San J NDE

Experience Description

I am writing this account on behalf of my friend and partner who died 12 years ago due to complications from AIDS. He was diagnosed with AIDS at the age of 25, after being diagnosed with lymphoma. It took the doctors nearly three weeks after his admission to the hospital to realize he had the cancer. By this time, the tumors had spread throughout his body, and pneumonia had set in. His body was more or less shutting down as the doctors started radiation therapy and chemotherapy. He was put on dialysis and placed in the critical care unit. After his first chemotherapy treatment, his body went into shock, and he was clinically dead for a period of time. However, he was brought back. Through a tremendous amount of courage, was able to live another year and a half.

After being stabilized and permitted to leave the hospital, he told me the following story: He knew that he had died, and he was in a dark place. Above him, there was a bright light, and he felt a strong urge to go into it, as if people were calling him to do so. But at his feet, he saw a multicolored flower, and something stronger told him to hold on to it with all his might. It was at that point, he believed, that he was brought back to life.

In the year and a half after this experience, he also felt that 'the dead' were watching him. It was not a threatening experience, he said. Rather, he just felt that he could see them, and they were watching.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 1996

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Illness Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function or brain function)

How do you consider the content of your experience? Mixed

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I lost awareness of my body

Were your thoughts speeded up? Incredibly fast

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? No

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

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Uncertain

The experience included: Darkness

The experience included: 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

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

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

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

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

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

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? Uncertain

What is your religion now? Moderate

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Uncertain

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? Uncertain

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? Yes He felt he could see 'the dead' watching him.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes He told me about it about 5 months afterward.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Uncertain I don't know what his experience was.

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 definitely real

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