Vernon C NDE

Experience Description

I went swimming in Gold River with two friends and got swept out into a fast current. Where the two rivers came together, I went under the first time. I tried waving at my friends because I could not swim to shore. So, I tried going with the current but got sucked under again. I came up for third time but saw bright lights and bubbles rising above. Then everything was quiet.

The next thing was that I was about a few hundred feet in air watching my body tumble down the river. I thought how weird it was that I had drowned; yet I could still see, think, and wonder. I thought, 'OMG, here we go again. We don't die. All the hogwash about heaven and hell isn't real. I just drop my body off and, wow! I am not dead.' As I rose higher and higher, I lost vision of my body. Then I turned around and saw the light.

I was taken to a big room and shown myself on a screen for a life reading. I saw everything in my life that I had done, frame by frame, and in slow motion. I re-experienced every moment and its cause and effect. There was a sense of oneness, no judgment, no criticism, and no condemnation. There was just a sense of peace. Then it was over and I was told that I had to go back. As I turned and descended, I saw my body caught on a tree that was part in and out of water.

As I slowly approached, I saw that my head was out of the water. As I came into my body, I was pulling myself out of water by pulling on the branches. I don't recall much about getting up and walking back to town, except that I was very cold. The first house that I recognized was a friend that I knew, so I knocked on door. Her little sister was the only one home and asked if I could get warm. Apparently, I collapsed on the couch and slept for 3 days, only getting up to go to the bathroom and drink tea. At least 6 hours had passed since my friends had last seen me. My friends didn't know that I had drowned; they thought I was waving to them to join me.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: spring 1969

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Other: drowned, no one around. I went swimming and got caught in river current.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Both pleasant AND distressing

The experience included: Tunnel

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? Normal consciousness and alertness

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? As soon as I saw my body floating down the river.

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No

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. Same

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

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

The experience included: Presence of unearthly beings

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Uncertain

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: Boundary

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? No

The experience included: Special knowledge or purpose

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Love

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? No

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: Life review

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

Did scenes from your past come back to you? I remembered many past events

The experience included: Content that was both consistent and not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience

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? Greatly important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Protestant was raised in several protestant churches penecostal,united,presbyterian,anglican, baptist

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I still meditate daily.

What importance do you place on your religious/spiritual life after your experience? Greatly important to me

What is your religion now? Other or several faiths new age christianity, buddahism,ascended master teachings etc etc

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

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes It confirmed what I understood and felt before about religion: there is no heaven or hell or a God that judges.

The experience included: Unearthly light

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 was aware but not named

During your experience, did you gain information about premortal existence? Yes had the thought here we go again.

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? Yes we are one

Did you believe in the existence of God prior to your experience? God definitely exists

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes we are all one

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? Yes A sense of oneness

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are meaningful and significant

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? Yes yes not my time to leave body had to return ..mission

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 you dont die only your body does there is oneness

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 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? Yes experienced

Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Large changes in my life Large changes in my life.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes Yes I have had a lot more.

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? Yes Empath, healing, awareness: that the Jesus and Mother Mary, and the ascended masters are real but nothing like religion portrays them and I continue to walk and talk with them daily.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? All of it

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Years ago, no one really understood. Since I met Dannion Brinkley and others, they understand.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes I was aware of karma and reincarnation at about age 11 as I was doing yoga and meditating, but my family really wondered about me, they said it wasn't true: only Jesus.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real It confirmed what I knew within my own being.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real It confirms what I know within my own being and so much more now.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Yes I continued to have out of body experiences regularly and Mother Mary appeared to me once about 20 years ago and set me straight again.