Ryan F Probable FDE

Experience Description

I was driving on a dirt road in the 'middle of nowhere' Minnesota. I had my girlfriend at the time with me in the passenger seat. We noticed that she was going to be late for work if we didn't head back to the town. I don't remember the exact location anymore, but I remember driving about 75 mph so that my girlfriend could drive the car back to town, after dropping me off at home. As the car slid around the corner of a turn, I lost control and the car started rolling a couple times, going sideways into a field.

All I can remember is floating above both my girlfriend and me as if watching a scene from a movie, rather than being involved in the accident. It was brief and as the car came to a halt in a nearby field, I was back in my body again, looking over at my girlfriend.

I have been in other accidents and have not experienced this before. I was literally watching the scene unfold as if I were glued to the inside roof of the vehicle.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: Summer 2003

NDE Elements:

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

How do you consider the content of your experience? Entirely pleasant

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? No 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? More consciousness and alertness than normal I felt no pain while I was outside of my body. I was merely observing the situation, rather than living it as it happened.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? While the car was rolling.

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 It felt as if minutes had gone by rather than seconds and I felt peaceful. Somehow this feeling let me know that both she and I were going to be okay.

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. It was as if time had slowed down. Those few seconds seemed to last minutes and I remember all fear was gone while outside of my body.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. It was as if the sounds around me had been muffled. The car was completely demolished (no glass left) yet I didn't hear the glass breaking or the metal crunching around me.

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? No

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I felt at peace even though I was in the middle of a bad wreck that was occurring at the exact same moment.

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? 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 importance did you place on your religious/spiritual life prior to your experience? Slightly important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Unaffiliated- Agnostic I believe in a higher power. I am a seeker of truth.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I became very interested in books on the afterlife and the meaning of why we are here.

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

What is your religion now? Unaffiliated- Agnostic

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was entirely not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience I did not know that you could even leave your body. But I do know now that it is 100% possible.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I started getting very interested in the afterlife and started reading books about the afterlife.

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

Did you believe in the existence of God prior to your experience? God probably exists

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? No

Do you believe in the existence of God after your experience? God definitely exists

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes I knew for a fact that we would both make it through.

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? I was uncertain if an afterlife exists

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

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

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

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Moderately 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? No

Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Large changes in my life Knowing that I left my body and returned to it, without doing it myself, tells me that something out there must be guiding us. I did not make any conscious choice nor did I have any control over when I left my body and returned back to it.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes People think I am crazy or lying.

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 This occurred over ten years ago and I remember it as if it was yesterday. This is an experience that I cannot ever forget.

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 will always remember looking from above and seeing myself sitting in the driver's seat.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes About two years later I shared the story with my mom. I have tried to tell others but I am written off as crazy by most for even bringing it up.

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 for a fact that I was observing myself and girlfriend from above because I was looking down at both she and I, yet it seemed normal to me that it was occurring. Not until after I returned to my body did I realize that I had actually left my body.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real I still think about it every now and then. I guess I am the only one who will know that it happened for sure since I was there.

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