William L NDE

Experience Description

I was with friends enjoying the evening. One of my friends decided to punch me in the chest in an attempt to make me play 'the knockout' game. I was furious.

But before I could react, I found myself in the greenest field and landscape I've ever seen. At the end of the field was what looked like a beach or cove with high cliffs. On my way to the beach, I realized I wasn't walking or running. I was just in a timeless float to the beach. On the way there, I realized several things at once. I had no body but if I wanted to see my hands, they appeared but not solidly. I also realized that the only feeling was bliss, like being wrapped in a blanket of love.

When I reach the cove, there are several shapes coming to me. I realize the closest shape as my grandfather who starts laughing and telling me that, 'All is well.' The others people don't allow me to see their faces. I asked who they are and why I can't see them. All my grandfather said was that they loved me and wanted me to know that. Being adopted, I think they may be biologically associated to me, but I don't know for sure. Soon, my grandfather said it was time to go. I gave no thought about the physical place I just was in. Earth never crossed my mind. I was home and wanted to stay. My grandfather laid me down, said 'bye' and then he made me repeat a phrase over and over. I knew instantly that I was to repeat it as soon as I woke up. And I did. Soon, full consciousness hit me hard. I opened my eyes and saw all I my friends gathered around me looking down at me on the floor. My first words were, 'Quick! What was I just repeating?' They all said they didn't know. They were too scared at what had happened and they were working on bringing me to consciousness. I still don't remember what the phrase was.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 10/21/1991

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Uncertain. Direct head injury. Other: loss of consciousness and convulsions It's possible. I wanted to continue with the experience but once there I met my deceased grandfather, he told me to come back. I was knocked out and on way to the ground, I was knocked out again.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Entirely pleasant

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? No 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? More consciousness and alertness than normal This memory is more vivid than any dream or waking experience for decades now. I didn't even realize anything happened until years later when I heard of NDEs. I just always put it off as some brain malfunction.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? When the feeling of bliss started. So probably, the entire experience was the highest.

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 The whole experience lasted for what seemed a long time considering all the details but those helping to bring me back said it was less than a minute.

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. It's not vision. It's full comprehension of the event. You don't see and then register the vision. It's instantaneous.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Hearing was completely internal. My grandfather's lips did not move. He just smiled and the whole conversation just happened as a thought.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? No

The experience included: Tunnel

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Uncertain More of a bright field. I know it was brilliant and very green. Even though at that time we had heard of tunnels, I was taken aback that there wasn't one, really. Maybe a dark space before the field but it wasn't even a moment of the entire experience.

The experience included: Presence of deceased persons

Did you see any beings in your experience? No

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes No one that was still alive but my grandfather who died 8 years prior was leading a party of 7-12 beings to meet me.

The experience included: Unearthly light

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? An unusually bright light

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes The glow around the field was so brilliant I would describe the light as joyful.

The experience included: A landscape or city

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm Already have at the beginning of this survey.

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? No worries. No cares. Everything truly will be OK. Blanket of love and definitely this was home.

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? I felt no longer in conflict with nature

The experience included: Special knowledge or purpose

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about myself or others I didn't care. Understanding was there if you wanted it, but I was too caught up in the joyfulness.

The experience included: Life review

Did scenes from your past come back to you? No Nothing special except I did notice that my knowledge gained here was still present. I knew to look at my hands.

The experience included: Awareness of the future

Did scenes from the future come to you? Scenes from my personal future That's what the phrase I was supposed to repeat contained. It was instructions for some future event, but I lost it.

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 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- Other Christian None of what I was taught about heaven or an afterlife was true.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I no longer believe in any organized religion. Yet, at the same time, I have personal proof of the existence of consciousness without a body so there must be something or someone that made that possible. I wish I knew whom.

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

What is your religion now? Other or several faiths I follow my own religion in belief of an higher consciousness with whom I am grateful.

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was entirely not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience I expected a huge church with God on a throne and Jesus close by with angels everywhere.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes But as I said, I didn't appreciate the event until years later when I heard others having similar experiences.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? I heard a voice I could not identify I wish I saw God or Jesus or Buddha but I didn't but there did seem to be an authority with whom my grandfather was conversing.

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? Yes Only because I was taken back that I expected to be dreaming after being knocked out, not take a journey to see dead people.

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? Yes There was no real reason or explanation for me being here until my children were born and then I understood why I've been spared so many times.

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? Yes Love is the most important, to give, to receive, to share.

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 Yes Seeing my deceased grandfather and him expressing love was most important.

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? 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? Yes Don't worry so much. Gain as much knowledge about your interests as much as possible.

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? Yes see number 36

Were you compassionate after your experience? Moderately compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? The more I think about my NDE the more I want to go to a hypnotist and find out the phrase I was supposed to repeat. As soon as I get kids grown, I'm going to pursue a quantum mechanics degree to see if I can find the explanation of what happened and seek proof for it.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes In particular with animals. I also know what real love is now and animals are better at it than most people are.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes There isn't enough room or accurate words to fully describe the event. It seemed like days when it was only seconds.

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.

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 have almost too much empathy where I wish I could turn it off, sometimes.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? I've listened to the skeptic arguments for scientific explanations of what really is happening to a dying brain. They seem to sum it up pretty good except for one glaring detail that can't be duplicated: Why are people seeing dead relatives?

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes About ten years later, I told my mom and brother. I think they believed me because every couple of years they ask me to tell the story again. I'm not sure if I influenced anyone except those that were there. I've asked those people several times, since the experience, what it was I was repeating and they still don't remember.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes Just typical urban myth stories about a tunnel, light, and don't go in the light. It was 1991 so there wasn't much known.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was probably not real I had no real knowledge of NDEs, so how could it be real? Only years later, when I heard others had similar experiences then I knew something real had happened. Mainly because the memory was still so vivid.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real Because if today is real and yesterday was real. Then based on those experiences this NDE was more real than those days were.

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

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? I noticed at the beginning I used the word landscape in my description and I wouldn't have except that it was part of an earlier question. So I guess I'm saying some of the questions might introduce experiences or enhance them in different ways.