Roy F's NDE

I do not know if my experience fits any of the other choices.  I was diagnosed with Spinal Polio at the Hospital in Texas by the doctor.   It was a late afternoon.  I was transferred by my parents to another clinic because the doctor said the Hospital was not set up to care for polio patients.  When we arrived in Houston it was already after dark.  I can barely remember this.  However, I do remember wanting a hamburger.  The doctor at the clinic, said, "We'll get him one".  I could not swallow it.  He then did some other tests and re-diagnosed my condition as Spinal/Bulbar Polio.  The rest of this, I do not conscientiously remember because I became unconscious. 

I do have a scar from a Trachea tube.  What I now know to be a NDE, happened during the surgery to open my windpipe.  I have a vivid recollection of being near the ceiling in what looked like a hallway of the hospital.  The Dr. and 2 nurses were working over my body furiously.  The bed was slanted downward with my head lower than my feet.  I was not fearful.  I just waited...My brain paralyzed.  I was in an iron lung when I did regain conscientiousness.  My dad was there.  I was later told that I was unconscious for several days.

After my recovery, which in itself is a miracle, I remember telling my mom about how the surgery was conducted. In fact, I told her and my dad many times while growing up.  I would tell it in front of friends and visitors.  Their response always was, "Baby, there is no way that you could have known that, you were in a coma."  So, I finally gave up trying to get anyone to believe me.

Many years later, married, five children, one grandchild, living in Dayton, Ohio I was home sick.

I had the flu.  I was so very sick at my stomach that while I was lying there in the bed, I was thinking, "I have never been this sick before."  Instantly, I was back at the clinic, in a hallway with a Dr. and 2 nurses.

I began calling for my wife who was down stairs.  She came frantically up the stairway to get to me because she thought something terrible had happened to me.

When she got to my room, I was laughing and crying hysterically.  Of course she wanted to know what was the matter.  Since I had talked with her many times about the experience, I told her, "I've had an out of body experience."  She first thought I was delirious.  Then I was able to remind her of the experience when I finally got my composure back.

At that time, I was about 46 or 47.

The thing about this, that is so amazing to me is that it still is so vivid in my memory it is as if it only happened yesterday.

I was in no pain. I only can remember "Being there".  As I have stated earlier, the memory is so very vivid that if I were a good artist, I could paint the scene.  It started with the doctor and nurses working with me.  The nurses were moving more frantically than was the Dr.. He was bent over me, close to my shoulder on the left side. His back was to me (in my state of conscientiousness).  The nurses were at my right side and one was by my right ear. I could actually see their faces. They were being very attentive to the Dr. and what he was doing.  I could not see all of my head because the Dr. was in the way.  However, he did reposition himself several times where I could see how I was positioned on the bed/table.

There were no strong lights.  It was as if I was in a hallway.  The area was narrow. Too, my head was close to a corner, like the hallway turned left there and or at least another hallway intersected the one that I was actually in.

The bed I was on had a sheet on it but my body was not covered. I still had on the clothes that I had on when I arrived at the Hospital.

I too remember the traveling experience from Conroe to Houston, about 40 miles. I was wrapped in a blanket because I felt as if I were freezing.  My fever was very high.  However, during the experience, I felt nothing except comfortable.

Was the kind of experience difficult to express in words? No      

At the time of this experience, was there an associated life threatening event?          Yes     I could not breathe, I was paralyzed, I was unconscious and the Dr. said that I brain was paralyzed and I should be dead within three minutes.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness?    While the doctor was actually doing the surgery on my neck.  I realized that he was trying to save my life.  I was not frightened. It was as if I was simply waiting there, near the ceiling, for him to get finished so I could get back.

Evidently, when that did occur, I was in a coma and do not remember anything after that until I woke up in an Iron Lung with my dad near by.  (By the way, only 4 boys survived that Summer.  I have had the privilege of meeting one of the others and talking to another on the phone and Internet.)

Oh yeah, I have forgotten to tell you that the Dr. wrote on the front page of my medical record, "Super Natural Intervention".  The only residual effect that I have from the Spinal/Bulbar Polio is the scar on my neck, as far as I know!

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal every day consciousness and alertness?    Normal consciousness and alertness

            While the doctor was actually doing the surgery on my neck.  I realized that he was trying to save my life.  I was not frightened. It was as if I was simply waiting there, near the ceiling, for him to get finished so I could get back.

