Experience Description

I came out of the barber's shop, after having a haircut, and I was on the way home. My school is on the way, so I dropped in as usual and went to the playing field. There was a group of boys there, playing and climbing on the apparatus, which was there. I climbed onto a trapeze, and started to do abdominal exercises. The trapeze began to rock, and I slipped and fell on my back, hurting myself from my waist up to my head. When I came to, the Padre was there at my side, wiping with his hand something he had placed in my left hand and on my forehead. He exclaimed, 'He's not dead! He's not dead!'

While I was lying on the ground, I remember speeding through a layer of clouds. I was dressed in the same clothes I had on, a pair of blue jeans, white T-shirt, sneakers. I was running towards a white light, which was very far off, and underneath it I recall a violet light. Suddenly I heard a voice. Turning round, I fell into an abyss, as if I had returned below. First, I heard a long sharp whistling noise in my ears, and then I saw shadows.

As I came to my senses, I heard voices and the shadows became clearer. It was the boys looking at me lying face-up on the ground. The Padre asked me if I was okay. I replied, 'yes,' and then I got up and went home. When I took off my T-shirt at home my back was marked by the stones on the ground.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 1967

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? No Accident. Direct head injury Other 'Muerte aparente, recibi los santos leos de un sacerdote, de la Iglesia del Colegio.' In fact, there was nothing threatening my life, it was an accident.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Neither pleasant NOR 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? More consciousness and alertness than normal If I was really running towards a goal, towards the light, this was something I frequently did in the basketball games at school.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? I was at my highest level of consciousness and alertness when I was running towards the light.

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No I had no sense of time there.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? No

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. At that time I was farsighted, but in the experience, although the light was very strong, I don't remember this affecting me.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I don't remember hearing anything, until I was called, and turned round quickly, and fell, but I don't remember what was said. In fact, I don't remember really if I heard anything. It was as if someone said something without words.

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

The experience included: Tunnel

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No Not literally. It was like a layer of clouds, a field, at the end of it the light opening like a fan in two parts, from the brilliant white center. From there just two parts, the upper one white and the lower one violet.

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? An unusually bright light

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes The light was brilliant, but very far away from me.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? No I was not astonished at this place or the situation. I was running towards the light

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I was running actively, fast, sure of myself, then I suddenly turned in surprise. I don't recall any feeling in particular.

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 I remember only running towards the light, then the sudden return and falling into the void.

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? Moderately important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Catholic Cristiano, Católico, laico en el momento del accidente

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I am no longer an active believer, religious, that is I am not religious. I respect others' beliefs, but I'm not religious.

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

What is your religion now? Unaffiliated- Nothing in particular- Secular unaffiliated No soy activo en la religión, en ninguna, pero tengo mis creencias sobre estas ideas o concepciones.

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 Era inconsistente, para ese momento yo creía en un cielo, con angeles y parsonas santos, y esas cosas, pero nada q ue ver con la experiencia.

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? Yes Si , como lo dije anteriormente, en la experiencia la luz, era como el centro de la realidad y yo corría hacia ella.

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 No, de esa experiencia, no me queda la idea de que existe un entidad, solo sé que existe la luz.

Do you believe in the existence of God after your experience? God definitely 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 definitely exists

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Yes De hecho yo recuerdo esa experincia, como si a donde corría, me estaban llamando o no se dirigiendo hacia ese lugar.

Did you fear death prior to your experience? I did not fear 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 probably 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? Moderately compassionate toward others

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? Slight changes in my life Since my experience I have had two more experiences of this sort, but shorter, one of them in someone else's company.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No No

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 as accurately as other life events that occurred around the time of the experience En ese añoocurrió el terremoto de que sacudió a la ciudad de Caracas, mi experiencia fué antes del terremoto, en 1967. Pero yo recuerdo bién mi experiencia del terremoto asi como los eventos de esa época.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? No

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? No, nothing in particular was more meaningful that anything else.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I had the experience at 15 years old, but never mentioned it for fear of being punished, at that time. I have shared the experience since I've been an adult.

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 A bit later, I went to the school to see the Padre, and he asked how I felt. I assured him I was very well, and in fact, I did feel really well, but I asked him about what had happened, and about the anointing oil, and he said he had thought I was dead and for that reason was anointing me. So I confirmed that I had come back from some place, but I did not know from where.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real Since then I have had other experiences, as I mentioned, I will gladly speak of them on another occasion.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Yes I have had other, shorter experiences.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? Only to say that I have had no premonitions of any sort.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? In the reply to question 45 in section B, the verb tense should be changed, as it refers to the present and the replies have the verb in the past tense.