Ricky W Probable NDE

Experience Description

I tried to rescue an eight year old friend of mine from drowning, and he took me down under the water. He was too strong for me, and I thought that I was drowning, or that maybe I was dead. I began to see a bright, yellowish light and feel that if this was death, it was very peaceful and wonderful.

One of my feet found a rock, and then my head came out from under the water, and I was totally rejuvenated.

Ever since that incident, I always wondered if I was dead and was brought back by God. I have never experienced the bright light before. I had never heard about it on television or other media sources.

I do thank God because maybe I was dead, and he put the rock there.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 1960

NDE Elements:

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

How do you consider the content of your experience? Wonderful

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes 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 the end of the light before I felt the rock.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? At the end of the light before I felt the rock.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning I thought that time had stopped, that the clock wasn't ticking any longer.

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. I only saw a bright light with rays beaming vertically.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I didn't hear anything.

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? No

Did you see any beings in your experience? I actually saw them

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

The experience included: Light

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 Bright light with vertical rays, very pleasing, not making me blink or shudder.

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

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? After I began seeing the light, I accepted death as about to happen or already happened, and I was extremely content, no fear, bitterness, or negative emotions.

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

Did you have a feeling of joy? incredible joy

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? Everything about the universe

The experience included: Life review

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? Scenes from the world's future

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

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Moderate

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I have more faith that God can intervene in human affairs and that there is an afterlife.

What is your religion now? Moderate

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I have more faith that God can intervene in human affairs and that there is an afterlife.

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

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? I actually saw them

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes I felt an incredible sense of peace, and acceptance that I no longer needed to struggle and that if this was death, it was beautiful.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

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? Yes, all of the experience makes me wonder if I was dead, and God sent me that rock so that I could continue with life.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Within a year I told my parents, but they just thought that I was an impressionable kid.

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 I know that I saw the bright light, but I can't determine if I was dead or that God saved me from death. I do believe that something strange happened because I've never heard about people who almost drowned seeing the bright lights.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real It was real, but I can't prove that I was dead or in heaven and returned or just saved myself. However, it just seems so surreal that I think that something special happened.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Uncertain I sometimes think that this was a true miracle of God's, but I can't be sure.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? After this experience, when I started telling people, they thought that I had really experienced something, not just lost oxygen to the brain. I am a Christian, and think that God did intervene, but I don't know I was dead.