Samuel C FDE

Experience Description

There was nothing to tip me off as to what was about to happen. When I was younger, I liked to suck on ice cubes. On this day, I had just put one in my mouth and I started down the steps to the basement/lower house level. I guess I wasn't paying as much attention as I should have. I hit the floor after the last step quite forcefully. It was enough to make me swallow the ice cube. When I tried to breathe, there was absolutely no air. The next couple of seconds were absolute terror. There was no one at home with me like my mother, father, or brother. The words 'THIS IS IT, THIS IS IT' flashed through my mind in a continuous stream dozens of times, like an old fashioned ticker tape machine. I remember thinking, 'Don't let them find your body in the house.' Our house was only three years or so old at the time and was my mom and dad's dream house. I guess I didn't want them to always remember finding me inside. I started to walk towards the carport door which was 180 degrees from the steps I'd come down. I got maybe 7 or 8 feet towards the door when for some reason, I turned around back towards the stairs. Right about here it gets kind of confused.

I found myself almost back at the steps, which were to my left and a paneled wall in front of me. Here, something happened. It was instantaneous. I went from whatever I was feeling, to just standing in front of the wall. Curiously, I was aware I was still wearing clothes. I felt the most perfect peace, a peace I've never had anything even come close to afterwards. I didn't feel like I couldn't breathe; I was completely at peace with everything around me.

I felt that nothing mattered. In the years following this, I always wondered about this as, as I said, nothing mattered- love, hate, beauty- nothing. I finally decided this might be some protective state cushioning you for an impending death. Who knows?

One other thing, I believe I felt someone with me, but nowhere in particular; it seemed all around me. Then, in front of me, what appeared to be old opera drapes like the thick, heavy ones with the dark folds inward and the equally heavy outward folds. The outer folds appeared to be lit by a light coming from the left perpendicular to the 'drapes'. The drapes appeared to be lit on the outer folds by a reddish light. I don't know if the drapes were reddish or if the light was reddish. I could see the wooden paneling through them. As I stood there looking at them, the ice cube must have cleared my airway. It seemed as I went from looking at the drapes to facing the other way instantly, and being a little farther away from the wall.

I'd guess the whole incident took maybe 20 seconds or so, so I don't believe lack of oxygen could have played a part in this experience.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: about 1958

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? No. Accident. Life threatening event, but not clinical death. Choked on an ice cube

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

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? No No

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness? Normal consciousness and alertness Apart from the initial rush, I'd say consciousness and alertness were as I'd normally experience them.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? I'd guess I pretty much lit up every neuron in my brain when I found out I couldn't breathe, but I'd also say that my consciousness and alertness was pretty much the same (meaning I was perfectly conscious and alert) during the entire time.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No

Were your senses more vivid than usual? No

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I'd say no difference.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I'd say no difference.

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? Yes I wouldn't say so much unearthly, but as a light that had no business being where it was. Naturally, I'm referring to the light shining on the drapes.

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Fear, peace, tranquility.

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? No

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? Christian- Protestant My mom always insisted me and my brother go to Sunday services, But if I hadn't had to go, I wouldn't've.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

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

What is your religion now? Unaffiliated- Nothing in particular- Secular unaffiliated I do believe in God.

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 I was very young and had really only experiences at church explaining life and afterlife. At this stage of my life, I had had only a few psychic events happen to me and really didn't pay much attention to them or even know what they meant.

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

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? No

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are probably 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 Uncertain I've often wondered if I momentarily left my body for a few seconds due to the traumatic incident. I want to say yes, but I can't be sure. If I did leave, this to me would indicate probable survival beyond the physical body.

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

Do you fear death after your experience? I moderately fear death

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Slightly 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 probably 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? No

During your experience, did you gain information about life's difficulties, challenges and hardships? No

Were you compassionate prior to your experience? Slightly compassionate toward others

During your experience, did you gain information about love? No

Were you compassionate after your experience? Moderately compassionate toward others

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

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. Except for the times when I wasn't sure of what was happening even while it was happening, the events could have happened a week ago.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? No I've been psychic since I was a child and I've learned not to open up to most people.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? The feeling of peace. Indescribably beautiful.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Probably 30 years. Indifference. No idea if it had any influence on them.

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 then; it is real now and will always be real.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real I believe it to be a mechanism of the soul and it was operating exactly as it should've. In times of great stress or great danger, I believe the soul can take leave of the body for so long as it deems necessary.

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? I viewed it as a part of life of which I was unaware.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? I have no idea as to how you'd work it in or even if it's appropriate, but, 'Has anyone in your family ever shown any mental instability?'.