Stephen R Probable NDE

Experience Description

I have had a hand full of NDEs with my heart condition. In this specific case, I was already having my right hand rebuilt by the Veteran's Administration (V.A.) medical hospital. Something happened and my brain suddenly was aware that I was at the last breath of life and then I was looking down at my body. There was a young student doctor trying to shove a tube down my throat on the left side of my head. The elder doctor on the right telling him how to do it. But I've gotten ahead of myself in the story.

On my first post-operative appointment with the surgeon, I told him that whatever the young guy was doing really caused damage to by throat. He asked how I knew it was a young man. I walked him around the room of what I saw. When I said, 'and you (the surgeon) were at the foot of the bed' he ran out of his own office. How could I have known what was going on in the room because there was a curtain between my head and body so I couldn't see the doctor at my feet?

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 2004

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes 'Life threatening event, but not clinical death' It occurred during surgery at Veteran's Administration (VA) medical hospital.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Neither pleasant NOR distressing

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I watched the operating room and the people in it. 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 I was looking down at myself on the table from about two feet above everyone else.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? I was at my highest level of consciousness and alertness when my brain registered my last gasp for air and then coughing up fluid from my lungs.

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No Absolutely no concept of time.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? More vivid than usual

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. There was absolutely no pain, no suffering, no concept of time, no need to be anywhere, no other thoughts than just recording the situation in the room. Prior to the operation I noted the color of the walls in the room were so warm and soothing rather than just white wash.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I don't recall whether I heard anything or not.

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? Yes There were those in the operating room (living) who were working on me and no others.

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 no emotions; no light, no dark, no tunnel, and no emotions.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Relief or calmness

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? Greatly important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Other Christian I have attended Baptist, Protestant, Pentecostal, 7th Day Adventist, Nazarene, and other religious organizations but do not claim any one.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I am not the legalistic, judgmental hypocrite I used to be.

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

What is your religion now? Christian- Other Christian Christian - Other

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 The reality of limitless time, no pain, no suffering, etc changed my fear of death.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I see religion in a different light; I am less obsessed with the discrimination of man's (and woman's) violations against man's church.

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 definitely exists

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Uncertain I have started showing people that there is life after death (recall Lazarus from the bible). It is in the bible.

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 meaningful and significant

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? No But later on another NDE revelations have come to me.

Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? An afterlife definitely 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? Greatly 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? No

During your experience, did you gain information about life's difficulties, challenges and hardships? Yes Pain, time and so many other things are only of man.

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? Moderate changes in my life I feel more empathy, compassion and forgiveness.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No 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 as accurately as 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? Yes I was able to tell when the telephone was going to ring. I can see things others cannot.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I first shared it was the operating surgeon within two weeks after the event.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes I will say that I grew up knowing American Indians who believed that spirits are not bound to the body and that animals were your spiritual guides.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real Once the doctor ran out of his own office it sank in just how real it was.

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? No