Steve M NDE

Experience Description

While sitting with friends and enjoying lunch, I had just finished talking about my ICD (Internal Cardiac Defibrillator). I explained the purpose of the device, how it worked, and what would happen if it was activated. This device sends a powerful shock to the heart in order to restart the heart should it recognize that I was experiencing fibrillation or cardiac arrest.

As if on que, I felt myself losing my sight and then nothing. Somehow, I realized I was dying and thought to myself how easy it was to just slip away. A split second later I saw myself sitting at a gate in a large airport and all alone. I could hear all the noises associated with a busy airport but could not see anyone else. There was no plane at the gate, but I was waiting for a flight. I have no idea where my flight would have taken me.

Suddenly, I heard an announcement that my flight had been cancelled. The ICD activated and I awoke on the floor of the restaurant. My friends were standing around me. According to my friends, I was only unconscious for about 10 seconds. They explained that my explanation was so accurate that they did not panic as they waited a few seconds for the device to activate. When it did activate my body jumped as the electric shock passed through me, to my heart, which immediately responded.

The ICD tracks everything the heart is doing in real time and can produce a report that shows exactly what the heart is doing at any moment. The doctors were able to retrieve the data in graph format. It showed the progression of the event and why it took so long to react. The device should have reacted much quicker, which may have stopped the cardiac arrest before it occurred. The good news is that the device was not calibrated properly and changes were made to correct the settings. I have not had another incident since that event.

I’ve had a while to consider what happened. I still don’t know if the experience was real or if it was imagination, or perhaps a dream? Whatever it was, I felt no emotion towards the experience while it was happening. I kept this experience to myself until recently when the electrophysiologist asked me if I experienced anything unusual during the incident.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 8/10/2023

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Cardiac Arrest Life threatening event, but not clinical death. I had heart issues that resulted in cardiac arrest.

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

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes As stated above, I could see myself sitting at a gate as well as hear voices and announcements. 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? Normal consciousness and alertness. I was enjoying a meal with my friends and had no sensation that I was about to die.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? While I was explaining to my friends the function of the ICD.

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. My vision became tunneled and then it was complete darkness for what seemed to be, a few seconds. What I did see was not more colorful or vivid than normal.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. During the experience, I could hear perfectly well all the sounds I would expect to hear at an airport. I heard people talking. Although, I could see no one, planes were taking off and landing. I also heard announcements. I have no idea what the announcements were about.

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? Nothing specific. It was just me watching myself sitting in a seat waiting.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? No

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 was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Other Christian Was Christian catholic until my 20's when I became disenchanted with the religion. Since then, I have tried different christian ideologies but nothing really resonated with me.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Christian- Other Christian See above comment. No real change.

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

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? I heard a voice I could not identify. I heard many voices but I could not understand what they were saying and did not appear to care. The last voice I heard was a woman announcing the cancellation of my flight.

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

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

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? No

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? No

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? No

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

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

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Slight changes in my life

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes The experience occurred without warning and I wasn't sure what to think when I recovered. I was quite shaken, but knew that the ICD had activated and saved my life.

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. Although I remember briefing my friends about the ICD prior to the experience, I can clearly recall this event as if it occurred yesterday.

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? The announcement that my flight was cancelled was considered significant after I recovered. I often think that if my flight had not been cancelled I would have gone on to another existence or nothingness.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? No

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 probably not real. I was convinced it was just a dream, imagination, or hallucination until I heard about others experiencing NDEs.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was probably not real. I continue to struggle with the authenticity of the experience.

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

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