Thomas B NDE

Experience Description

I was hitch-hiking home from work and got a ride with several unsavory men. I shouldn't have accepted the ride but I was young and it was late, near midnight. The car was driven down a dark rural road and I was made to exit the car. One of the men proceeded to rob me of my cash then another stabbed me with a pocketknife in the center of my chest. After they released me, I walked to a house just off the road seeking help. I was bleeding profusely. I found out later the knife had nicked an artery in my chest. The residents assisted me and I became weaker as I lost more and more blood. I was sitting on the ground, resting against the tire of the car of the person helping me. I was very scared but not in any pain, but I could feel myself fading. An ambulance was called so all I could do was wait. I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer and shortly after I closed them, I felt a change come over me.

I felt that I was no longer part of this world but had easily slipped into another existence. I began to see my life up until then as if I was watching a movie. Recognition time had sped up and what would have taken days to view was now flashing by but I was able to see and comprehend everything I was seeing and hearing incredibly clearly. I have to say that even sight and sound had taken a new form. I was experiencing everything differently. Memories were like dots that swept in, unfolded, and were consumed by my new vision. I felt so beautifully at peace. Comfortable beyond anything I had experienced before. I had this feeling though, that I shouldn't stray too far and even though I was free to go as I pleased I knew that if I continued I would be gone from the 'other' world forever. I wasn't afraid at all just thinking maybe it was not time for me to leave. I thought of how hurt my mother would be. I then felt myself being lifted and painfully I returned to my old existence. The paramedics had arrived and were placing me on the gurney. The place I had been in was neither dark nor light to me and the whole experience had lasted maybe three or four minutes of 'old' time. There was no sense of time where I was. I remember no gravity nor did I sense any movement until I reentered this world. The first emotion I remember feeling was anger.

I am not sure, if it was anger at being brought back or because those men had done such a terrible thing to me. The paramedic commented as he was working on me that it looked like they had gotten there too late when he first saw me on the ground. He said he had seen many dead people before and I certainly looked dead but I responded as soon as he touched me. I didn't tell anyone of my experience until ten or so years later.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 'Sept 18, 1978'

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Criminal attack Other I feel as if I died but no scientific evidence is available. Paramedic remarked I looked dead when they arrived on scene. I was stabbed in the chest during a robbery.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Mixed

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes 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 As above.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? I would have to say it was an immediate elevation of consciousness. Alive and alert are the only way to describe the experience and even though the feelings were alien to me in comparison to my physical being, there was not any adjustment needed. I guess totally natural would be how I felt. No sense of time as far as acclimating to this new place.

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 My rate of comprehension sped up, it was as if what took seconds to recognize suddenly turned into full awareness in nanoseconds or even faster.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Incredibly more vivid

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I didn't have vision as we think of it, I simply experienced everything. Almost as if I had 360 degree vision.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Same as above.

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? No

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? Uncertain I don't remember a light per se. I do remember a feeling of being drawn towards something. This was something wonderful. The place I was in was illuminated but again nothing compares in this world, except perhaps the feeling of sunlight.

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 contentment, as if I was swimming in love.

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

The experience included: Special Knowledge

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

The experience included: Life review

Did scenes from your past come back to you? My past flashed before me, out of my control The things of my past raced by with clarity and I got an unmistakable feeling of love from my family and friends that were in the visions. I had no real control but I seem to remember I was able to replay certain ones if I wanted to. I remember seeing a couple of my father, who had passed away three years prior.

Did scenes from the future come to you? Scenes from the world's future

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? Conservative/fundamentalist

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I follow no religion. I have a theory or belief that what energy is inside a person is what is important. The energy is what we really are. That energy can take that person anywhere in life they want to go, but they have to make the choice to use it. Use it unwisely and selfishly and the energy will consume itself until the person is just a small portion of what they could have been. Use it wisely and generously and it will grow, in some so much so that it can almost be seen or felt by others. When that person leaves this existence, he or she becomes a larger force in that existence.

What is your religion now? Liberal I don't believe in any religion as presented by man

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I follow no religion. I have a theory or belief that what energy is inside a person is what is important. The energy is what we really are. That energy can take that person anywhere in life they want to go, but they have to make the choice to use it. Use it unwisely and selfishly and the energy will consume itself until the person is just a small portion of what they could have been. Use it wisely and generously and it will grow, in some so much so that it can almost be seen or felt by others. When that person leaves this existence, he or she becomes a larger force in that existence.

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 After I had recovered physically I didn't have the same feelings about life, I realized how temporary everything is and had a real hard time adjusting to a life where everyone was holding on to objects that held no importance in what I saw as the big picture. I didn't have any favorite possessions as many of my friends had. I became a musician because that was as close as I could get to creating something that was timeless and could not be destroyed.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes I no longer place special emphasis on physical items, I have hurt people's feelings by inadvertently expressing a noncommittal attitude towards gifts given me, especially when great care and thought has been put into finding the gift. I feel terrible about this and now I feel like a pretender accepting them but I always cherish the love of the giver. I do seem to have an uncanny ability to pick out the perfect gift however.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Uncertain For several years after this experience I had no context in which to frame it. It only began making sense after finding out about NDE's.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Uncertain I do feel as if my empathic abilities have increased. I sense people's emotional state pretty easily. I don't know if that was directly a result of the NDE or if I developed it because of the NDE.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? The experience left me with a feeling that there is a balance in everything. In everything there is an action and a reaction, even spiritually.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Probably ten years or so before I shared it with anyone, even now this is the most in depth I have ever gotten with it.

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 I tried to forget about it for a long time, years afterwards because it happened during such frightening circumstances. The experience itself made me feel a little like I was crazy. I had no one I felt would understand how I felt about it.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real I know there is something beyond this existence. We cannot comprehend it because there is nothing here to compare it to. I eschew religions because what they tell us is what they consider the truth and for me the truth is we don't know what is beyond.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Yes I have taken LSD a couple of times and that was very close to how empathic I felt during the NDE but only in flashes while under the influence of the drug.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? Following the NDE I suffered terrible anxiety and depression and tried to escape with drugs and alcohol. I felt very tormented because one, I had no one to communicate to how I felt and two, I held incredible rage and anger at the men who tried to kill me. I sought help after about four or five years and was given what I call owner instructions for the brain by a psychiatrist. She helped me in coming to grips with my feelings though when I mentioned the NDE she dismissed it, saying I should only deal with real life. I have learned to glean information that is helpful to me and discard what I feel is not. Her opinion on the NDE was discarded because the experience has had a tremendous effect on me and is, I feel, very much part of what I am.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? I think asking if the person had turned to alcohol or/and drugs following the NDE. Also asking if he or she had been rebuked when discussing the NDE. Present day has NDE as commonplace but back in the past it was not an accepted belief.