Gavin C Probable NDE

Experience Description

On a rafting trip in the head waters of the Waioi River, our raft containing six people flipped over in a grade 4 rapid. In the final moments before our raft hit the wall, at about 50 kilometers per hour and being the strongest member of the crew and super-human, I tried in vain to fend off the wall. The angle of the boat changed, as we hit, and drove the oar straight into my pelvis. It took 4 days for the above information to come back to me. At the time, I remember the raft flipping and me being in white water but incapacitated. I came up, hit my head on the underside of the upturned raft and took a breath of water. I choked, took another breath and everything went calm. I exited the white water into calmer water. I was in a starfish-position with my legs down, floating about mouth height. The water had a strange ripple in the center and I slowly started to sink. I knew I was about to die but there was nothing I could do, I couldn't move. Under the water, it was a grey color and I continued to descend, I was looking for the rock that was creating the turbulence that was dragging me down. I couldn't understand why I was descending but there was no fear or panic, the water was very warm considering mind the river was ice melt. I then spotted the cave that the water was going into; it made sense now the river was going under the earth. I was mesmerized by it.

Suddenly, I was startled by two large bangs and pictures of my two little girls flashed before me. I suddenly realized what was happening and it was the end, I went absolutely crazy kicking fighting and obviously came-to under water.

I don't remember the accident, just popping out of the river unable to breathe. Every time I coughed, water poured out of my throat I could only breathe back a tiny amount, I couldn't breathe out. I couldn't talk. I was floating too low in the water, so I tried rolling onto my back: anything to give me the chance to get air. I could see the rescue kayaker but couldn't call him. I hit a shallow gravel bar in the river and thought it would give me time to recover but it was like I was a rag doll; I bashed and smashed over it.

At about this point, I decided to relax and possibly drown again because it was too hard to swim. I knew I must have been close to the other boats looking to rescue us. I figured I had up to 8 minutes for my body to be resuscitated so prepped myself. In one last attempt, I got my hand straight up and made a sound. The rescue kayaker suddenly appeared beside me and told me to grab on, I grabbed the grab handles with pinpoint precision. I don't remember the trip to shore or being dragged out of the water. I remember them asking me if I had seen the others. I thought I was talking but obviously not. They then realized my lungs were full of water and had a discussion about how they were going to get the water out of my lungs, as I'm a 100 kg body builder they were never going to be able to hold me upside down. Hypothermia set in fast but I didn't realize it, I felt warm and numb. My whole body had cramped and I was in shock and hyperventilating. They got me up and moving, which was a feat in itself, as I couldn't move a muscle. No emergency services were called, as no one realized what had happened they thought I had taken a couple of gulps of water and was exhausted. After the flip over, they had done a head count and couldn't find me, they presumed I was under the raft. I was under the river.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 26 January 2014

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident. 'Life threatening event, but not clinical death' Drowning

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

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 Mind operating at 150%

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? When I descended under water

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 Can't describe

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. Sharper

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. None except bangs when I saw my daughters

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

The experience included: Tunnel

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes Tunnel under the river, but not a black cave, it was like someone was in it with a light.

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 As above

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Some unfamiliar and strange place

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? A feeling of letting down my girls

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 Everything made sense.

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

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What importance did you place on your religious/spiritual life prior to your experience? Not important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Protestant Brought up Christian haven't been to church for 30 odd years just isn't me

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What importance do you place on your religious/spiritual life after your experience? Not important to me

What is your religion now? Christian- Protestant Same as above

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

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? 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? 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? I am uncertain if God 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? Are not meaningful and significant

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 definitely exists No

Did you fear death prior to your experience? I moderately feared death

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

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Not 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 not 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? No

During your experience, did you gain information about life's difficulties, challenges and hardships? No

Were you compassionate prior to your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

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

Were you compassionate after your experience? Not compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Large changes in my life I have lost my feelings; my world has gone from a 3D world full of feelings and emotions to a 2D world with no feelings and emotions. When I first met my family at the end of the trip, I was stunned, it was like someone opened a book pointed to a picture and said this is your family. My eyes are always glassy now, it's as if they aren't mine. Large changes in my life

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes Yes I'm trying to rebuild the feelings and emotions I had with my family, my wife noticed it straight away.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

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? No

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes 3 days later

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

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Yes 3 weeks before it happened I saw myself going under in the river, the same way it happened on the day. Spooky!