Robert M FDE

Experience Description

I was at the beach at the middle of the day with three girls. I left the girls to go to a barbecue for a fraternity; I was rushing. On my way to the barbecue, I stopped in an alleyway near the boardwalk to look at directions on my phone. Out of nowhere, a man with a knife came and slit open my throat. He also stabbed me in the right shoulder area. The attacker then ran away. I immediately took my shirt off and wrapped it around my neck. I found the nearest people, and they called 911. An ambulance came within five minutes. Thankfully they were able to control the bleeding and all my vital spots were missed.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 2/15/13

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Criminal attack 'Life threatening event, but not clinical death' My throat was slashed.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Both pleasant AND distressing

Did you feel separated from your body? No No

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 was a bit dizzy, but I knew that I had to try my best to stay conscious and I managed to be alert and conscious until I was prepped for surgery. I knew I had to be calm and alert if I wanted to get through this because if I panicked, with the wound I had, it could have made it much worse.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Time seemed to go faster or slower than usual It was weird, the attack was only 3 or 4 seconds, but in my mind, my thoughts and memories were processing so fast everything slowed down; but when I remember the event, and all, it seemed like it happened in a flash.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? More vivid than usual

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. It was the same.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. It was the same.

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? I sensed their presence

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 and Sadness because I thought that I was going to die, and at such a young age; I had no preparation for something like this and to imagine that I wasn't going to be able to ever see my family again and friends or get married or start a family and a career.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? No

Did you have a feeling of joy? No

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? No

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? No In a way, I understood we all die, and I accepted this because I thought I was a dead man. Although I was really scared, I did feel a peace that I lived a happy life and I wouldn't have changed anything. If it was my time then: so be it.

The experience included: Life review

Did scenes from your past come back to you? I remembered many past events

Did scenes from the future come to you? No

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? Christian- Catholic

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

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

What is your religion now? Christian- Catholic

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was entirely 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? No

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 I honestly feel that when I was in the hospital room surrounded by doctors, that one nurse gave me this smile. I felt this sense of relief when I saw it and I knew everything was going to be all right. I'm a Catholic and I feel like it was my guardian angel watching over, telling me that it was going to be alright.

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? I sensed their presence

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.)? Yes I feel like I was in the presence of an angel

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? Yes I think it was my faith that made me see an angel, but this event didn't prove anything but my faith has really grown.

Do you believe in the existence of God after your experience? God probably 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? Unknown

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 existsÂ

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife probably exists No

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

Do you fear death after your experience? I do not 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? Unknown

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant after your experience? Are 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? Moderately compassionate toward others

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Yes I was sad because if I died all those who I loved and loved me would suffer and grieve and that they would go for a rough period, and I could only imagine the pain my parents would have gone through I had had died

Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Moderate changes in my life Moderate changes in my life.

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 more accurately than 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 I was very open and shared this, literally, the moment I got out of surgery to all my friends. I'm very open to sharing it, and many people are in disbelief that this happened.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes

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? Yes It will always be in my head and it just comes to me at random points, usually when I'm not doing anything productive. Nothing really triggers it, just not keeping busy.