Roland D NDE

Experience Description 3280

My near death experience was a two-fold experience.

It was exactly my twentieth year in the military and I had just returned to my former Unit of assignment (which I work for fulltime).

Our Battle Group Training was in water survival, which I had practiced for over twenty years. Toward the end of completion of the course, I had what I thought was terrible heartburn. A little embarrassed, I approached my Commanding Officer and other NCOs' so that I could lie down for just a moment.

Due to the quick response of a Warrant Officer, an ambulance was dispatched.

As the NSA police officer was questioning me and as the Paramedics arrived, I would 'black out' due to heart failure caused by a piece of plaque.

Immediately before blacking out, I would feel a being lying shoulder to shoulder with me, on my right, and see HIM in shadow. I remember at this point that sound was my last sense to go.

As the Paramedics’ defibrillated my heart (one or two times) the sound returned in the blackness or void. As I regained consciousness, it was if I was under the street and someone slowly slid open the manhole cover above me. I could look up and see the Paramedics' faces working on me looking down.

As documented, I said 'that feels better' although I only remember asking if I had a heart attack? I was told not to try to talk, so I said, 'Being as no one said that I haven’t, I must have!'

The second experience I had was much different. In transport to my requested hospital my ambulance became stuck in traffic, I could hear Donny, (my Paramedic) saying that we must get on the highway and find a different route to a different hospital. I thought to myself, 'this is not good' and only wished I could see outside. Immediately afterwards I could see a 'bird’s eye view' of my ambulance moving 'in slow motion' towards me. The clarity of that moment was perfect. I remember seeing everything looking down on the highway from the abutments on the tan brick wall to the puddles in the street. My ambulance raced toward me with headlights and strobes flashing. However, this time there was no sound! Sight was all that I maintained. Oh yes, this was the 'best mood I have ever remembered being in! My mind was very sharp and I was still very much aware of what was happening to me.

I knew I was married and in transport. I could have even given you my social security number, I had forgotten nothing about my life, but when you are in such a good mood, nothing seems to bother you. All that I can remember thinking to myself was that, 'this is really cool and amazing'.

The next thing I remember was being stabilized for airlift to Washington hospital center. I remember seeing my wife, the commanding officer, and my buddy the Platoon Sergeant standing by the door as I was made ready for flight.

My wife asked if she could fly with me, but she could not. I remember being laid on the deck of the helicopter, trying to stay awake so that I could remember the flight, but could not.

I awoke briefly in intensive care and later my wife would tell me that she tried to hide behind my door, but they shortly removed her. I also found out that I was not expected to survive the night as my lungs filled up with fluid.

One or two days went by and I awoke again first seeing my elderly parents clutching each other and staring at me. Then I saw my wife and brother beside me. When I told the story of the ambulance to them, my mother asked me how I could have seen that event.

Immediately, I told her that it must have been looking out the back doors and saw my ambulance in a bug eye mirror along the highway. She looked at me strangely and asked how that was possible?

I thought about that for a second, and realized this could not have been possible as I was strapped down facing the front of the ambulance with no windows, and now just realized that it would be impossible to see the front of the ambulance from the rear anyway! But the whole experience seemed so natural that your mind doesn't know any difference anyway.

I feel it is my duty to add that later, when I returned to Church about three weeks later, a fellow deacon approached me with eyes as big as silver dollars.

I asked him what the matter was, which is when he told me he expected never to see me again. It seems the hospital told my Pastor I was not expected to pull through. The sermon that Sunday was the 'Good Shepherd' lying down with the lamb. I had the sensation of having water poured over me as I thought about the 'being' lying next to me shoulder to shoulder in my original experience.

Why do I believe in this Christ so intently you may wonder?

It is because many times on this side of my existence, I have met Him also!

Death is only a continuation of the spiritual life that I already possess.

It is my belief, that faith like gravity in the natural realm must be applied before we can start to comprehend a place that is infinite rather than finite.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 'February 06, 2005'

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Heart attack Army Water Survival Training (continued) Other 'Continuation from yesterdays ''clinical death'' submission'. Heart Attack

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 Looking down on my own ambulance.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Looking down on my own ambulance.

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 Things seemed to slow down a little the second time, I felt as if it was possible to be released from a system of measurement such as time.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Incredibly more vivid

Did your hearing differ in any way from normal? As I stated above, the first time that I 'blacked out,' sound was the last sense to go. The second time that I was 'out of my body,' I could see everything but hear nothing.

In my opinion, this is because my second near death experience was further removed from the physical world than my first.

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 The first time I was revived, it was as if I could look up at the Paramedics from a 'manhole' above a pitch black street.

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

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Uncertain I felt and saw the shadow of a man with long hair and a beard laying (right) shoulder to shoulder next to me, at the beginning of my experience. Weeks later, the sermon at Church was on the 'GOOD SHEPHERD' laying down with the lamb. At that moment I had a 'flashback' to that first experience, with the feeling of fresh water being poured over me.

The experience included: Void

The experience included: Darkness

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? No

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? No Did not make it that far.

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? At first, shock that I was dying at such a comparatively young age; I was in pretty good shape. All I could think about was my wife (I have no children) as I pleaded with God for my life. I realized that I had not done all that I should have for Him with my life and this is why I have 'attempted' to return to ministry. Unfortunately, the 'visible-Church' is all too much like any other institution, respecting credentials rather than sharing with others freely our experiences. This is one of the reasons for me writing to you. The second experience I believe was closer to my 'Going Home' and peace ruled in that moment. I never got any closer to eternity than my second experience, but have known people who have.

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

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? Conservative/fundamentalist Presbyterian Deacon

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Uncertain I am much more aggressive with the 'leadership' of my Church.

What is your religion now? Moderate Independent Chaplaincy

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Uncertain I am much more aggressive with the 'leadership' of my Church.

The experience included: Presence of unearthly beings

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 felt that my purpose had been unfulfilled.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Uncertain As far as nearly dying it has caused me to slow down and appreciate the many blessings around me (that come from our Lord) and I can see now how I have missed these blessings in the past, taking good fortune for granted.

As far as uncertainty, I have more of that now than before as I wait on the Army (Walter Reade) to make a decision on how to discharge me. This has caused even more stress in my marriage, but it is not because of my near death experiences.

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

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Once I had stabilized in the hospital and started talking to my family I eventually started speaking of my experiences.

My family is active in three separate churches, with different degrees of skepticism (my brother the P.A.) being most interested and yet most skeptical.

My mom was the most alert to the details of what I was describing about seeing my ambulance, and was the one that questioned me how that was possible.

I normally get two type of reactions; one is of a drug-induced state of euphoria, and the other is one of intense interest in believing that there is actually an afterlife, despite what the New York Times reports.

I feel it is my duty to share with the world my experiences. I am not responsible for what they believe, only to what I believe.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Uncertain If you are asking me if I have known people with these type of events in their lives, the answer is yes.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real. I don't know how to make my story any more credible or believable to others.

I can only say that even my mind tried to make rational sense out of the events by convincing my senses that I was looking out a window that did not exist. The only other evidence is the medical documents of my heart stopping a number of times, and the time this occurred in transport.

I will tell you that I did not remember the make of the ambulance correctly, (because my brother checked with his Paramedic friend). However, if you asked me to identify the makes of most trucks or cars I doubt that I could do that either.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real. As I have said before it is a matter of belief, and you can always come up with an explanation as to why you do not believe something, it is done all the time.

In my view that is like trying to prove something that never happened, reasoning cannot produce the truth, one way or another.

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

Experience Description 3509