Evidently, when that did occur, I was in a coma and do not remember anything after that until I woke up in an Iron Lung with my dad near by.  (By the way, only 4 boys survived that Summer.  I have had the privilege of meeting one of the others and talking to another on the phone and Internet.)

Oh yeah, I have forgotten to tell you that the Dr. wrote on the front page of my medical record, "Super Natural Intervention".  The only residual effect that I have from the Spinal/Bulbar Polio is the scar on my neck, as far as I know!

Did your vision differ in any way from your normal, everyday vision (in any aspect, such as clarity, field of vision, colors, brightness, depth perception degree of solidness/transparency of objects, etc.)?  No      

Did your hearing differ in any way from your normal, everyday hearing (in any aspect, such as clarity, ability to recognize source of sound, pitch, loudness, etc.)?
            No      

Did you experience a separation of your consciousness from your body?     Yes

What emotions did you feel during the experience?            Peaceful, well-being, patient, waiting.

Did you pass into or through a tunnel or enclosure?          No      

Did you see a light?           No      

Did you meet or see any other beings?           No      

Did you experience a review of past events in your life?    No       Even as a child, I have sung at funeral etc.  I have never been afraid of death. I do not like the idea of dying and leaving my family and friends, but the actual passing experience does not seem frightened to me.  I guess I look at it as I do being born.  One we come, the other we go!

Did you observe or hear anything regarding people or events during your experience that could be verified later?          Yes     Yes, but not this much later.  I am sure that the Doctor is now deceased.  I did go to see him when I turned 21.  Mom and Dad took me.  The Doctor did not want to talk with us and said that he did not remember me. Dad said that the doctor may have thought we wanted something from him.

The clinic was closed as a Polio center and was later made into an administration building for a University.

Did you see or visit any beautiful or otherwise distinctive locations, levels or dimensions?           No           

Did you have any sense of altered space or time?   No      

Did you have a sense of knowing special knowledge, universal order and/or purpose?     No      

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? No      

Did you become aware of future events?       No
           

Did you have any psychic, paranormal or other special gifts following the experience you did not have prior to the experience?     Uncertain      I have always been told that I have ESP.  I can "Read" people very well. This helped me in teaching teenagers. HA! Being only 7 years old when this happened, it is kind of hard to really know that this had anything to do with my "gift of discernment" as my dad called it.

Have you shared this experience with others?         Yes     I began telling mom and dad shortly after I got home from the hospital.  They were skeptical.  Mom always said that there was no way that I could know what I was talking about.  However, in writing this, I now recall that my dad never made a comment like that.  He would kind of nod and smile.

Since the time that I had the revelation as to what had happened to me, I have never hesitated to tell my story to anyone.  My students always loved to hear about it because to them it was "freaky".

Family and friends know me so well and many know of my illness and miraculous recovery to the point that they all seem to understand.  I've never had anyone call me a liar and say that I'm crazy!

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience?    No      

How did you view the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened:            Experience was definitely real    I knew!  That is why I tried so hard to make mom and dad understand.  They just seemed to not be able to comprehend.  But I KNEW what had happened to me and no one will ever be able to convince me otherwise.

Were there one or several parts of the experience especially meaningful or significant to you?    I know that my dad was a praying man.  Even Doctor told my dad that the man upstairs was in control of the situation because he had done all that he could do for me and that my dad knew more about the man upstairs than he did, so to keep doing what he had been doing.

You have to realize that all this occurred while I was unconscious with a paralyzed brain.

How do you currently view the reality of your experience:            Experience was definitely real            Since my awakening in about 1993 or 94, I have read, listened to and discussed with anyone or thing that I could find on this subject.  I know that my perceptions a very keen.  I have been able to compose music, write papers "off the top of my head" and talk with people on varied topics.  This is all a result of my experience and its affect on me.

When it is my time to go permanently, I know what to expect because I have almost been there before.

Have your relationships changed specifically as a result of your experience?           No      

Have your religious beliefs/practices changed specifically as a result of your experience?            No           

Following the experience, have you had any other events in your life, medications or substances which reproduced any part of the experience?         No      

Is there anything else you would like to add concerning the experience?        I have found one thing that I would like to get confirmed.  I am extremely susceptible to hypnosis.  Does this have anything to do with my experience? I do not know.  When under hypnosis, I am really "out".  Maybe it is because I know what really "out" is and am not afraid to let go.