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Yes, and the facts have been checked out

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes I floated up from looking at myself, being carved on to traveling through a dark enclosure at a fast speed to the light (bright light).

Did you see any beings in your experience? Sensed their presence

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes Felt a presence of ones who loved me. One old and one younger.

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 It was like standing in a room with lots of thousand watt halogen lights shining on me.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Clearly mystical or unearthly realm

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Serenity, love, peace, quiet.

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

Did scenes from the future come to you? From the world's future I tend to end up close to major events; 911, tornados, Mount St. Helens, Pinatuba. Almost like I get sent to observe them or help survivors.

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? Yes Man has corrupted God's message, by trying to gain power in his name. God is intelligent enough to give different people different religions for a purpose. Why would he tell a Jewish person not to eat pork in Chinese? Different society's different religions.

What is your religion now? Liberal Agnostic

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes Man has corrupted God's message, by trying to gain power in his name. God is intelligent enough to give different people different religions for a purpose. Why would he tell a Jewish person not to eat pork in Chinese? Different society's different religions.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? Unidentifiable voice

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? Sensed their presence

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes One of the things that were impressed upon me was a different view of religion. I sensed that I was given this because of dissatisfaction of the power that gave it to me. Religion was created to teach humans the basic laws of Nature or God. God being the intelligent being that he is; understood that humans in different societies needed different instructional manuals (so to speak). I.e. French, English, Spanish, Hebrew, Islam, Chinese, etc., God knew you can't explain to a Jew in Chinese why he should not eat pork. I felt that the fighting between religious groups was very distasteful, and that man was using religion for his own personal gains of power. Massive power in the hands of a few seemed to be one of the major issues of my enlightenment. This was what came across to me while in the light.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes More forgiving.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes Knowledge came without words or language. Went from killing machine to pacifist. Total change of inner self.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Uncertain For years I have been telling my kids of things to come.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? It changed my soul...

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Several years before I shared with anyone. Then only a select few, mostly my kids.

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 Humbled, joy, and lots of pain.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real Experience was definitely real, it's given me a life purpose.

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