David NDE

Edited for clarity by Judy Shea 1/27/13

EXPERIENCE DESCRIPTION:

When it happened, I was watching television. As simple as that.  At the time I had no religious background that meant anything to me. My parents were Protestant Christians, but I thought it was certainly "horse dump." I was a physical and forensic anthropology student. A devout atheist.  Angry for how my life had been. Surely no God would have let me suffer as I had. Surely no God would have allowed me to be born into a family with such strong issues or be born a homosexual if that was against his will. Why would he let me grow up to be so hard and mean? I thought for sure he couldn't be real and if he was, he must be a moron. But I was wrong. And I learned that many of us are wrong. I was eighteen years old in 2011. When I was very young, I had been diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat which I had had my whole life. Then one day when I was watching TV, I felt an immense pain in my chest. I felt my heart stop beating and then I experienced blackness.

The next thing I knew, I was looking at someone's body. Then I realized it was me, but had no real feeling of "Oh! That's me!" I didn't care. It was an empty vessel. Big whoop.  But I noticed I didn't need my glasses and that I no longer seemed to have Tourette's Syndrome. [med: Tourette's Syndrome - a neuropsychiatric condition characterized by motor tics and involuntary vocalizations.] I felt a warm light behind me and when I turned around, I was in this beautiful warm sunny garden. Everything was alive. And then I heard his voice.

I saw Stephen. He had died when we were 15 in the 10th grade just before Christmas. I had missed him so much. We had been great friends. He looked so real and so healthy now, not at all like the boy with the hollow chest filled with sawdust that I had cried over in his casket. He had so much to show me. He was able to telepathically show me his death as he had experienced it through his eyes. First he allowed me to see him getting out of bed and walking toward the washroom—then falling and hitting his head on the toilet. Then I was shown how his soul had seen his head hit the toilet causing an aneurysm to burst. [med: Aneurism: Weakness in an area in a blood vessel that can bulge and then burst, causing internal bleeding.] Then he showed me a man in white calling him towards a tunnel. This was his spirit guide. He told me that death is a lie men tell themselves. We never truly die. You leave this earth once you've learned all you can, and then you return to the spirit world. He showed me that they can see us whenever they desire. He also emphasized that we here in the physical world have complete free will.

I spotted an area in this beautiful world where I very much wanted to go. But he said, no, that if I went there, I wouldn't be able to come back. Suddenly a beautiful light shone towards us. It was a light I knew was Jesus. He told Stephen that I had to go back now. And I said, "No! I wanna stay!" Jesus replied with, "You promised you would do this. And you have much left to do." With that, I was slammed back into my body and I awoke, gasping for breath.

At the time of your experience was there an associated life-threatening event?   Yes  

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?    From the moment I left 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.   I could feel everything. Every bit of light was magnified.

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 with alert sharp clarity, whereas in my daily life I need glasses.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.   I heard everything with crystal clarity.

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?   Yes.   I had a full spirit connection with a dead loved one and I spoke with Jesus Christ.

What emotions did you feel during the experience?   Complete wonder and curiosity.   

Did you pass into or through a tunnel?   No   

Did you see an unearthly light?   Yes   

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.
My friend Stephen and Jesus.

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.)?   Yes.   Jesus.

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

Did you become aware of past events in your life during your experience?   No   

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

Did time seem to speed up or slow down?   No

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything?   Everything about myself or others.

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure?   Yes.
A point of no return to the physical body.

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.

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.   There is definite life after death.

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness that God or a supreme being either does (or does not) exist?   Yes   

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness that you either did (or did not) exist prior to this lifetime?   Yes   

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness that a mystical universal connection or unity/oneness either does (or does not) exist?   No   

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding earthly life’s meaning or purpose?   No   lessons

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding earthly life’s difficulties, challenges, or hardships?   Yes   lessons

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding love?   Yes.   Love is important.

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?   No   

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 I had at the time of my experience.   I was a non-believer at the time of my experience.

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.   

Discuss any changes that might have occurred in your life after your experience:   I have had religious visions. And psychic experiences with the dead.

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.   Full Christian.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience?   Yes.   Religious visions and psychic abilities.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you?     Being with Stephen and having him show me everything.

Have you ever shared this experience with others?   Yes.  Right away.

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 knew it was real.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience at the current time:   Experience was definitely real.   It was real. I know it like I know I need to breathe.

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?   Yes.   I am now a Christian.

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

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience?   Being a homosexual had no meaning on the other side... it didn't matter. I mattered.

Did the questions asked and information that you provided accurately and comprehensively describe your experience?   Yes