Robert S NDE

Experience Description

Our canoe overturned and I slipped into the cold lake. Not knowing how to swim, I panicked at first, but soon became calm as I drowned after sinking and swallowing water. I felt so peaceful that I thought to myself, 'This is not so bad!'

I was pulled into and part-way through a tunnel where I was surrounded by a brilliant yellowish-white light. I had not yet made it to the end when suddenly all faded and I was swooshed back out of the tunnel. I lost all memory of the event until well after I was rescued when I awoke in my underwear under a blanket beside a campfire.


Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: May 1972

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident. Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function) I drowned.

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

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes The feeling of the volume of the light and like a vacuum it was pulling me in. 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? Normal consciousness and alertness. My alertness was normal I think, but I had no body. I was only thoughts. I could not see my hands or arms or anything else.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? As I entered the tunnel

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning. I have no recollection of the passage of time

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 do not really describe it as a seeing-type vision but more as a surrounding of multiple senses.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I do not remember hearing anything

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere, as if by ESP? No

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes As above

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? An unusually bright light

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes So yellow and bright and surrounding me

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm. A well-lit tunnel

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I I felt fear at first, followed by overwhelming peacefulness

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

Did you have a feeling of joy? No

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? I felt no longer in conflict with nature

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? No

Did scenes from your past come back to you? No

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 was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Protestant

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Christian- Protestant

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? No

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

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Uncertain

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? No

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? No

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? An afterlife probably exists. The peacefulness that came was immediate, so I knew that it was real

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

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Uncertain It was not my time to leave.

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

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes I had never seen a light like that before or felt as calm as I did there.

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

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? When my time comes to leave, I will be ready

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes My mother. She became fearful of me leaving again

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. It was real because I was there and vividly remember every detail to this day.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely rea.l I lived it. I remember even swallowing the water, the sound leaving, the light, the tunnel, and the swoosh back out.

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? We all need to slow down and embrace mindfulness.