Experience Description

It all started with a simple abscess in a back tooth. I went to the doctor and had the gum lanced to get the infection out, then they sent me home. After I got home, I lost a lot of blood and after some hours, I went back to the hospital to the emergency room, where I was looked at and sent back home. In the elevator I fainted, (at this time nothing special happened), and I regained consciousness in a stretcher where I was being stitched up. After this, they decided I needed to stay for observation overnight. As chance would have it, I was in the same room where I had been born ten and a half years earlier. Once I was in the room, with my mother and two aunts with me, I needed to go to the bathroom. I got up; my mother really wanted to come with me, but I didn't want her to and I went in by myself. The last thing I remember is making an effort to grab the toilet paper, at which point I fainted.

Suddenly I saw myself floating (I never saw my physical body), amazed, asking myself: 'What's this? Where am I'? I was floating, without a body, but still I could move around, in short I had an 'I'. I spent some time feeling disconcerted, it was like a dream but I still remember it as being too real to be a dream. Then all of a sudden I found myself in a room, where my mother, and one of my aunts who was not in the hospital at the time, were weeping inconsolably, seated on maroon-colored, very brightly colored, armchairs. At this point, I said to myself: 'Ah, that means I'm dead!' I started to feel a peace and wellbeing, which is indescribable.

Then I saw myself going through a long, narrow passageway, at whose end I found a door with a glass panel in the top part, through which I could see a coffin, which immediately made me think it was my coffin. After this I recovered consciousness in my aunt's arms as she put me down on my bed, and my mother and other aunt went out onto the terrace, crying and scared.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 22-10-1983

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes hemorrhage en la encia 'Life threatening event, but not clinical death'

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 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 Throughout.

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

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Incredibly more vivid

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? Uncertain I went along a narrow passageway.

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

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? No

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? At first, confusion, then a great calm, with much peace and wellbeing.

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 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

The experience included: Vision of the future

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

The experience included: Boundary

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? Yes A door.

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

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Moderate

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? Yes

After the NDE:


Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Uncertain

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 probably real

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was probably real

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