Experience Description

I was a healthy child and I slept normally. But at a certain time during the night, I `woke up' and found myself floating about two feet from the ceiling, I felt as though I was on my back and in this position gently floated out of the bedroom, along the landing, down the stairs, along the hallway, and into the dining room at the back of the house.

In the dining room apparently superimposed on the curtained off French windows was a disc of golden light, although bright it was not dazzling. It was about four or five feet in diameter, and I was gently, slowly, moving towards it. At a certain time, I realized that the light was drawing me to it, and that I had no control over it. I grew apprehensive, then frightened, and still I was drawn towards the light.

I then became panic stricken, and then woke up in my bed, still scared stiff. During this experience, I was wide-awake and fully alert although I was out of my body. It was not a dream. If it had been a dream, I would have forgotten it by now. It is still clearly etched in my memory. A young lady to whom I related this event said something that I had never considered before she said, 'You know, that night you nearly died'. I think she meant that had I been drawn into the light, been absorbed by it, and that I would have died. She said that I would have been fully enlightened and would have had no need to have returned to the physical world. After much consideration during my life I have come to the conclusion that this was NEARLY a death event.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 1943 approx.

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Uncertain Experience was leading up to what is now known as cot death. At the latter stages of the experience, I panicked and awoke back in my bed. If I had entered the light I think my body would have died. I was put to bed healthy youngster, I was not suffering from an illness or debilitating physical condition.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Both pleasant AND distressing

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? No 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

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Throughout the whole experience.

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No

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. My vision was the same.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. There was no sound during the experience.

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

The experience included: Unearthly 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? Yes See description of the event.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? No

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I felt puzzlement, and then later during the experience extreme fear.

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? I came to a barrier that I was not permitted to cross; or was sent back against my will The golden light, which, incidentally did not illuminate the room, I believe was the point of no return, had I passed into it I would not have returned to the physical world.

God, Spiritual and Religion:


What importance did you place on your religious/spiritual life prior to your experience? Unknown

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Protestant At two to three years of age I had been Christened into the Protestant faith, but understandably I had no knowledge of religion at that age. I was fully awake and alert during the whole experience, which has been indelibly etched into my memory.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I read books about the occult, spiritual matters, and religion.

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 believe that all faiths lead to God. Although basically Christian I have a strong leaning to Eastern religions.

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 I was too young at the time of the experience to have formed opinions based on beliefs.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes Large changes in my life

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? Unknown

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 probably 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? Unknown

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

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 probably exists Yes The very fact that I seperated from my body indicated to me that the `real me' was not my body.

Did you fear death prior to your experience? Unknown

Do you fear death after your experience? I do not fear death

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Unknown

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? Unknown

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? No

Were you compassionate prior to your experience? Unknown

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

Were you compassionate after your experience? Moderately compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Large changes in my life Psychic sensitivity seems to be enhanced to a greater degree than is experienced by the general population.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Uncertain Uncertain

After the NDE:


Was the experience difficult to express in words? No I have just described it.

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 The experience was more vivid than other life events.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes Over the years of my life I have noticed greater psychic sensitivity, seeing spirits of the living and the newly dead at certain times. Such as people, I have known in life shortly after their demise.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? Yes, the golden light.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes

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

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real It was strange.

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? The awareness that separated from my body during the experience is the real me, not my body.