Terence E NDE

Experience Description:

Involved in explosion received chest and lung injuries from metal pieces of the explosive device. The NDE occurred two days after the accident while in hospital. I felt that I was falling horizontally 'down' a tunnel or long hallway towards a bright light. I seemed to want what was at or in that light. I told my parents that the light was something 'sweet', something good and wonderful. I felt no fear. In fact, I felt strong love, a wanting that was so incredible I find it hard to describe the intensity of that feeling. Suddenly I felt I was going back, not back up the tunnel, somehow out of it. My next memory was slowly being aware of my surroundings, nurses etc. It was another week before I was able to talk of my experience as until then I was on a respirator with tubes down my throat etc. The moment I could talk all I wanted talk about was my wonderful light.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 02/21/1954

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident Surgery-related Involved in explosion received chest and lung injuries from metal pieces of the explosive device. The NDE occurred two days after the accident while in hospital. Life threatening event, but not clinical death From what I was been told by my parents and medical people treating me my lungs collapsed and I had to be resuscitated. They told me what happened about a week after the event. My memory of the first week after the event is vague. However the experience, the NDE, was very clear.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Wonderful

Did you feel separated from your body? Uncertain 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

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? I have no idea other than the time during the experience seemed 'hard to relate to others' other than its clarity in my memory. I do not think that the length of time was of any relevance to me. Sorry that's the best I can do.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening all at once Time did not exist I can't put it in words.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Incredibly more so

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. The light was incredibly bright however it did not hurt my eyes. The 'sweetness' of the light was intense. It was as if I had heightened senses, an extra sense other than our normal senses of taste or smell etc.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Neither

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes I have likened it to a tunnel because it was easier to describe. However, it was more like a long wide hall. I was falling towards the light at incredible speed horizontally.

Did you see any beings in your experience? Neither

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

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 Very bright, almost blinding yet did not hurt my eyes.'Sweet'????? I have no other word to describe it.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Clearly mystical or unearthly realm It's hard to describe. I best describe it as another level, something far beyond normal understanding.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Love, a longing for a connection with the light and 'Sweetness'

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? Neither

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about the universe

Did scenes from your past come back to you? Neither My experience has made me have no fear of death. And I feel it has helped me to relate to others to be more understanding of fears that people have of death, sickness and pain.

Did scenes from the future come to you? Neither

Did you come to a border or point of no return? A barrier I was not permitted to cross; or 'sent back' to life involuntarily

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Conservative/fundamentalist Church of England

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Moderate Catholic

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? Neither

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? Neither

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes I felt that I was given privileged knowledge.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Uncertain Being so young at the time makes it hard to say if it altered any relationship with anyone.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Uncertain I have an uncanny knowledge of people. I seem to just know when people have problems, are hurting. I don't have to know them. I can sense that someone is about to contact me although they are in another state. People I hardly know seem to seek me out and ask my advice about the most private things effecting their lives. I don't understand why people trust me with their problems when I'm almost a total stranger. I have told people things about themselves that they have not shared with anyone.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? Not really, apart from that I felt that I was somehow privileged. That I had been shown something and given a wonderful gift, an understanding beyond normal life experiences.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes The moment I was able to talk which was approximately five days after the experience. They listened, I'm not sure if they believed me or not.

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 had no doubt that the experience had occurred and that I would never forget that experience. Knowing that I no longer feared death helped in my long road back to health.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real After all these years that memory still at the forefront of all my life experiences. It happened, it's real. I truly believe that!

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? It may be of interest that I suffered from migraine headaches. I sought help and eventually was taken back through my life, with the help of doctors. I appears that I had a suppressed memory of the hours after the accident where I was put in a room at the first hospital to die. I had been crying out that I wanted water and just to shut me up a nurse gave it to me saying that, 'It doesn't matter now anyway. You are going to die anyway!' not that I needed to hear that. I think everyone was amazed that I had survived. I only mention this in case it may have had an effect on my NDE.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? The questionnaire is set out well. I hope my contribution helps.