David R NDE

Experience Description

It was about 10:00 a.m. Saturday morning 15 February 2003; I was in my kitchen waiting for a kettle to boil for a cup of tea before I went out. I had a stiff neck and then severe chest pain. The pains increased across my chest and down my left arm, I was hot and sweating and unable to talk. (I live alone so there was no one for me to call out to.) I slumped to the floor as the pain increased. Sweating and gasping for breath, I became weaker. I reached a point that the pain was so bad that I said to myself that 'I don’t know what is happening but whatever it is it is killing me.' I could feel myself dying. I knew it was unmistakable, the feeling of my life ebbing away was very clear, whilst lying on the floor there seemed to be a separation, I could distinctly feel the life force energy or whatever it is leeching out of me. I was aware of the difference between me and the life energy leaving me.

It is difficult to describe in words but there was a time when I seemed to occupy two different places; I could feel the pain in my body but I was also away from the pain, as if floating beside me. I then felt frightened I could tell I was dying or dead, not really sure which would be right. But I knew that I did not want to be dead then. So I remember saying to myself, 'If I don’t stand up now I will never stand up,' so I went back to my body and made me stand up. I remember feeling a rush of life back into my body it was like a sharp gust of wind filling my body and then I was back inside me and I could feel the pain again. The physical reality was a sharp contrast to the sublime formless energy of being outside my body.

The very real and distinct separation of my consciousness and my body is something I will never forget.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 15-02-03

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Heart attack Clinical death Heart attack that lasted two hours. I was not expected to survive by the time I reached hospital.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Disturbing

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I was, it seemed, in a formless state away from my body conscious but formless.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? I was very conscious and aware, as I have described, it was very distinct and as real as any other experience I have had.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm Perhaps being separate from my body would be a different dimension but there wasn't any other 'place' I went too.

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 I made the decision to return to my body.

God, Spiritual and Religion:

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? The best part it seems is that a fundamental question has been partly answered for me; that there is a life force that is separate from the body. The worst thing is having had the heart attack I feel death is known to me and that there is very little between life and death.

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