ABOVE ALL ELSE
by Dan Brodsky-Chenfeld which was recently published by Skyhorse Publishing in New York.
Click here
for more details.
EXPERIENCE DESCRIPTION:
I
was in a plane crash. The plane was carrying skydivers. 16 out of 22 people on
board were killed at the crash. I have no memory of it and was in a coma for
over a month. When I woke from a coma I had no idea where I was or what had
happened. But there was one crystal, clear memory in my head.
That
memory is written in complete detail as the opening chapter of my book ABOVE ALL
ELSE which was recently published by Skyhorse Publishing in New York. Excerpted
from his website at
www.aboveallelsethebook.com :
It wasn’t a dream. It was as
real as any real-world experience I had ever had. I could remember the entire
thing, every action, every word, and every thought. It went like this: I was in
free fall. Almost as if I had just appeared there. I love free fall, and finding
myself there at that moment seemed natural. I was at home, at peace, part of the
infinite sky. But after a few seconds I noticed that this wasn’t normal free
fall. It was quieter. The wind wasn’t blowing as fast. I wasn’t descending.
A gentle breeze was
suspending me. It was okay, it was fine. I was floating, flying, but it wasn’t
right. What was I doing there? I wasn’t afraid. I felt safe, but confused. I
looked up and saw James flying down to me just as if we were on a skydive
together and he was “swooping” me. His expression was that silly, playful smile
he so often had in free fall. He was obviously was not confused at all. He knew
exactly where he was and what he was doing there.
He flew down and stopped in
front of me. Still with a smile on his face, he asked, “Danny, what are you
doing here?” I answered, “I don’t know.” James said, “You’re not supposed to be
here, you have to get back down there.” I began to get a grasp of the situation.
I asked him, “Are you coming with me?” His expression changed to one with a hint
of sadness. He said, “No, I can’t.” I tried to persuade him to change his mind,
“C’mon, James, we were just getting started. You gotta come with me.”
James raised his voice, interrupting me. “I can’t!” It was obvious that the
decision was final. It seemed as if it wasn’t his decision. He continued with a
gentle smile. “I can’t, but it’s okay. There are more places to go, more things
to do, more fun to have. Tell my mom it’s okay. Tell her I’m okay.” There are
more places to go, more things to do, more fun to have. Tell my mom it’s okay.
Tell her I’m okay.”
For a few seconds we just
looked at each other as I accepted this for the reality it was. He changed his
tone and spoke with some authority as he gave me an order. “Now,” he said, “you
need to get back down there. You need to go get control of the situation.”
At the time of your experience was there an associated life-threatening event?
Yes
Plane crash
Was
the experience difficult to express in words?
No
At
what time during the experience were you at your highest level of
consciousness and alertness?
I was in a coma.
How
did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience
compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness?
Normal consciousness and alertness I am very conscious of the memory.
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 everything as clearly as normal
Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that
you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.
I
could everything as clearly as normal
Did
you see or hear any earthly events that were occurring during a time that your
consciousness / awareness was apart from your physical / earthly body?
No
What emotions did you feel during the experience?
Peace, confusion, comfort, happiness, sadness
Did
you pass into or through a tunnel?
No
Did
you see an unearthly light?
No
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
I spoke with a friend that was killed in the plane crash.
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
Did
you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings?
Yes A friend that was like a little brother was killed in the plane crash. He
came and spoke to me.
Did
you become aware of past events in your life during your experience?
No
Did
you seem to enter some other, unearthly world?
No
Did
time seem to speed up or slow down?
No
Did
you suddenly seem to understand everything?
No
Did
you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure?
No
Did
you come to a border or point of no return?
I
came to a definite conscious decision to "return" to life
My friend told me I had to go back. That I wasn't supposed to be there.
Did
scenes from the future come to you?
No
During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness
suggesting that there either is (or is not) continued existence after earthly
life (“life after death”)?
Yes My deceased friend told he was okay and that there were more places to go,
things to do and fun to have.
During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness
that God or a supreme being either does (or does not) exist?
Yes Only to the point that since something exists after we die there must be
some kind of God or "Force" involved. Or so I think anyway.
During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness
that you either did (or did not) exist prior to this lifetime?
No
During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness
that a mystical universal connection or unity/oneness either does (or does not)
exist?
Yes I interpreted the experience to mean that there is some kind of universal
connection.
During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness
regarding earthly life’s meaning or purpose?
Yes Only that we should take control of our lives and situations here on
earth.
During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness
regarding earthly life’s difficulties, challenges, or hardships?
Yes Only that we should take control of our lives and situations here on
earth.
During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness
regarding love?
Yes That James came to speak to me was an act of love on his part.
During your experience, did you encounter any other specific information /
awareness that you have not shared in other questions that is relevant to living
our earthly lives?
Yes Only that there is much more to our "lives" than what we experience here.
Did
you have a sense of knowing special knowledge or purpose?
No
What occurred during your experience included:
Content that was entirely not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of
your experience Prior to this experience I believed, or at least wanted to
believe, that there was more. This confirmed that and changed that from a
desired belief to a proven belief.
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 This is the only memory I have over a period
of about two months.
My experience directly resulted in:
Moderate changes in my life
Did you have any changes in your values or beliefs after the experience that
occurred as a result of the experience?
Yes Confirmed beliefs I hoped were true.
Do
you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience
that you did not have before the experience?
No
Have you ever shared this experience with others?
Yes
I shared it with very few people. First was my deceased friend's mother because
he asked me to tell her he was ok. I told her as soon as I was able to talk on
the phone. For several years I only told a couple of other close individuals.
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 did and do believe it to be completely real.
James spoke to me to help prepare me to wake up in the new world I would be
entering.
What do you believe about the reality of your experience at the current time:
Experience was definitely real I did and do believe it to be completely real.
James spoke to me to help prepare me to wake up in the new world I would be
entering.
Have your relationships changed specifically as a result of your experience?
No
Have your religious beliefs/spiritual practices changed specifically as a result
of your experience?
No
At
any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the
experience?
No
Did
the questions asked and information that you provided accurately and
comprehensively describe your experience?
Yes
