Tony B NDE

Experience Description

My surroundings were filled with light and I was floating looking down on my body, my relatives who were present at the time of the accident and the paramedics. I felt peaceful and simply observed as if from the ceiling of the room (kitchen) where I was. Shortly after the paramedics arrived the experience abruptly ended and I awoke days later in the hospital.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 1951

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes ACCIDENTAL BURNS OVER 60% OF MY BODY BY A POT OF BOILING WATER WHILE DRESSED IN FLANNEL CLOTHING NOT REMOVED AFTER THE ACCIDENT 'Life threatening event, but not clinical death' The burns were down to my bone. I was hospitalized for nearly two months and had radiation treatments and skin grafts until I was twenty-five. From family recounts the burns were caused by the clothing being heavy (flannel) and remaining on after the boiling pot of water fell on me. This continued to burn through skin, muscle, nerves to the bone on my chest and serious burns elsewhere.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Wonderful

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes 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? More consciousness and alertness than normal As above.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? The highest level of sensation was the abrupt end of it. It was almost like being 'slammed back'. The total peacefulness and lack of fear was the other experience while this out of body experience took place.

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 I observed events with no other emotion other than joy or contentment.

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. I didn't feel like my body was with me when I was floating above the group inclusive of my body. The lighting around me was bright but everything else seemed at peace.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I can't say since I was only two years old. I recall what was said in specific instances which I've always been able to recount as it all remains very clear.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Yes, and the facts have been checked out

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

Did you see any beings in your experience? I actually saw them

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes I only saw those that were alive and in the room at the time of the accident.

The experience included: 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? Uncertain There was light around me, but I saw no light in the distance.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm DIMENSION MAYBE SINCE I WAS OBSERVING MYSELF AND OTHER LIVING PEOPLE

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Peace and curiosity.

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

Did you have a feeling of joy? Happiness

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? I felt united or one with the world

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

Did scenes from your past come back to you? My past flashed before me, out of my control I've always recalled the peace of the time, so when troubles in life come I pray and meditate and return close to that sense of peace from time to time.

Did scenes from the future come to you? Scenes from the world's future

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 was your religion prior to your experience? Moderate 'BAPTIZED ROMAN CATHOLIC, BUT I WAS 2 YEARS OLD'

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Moderate PRACTICING ROMAN 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? I encountered a definite being, or a voice clearly of mystical or unearthly origin

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? I actually saw them

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

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

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Uncertain I was always able, from the time I could speak, to explain the activities around me where the accident took place. I could describe the paramedics and family who were there. However, I was in high school before I realized that the view I had was a view of me on the floor with people around my unconscious body. I was peacefully floating above all and watching. Everyone thought it was so interesting that I recalled so many specifics of the time, but never commented on the fact that I was observing looking down not up from the floor.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Uncertain I seem to read through and into people easily and immediately.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? The calm and peacefulness of the time. Nothing went quickly nor slowly - it was the sense of the experience. The experience had no influence on my faith as I grew up, but it is a happy memory even though I had gone through the extensive burns and recovery period and treatments.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes As I child I spoke of the experiences in the kitchen where the accident occurred and some of the experiences in the hospital. As a young adult, it hit me that my vision of the events at the time of the accident were from above. I had almost seen that as normal and never emphasized that until someone asked the question one day of how I knew so much detail and when I responded that I saw myself and others from above, it just hit me as what it was years later (about age fourteen). People were always amazed by my memory, and when I noted that it was from an above view all simply accepted it. No one ever has questioned the event memories nor my out of body experience. I find it odd that I've known it since I can recall, but never saw it as something to highlight until that age fourteen conversation occurred. I can't explain that.

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 The memories were there from the time that I could speak and talk about the event which I did often, but not until my teens that the event had any significance.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real The memory of it is so vivid for so long. I have no memories of anything prior to this event at age two and vivid memories since then.

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'm not fearful of death.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? It was very complete.