John M NDE

Experience Description:

I was on board a large Catamaran in Key West Harbor watching a motorboat race on the morning of Friday, November 13, 1994. Conditions were gusty. I was standing at the stern of the boat, looking toward the rear. The mainsail jibed suddenly which means that it came around to the other side of the boat with incredible speed and force by a change in wind direction and the end of it caught me on the side of the head and knocked me off my feet and down a hatchway headfirst. Fortunately, someone on board had a cell phone and called the Coast Guard who were nearby because of the race. The Coast Guard came and took me ashore to the hospital. I can remember parts of this.

They checked me out in the emergency room, and gave me a CAT scan which showed multiple skull fractures and that my sinuses were filled with blood. Then the emergency room staff hooked me up to an EKG machine in a side room. Outside there was a sudden noise of helicopters and pandemonium in the emergency room. Following my accident, a motorboat in the race tipped over and the driver and throttle man were trapped underneath for fifteen minutes. They were brought in by helicopters. While they were trying to save these men, one of whom died, they left me alone in the side room.

The next thing I remember is being outside of my body and being able to fly around the room. I remember being delighted at being able to propel myself around. I went up to the ceiling, and looked at the light fixtures close up, noting the detail of them and how they were made. Then I looked down and saw my body still lying there and there was a man that looked a little like a doctor leaning over it. I flew down for a closer look. He was dressed in what at first seemed a lot like a hospital robe. It was yellow, almost like it had gold in it. And he wore a pillbox-type hat which looked a little like the kind of cap a doctor wears in surgery except this was more like a hat and it had writing on it in an alphabet I did not recognize. However, it might have been Hebrew or something related to it. He held objects that looked similar to crochet hooks, they were gold or bronze in color, and he was using them to do something to the side of my head where I had been hit.

Then he said something to me like ‘Well, you won't get too many chances to recover from something like this again. You must be much more careful in the future or you won't be able to do what you have to do and that won't be good.’ It was as if he didn't say it in so many words but I understood it as complete sentences. Then he said, ‘Now stop fooling around by flying around and get back into your body and ask someone for water and a blanket.’ I did what he said, and in an instant, he disappeared and I could feel myself zipping back into my body. Soon s nurse walked by and I asked her for water and a blanket. She brought the blanket, which felt really good, and she let me wet my mouth with a little water. Then I went to sleep. Later they took me upstairs. Because of the confusion, I spent about nine hours in the emergency room.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: November 13, 1994

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident Life threatening event, but not clinical death I had a skull fracture from being hit by the boom of a large sailboat as it swung around in a violent shift of the wind.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Mixed

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I felt that I was conscious, apart from the sleeping and unconscious body on the stretcher below me. I could move about by will as if I were flying. I really enjoyed being able to do it, like a little kid thrilled with a new toy. I don't remember examining my appearance or even thinking about it. I definitely remember reentering my body; remember positioning my spirit body to lie down with the physical one and the two rejoining.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? I was dazed from the blow to the head and I realize now that I was ‘in and out’ of consciousness during the time in the emergency room but I remember that my alertness during the experience was high, in contrast to the way I remember being before and after the experience.

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning I have no idea how long the experience actually took. I estimate I was left in that side room for at least six hours.

Did your hearing differ in any way from normal? Not that I can remember.

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes The only other being I encountered was the man who was working on my body doing some kind of medical procedure and who gave me the stern warning to be more careful in the future. He was standing there next to me on the stretcher and seemed to be doing something with instruments that looked like they were made of bronze or a similar yellowish metal and in the shape of crochet hooks. He seemed put out that I was flying about in a childish manner. He warned me to be more careful and told me to go back into my body and to ask for a blanket and water.

Did you see an unearthly light? No

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

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I felt curiosity about what was going on with my body down below me and happiness or delight in the ability to move around effortlessly through what seemed like mental energy. Also not exactly fear but a great deal of respect for the individual who was working on me and for the things he said to me.

The experience included: Special Knowledge

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about the universe Only the extremely unusual occurrence I have described.

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 I was told very sternly to get back into the body, and I aligned myself with the position of the body, and almost immediately I was back in it and seeing things with my eyes, or with one eye since the other eye was swollen closed.

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Liberal

What is your religion now? Conservative/fundamentalist

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I'm even surer of the afterlife now, but perplexed as to its very nature. I'm convinced that it is much more complicated that we can imagine. It did make religious, denominational differences seem irrelevant.

The experience included: Presence of unearthly beings

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? No I was told very sternly to get back into the body, and I aligned myself with the position of the body, and almost immediately I was back in it and seeing things with my eyes, or with one eye since the other eye was swollen closed.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? Getting hurt in the first place was the worst thing. The best part was feeling that there are mysteries that no living person can explain.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Some understand what I am talking about and have met others who have had the same type of experience. Some people believe me, while others think that I am crazy. A lot of people explain it by saying things like hallucinations are to be expected after a head injury and so on.

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



Questions Answered Years Later #2044:

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 11/13/94

NDE Elements:

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

How do you consider the content of your experience? Mixed

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes 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

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Neither I have no idea of how long the procedure actually took.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? More so than usual

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I could see clearly, even though one eye was swollen shut, and the other eye was partially shut.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I could hear what I was told as if via ESP, not like regular hearing.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Neither

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

Did you see any beings in your experience? Saw them

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes A man dressed in a robe and cap operated on me with brass-colored instruments and warned me not to take unnecessary physical chances in the future.

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? Neither

Did you see an unearthly light? No

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Neither

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Amazement, delight, wonder.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Relief or calmness

Did you have a feeling of joy? Happiness

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? Neither

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about the universe

Did scenes from your past come back to you? Neither

Did scenes from the future come to you? Neither

Did you come to a border or point of no return? Neither

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Liberal

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Uncertain They have changed a little, but it came afterward, and not as a direct result of my experience.

What is your religion now? Conservative/fundamentalist

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Uncertain They have changed a little, but it came afterward, and not as a direct result of my experience.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? Definite being, or voice clearly of mystical or other-worldly origin

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? 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 I've tried to be a lot nicer and tolerant. I am calmer and braver.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes For a long time afterwards, I could see people's auras and seemed able to predict small events accurately.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? I have certainly been a lot more careful about not getting hurt as I was advised to do.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes After about one week I shared what happened. Those I told seemed to accept it. In some cases they didn't want to talk about it anymore.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Uncertain I'm sure I had heard about NDE experiences from books and articles. My experience was different from those I had read about so at first I didn't recognize the connection between what I had read and what happened. Later I read a couple of books about NDEs.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real It was fresh in my mind and as I recovered from the injuries I became even more certain about what had happened.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real Later x-rays showed no displacement of bone even though I had sustained a severe blow to the head. A great deal of CSF had leaked out through my sinuses and throat. I think the messenger had actually reset the bones as I watched from outside my body.

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? Can't think of anything right now.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? I have heard some people describe sort of an electrical charge in their bodies afterwards. There is some anecdotal evidence that they are no longer able to wear a watch without it malfunctioning. I wonder if there is anything to these reports, and what might be the underlying scientific cause, if any. For a while afterward I had the idea that I also had some kind of charge although it went away after about six months.