Robert S NDE

Experience Description

Upon passing out in the shower I fell forward and struck my face between the eyes on a small retaining wall between the shower and bathroom floor. I experienced a view of myself from outside of the shower on the bathroom floor looking back into the shower at myself lying there. As I looked up, I could see an image of an individual in a glowing gown. The image was slowly raising upward. As I panned up further I saw a very bright silver/metallic like button in the middle of the chest of this robe/gown. The robe/gown was lightly illuminated and the button was laser like in the center of chest. I noticed that as I panned up further the image had its hands stretched out to the sides with the palms up. In the final pan upward, I saw myself with a smile on my face. The image continued to rise and was extremely peaceful.

Immediately I experienced being above my prone body looking down at myself lying in the shower. Then it was over and I was awake looking at my wife who was actually there immediately after she heard the accident. It took me five days to process this information before I shared it with my wife. I remember being in the emergency room thinking about what I thought was so funny and why I had a smile on my face. I remember thinking what a smartass I was.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 6-9-2007

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident. Direct head injury 'Life threatening event, but not clinical death' Syncopal episode in shower resulting in severe facial trauma.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Mixed

The experience included: Out of body experience

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 As above.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? I was in the experience totally. I have no other cognizant remembrance but how vivid the experience was until I woke up.

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 seemed distorted when I realize that my wife was there within seconds and my experience seemed in slow motion.

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. Just the brightness of the lone button-like symbol in the middle of the image's chest.

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? Uncertain No real tunnel, just the whole image was slowly moving upward, with arms stretched out to the sides and palms up. Over the five days after, before I told my wife about it, it almost seemed corny. And I couldn't figure out why it was me grinning and going up - then I realized, who else it should have been.

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 The image was in a lightly glowing white gown. The most intense light was a button-like object in mid-upper chest that shown like a laser. It didn't emit light, it just glowed.

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Peace - just overwhelming peace, especially upon seeing the image's face was my own and it had a large grin on it. The whole experience was like everything was going to be okay, there was no fear.

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? I felt united or one with the world

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

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? Conservative/fundamentalist

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Conservative/fundamentalist

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

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? Uncertain I've tried since to figure out what it meant. In relating the story to others, I've found that some people were moved by my story as it relates to the passing of one of their loved ones. I've felt certain in telling these people that their loved one was okay and I'm only able to say that in that I saw something most people don't and it was very serene.

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? I thought it odd at first. It took me several days to process it. After that I felt like I've seen something not many people get to see.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I told my wife five days later. It was very quiet and we were getting ready to go to the doctor. I asked her if she believed in these things. She's very religious, much more then I. She was stunned by it. She was a believer before. I shared the story several times since but not in a 'preachy' sort of way. Mostly it came up as part of explaining the accident, which required surgery etc. I'm very matter of fact about it and I think part of why I was able to experience it was that by sharing it with others some were moved profoundly. By bringing peace to them partly explains to me why it happened. I however am not convinced that there is a deeper meaning that just hasn't been revealed to me yet.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes I had a patient one time who had an out of body experience during surgery. I had him share it at a healing service at our church one night. Again, I'm not overly religious and I as open-minded about this. I felt if that was someone's experience who am I to discount it. So I'm not really concerned if when I'm recounting my experience that someone thinks I'm a little kooky. I couldn't care less what someone else thinks, I know what I saw and that's that. If you don't believe move on, I don't think more or less of an individual either way. Though I have to say I've not found anybody that tried to challenge me but again I don't beat people over the head with it.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real It just confused me as to why it was me until I realized who else should it be. I realized how close I must have been to crossing over. The accident was very violent though so it took five days to process it and tell my wife.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real It's as vivid today as it was three years ago. I think it will be that vivid the rest of my life.

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

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? Think I've said it all. Maybe that it took me a few days to figure out what it was all about before I ran it by my wife for her response was illuminating.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? Very thorough.