Ryan G NDE

Experience Description

I was around five years old. To my parent's dismay, I began a habit of throwing my toys out of the second story window, getting up, and retrieving them so I could do it again. Under the window was a roof that was up to the side of the house, extending the first floor past the second floor window. There, it slanted slightly downward to face the paved back yard. I would step onto the roof and pick up my toys. However, this time I slipped, not realizing that it had rained that morning. I was really close to the edge of the roof too, so no time to save myself really.

However, this is the oddest part. One moment I was mentally going the speed of light, and as soon as I slipped, time itself seemed to slow down. I was able to witness and comprehend my so called death. It felt like a lifetime had passed before the fall was complete. Mid fall, I was thinking a million miles per minute. I was asking myself questions that wouldn't even have mattered at the time - ‘Have I lived long enough?’, ‘Am I still going to be alive?’, ‘Is mommy going to be mad?’, ‘Did I really just die for being so foolish?’ And then it hit me - or I hit it. The pavement was right where I fell, which was just a couple of feet from the soft grass. The next thought in my head as things went black was ‘Why didn't that hurt?’

Next was the realization that I was dead. This strangely didn't surprise me. It was as if I knew all along what death was. I was confused, but at peace. Literally not one worry passed by me. No worries of my own mother, father, or brother were to be felt.

My surroundings consisted of an almost perfect sight of everything in the veil of black nothing. I was in a void. I noticed that my ability of sight was different. I could see everywhere without even needing to turn my head. I was like an owl, except I could see through anything I could imagine as real. I knew all of this without even seeing anything. Suddenly, the pin prick of light started shining; creating the tunnel vision effect that accompanies almost all near death experiences. This light was alive. It was breathing, and it had the heartbeat of a million souls. It emanated this certain feeling in me that I will always try to get again. This is what I believe the feeling of love is. If you know the anvil dropping in your stomach in anticipation of success when you were a child? Like the first time you tasted a favorite food? Or played your first favorite video game? Or when you won that tie breaking baseball game? When you anticipate success, and get it back by more than you asked for, that's the feeling of love.

Even though it looked like I' was slowly moving towards the light, I knew for a fact that I was going way faster than the speed of light. I personally think the void is the incredibly fast travel of your ethereal body through the universe. Then the light noticed me. I didn't hear anything, but I could think of the light talking to me. It thought to me that it wasn't time for me to go. I thought to it that I knew it wasn't my time.

Then came unconsciousness. Next, just like that, I woke up crying. I was hurt, but no broken bones. I healed in five days. The experience then came back to me. I told my parents, who were very supportive.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: Summer 1998

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 or brain function) I fell trying to pick up toys on my two story roof.

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 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? More consciousness and alertness than normal Upgraded visual response.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Both during falling and the void experience.

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 It was like the flip of a switch.

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. 360 degree vision.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I couldn't truly hear. I knew I could sense vibration though.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? No

The experience included: Tunnel

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes

Did you see any beings in your experience? No

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? No

The experience included: Void

The experience included: Darkness

The experience included: Unearthly 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

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

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Love, confusion, at ease, anticipation, and subconscious knowledge.

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

Did you have a feeling of joy? incredible joy

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? Everything about myself or others

Did scenes from your past come back to you? No

Did scenes from the future come to you? No

The experience included: Boundary

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? Uncertain The light took me back to my body.

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 importance did you place on your religious/spiritual life prior to your experience? Not important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Unaffiliated- Agnostic This experience shaped what I now believe.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

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 consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience I was only five, so this shaped my belief.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes

The experience included: Presence of unearthly beings

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? I heard a voice I could not identify

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? Yes The light emanated a cooperative society

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? Uncertain I thought of the light more as a collective soul.

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? Yes The feeling of knowing that this happens all the time.

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are meaningful and significant

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 exists

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Yes Yes, affirmed by many other similar experiences I've had.

Did you fear death prior to your experience? I did not fear 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? Are meaningful and significant

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? Uncertain

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

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

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

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes The feeling of love.

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? Uncertain I know I see ghosts sometimes, but it is unknown if I gained it, or always had it.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? The light’s love.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Immediately, and all of them supportive.

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 just came back to me.

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 Sometimes I have wonderful, almost inspirational dreams that make me feel good inside. However, those dreams never had clarity such as my experience did.