Mustapha M NDE

EXPERIENCE DESCRIPTION:
 

On September 24, 1963, my family were supposed to move house to Oran (Algeria). The day before two of my brothers, a cousin and me went for one last time to the beach. My father absolutely forbade this, unless he was present.
 

We were swimming about forty yards offshore, when suddenly I felt myself pulled downwards. I panicked and tried to get out of this stretch of water, where I was quite alone. My elder brother and my cousin were swimming about twenty yards away.

I shouted, struggled and called for help. Without result.  I was inexorably pulled towards the depths. I knew that I was drowning, especially as I could not avoid swallowing seawater.

Then all of a sudden I could see myself floating within the water, in an incredible calmness and physical and psychological relaxation. I could see this body, very calm, drifting slowly, and also saw bubbles coming out of its mouth.

The scene was very real, but with an intense luminosity. I could see everything under the water, as if I had a diving mask on. My vision was near 300 degrees. It was like being a short distance from my body, but I could also see what was happening behind me.

I noticed small details: pebbles which were ochre-colored (like fragments of house-tiles), also light-colored and striped pebbles, on the seabed, seaweed floating beneath the surface. The rest was sand. There were also small, almost translucent fish just under the surface, which were moving, then disappeared with a sudden flick of the tail.

Then suddenly the arms of the guy I was looking at beat the water with open-handed strokes of unbelievable force, and the body literally left the water to waist-level. This is when I saw the beach with its people and especially my brother and my cousin swimming rapidly towards me.

I fell back into the water, and just as at the beginning, I saw this body floating beneath the surface, sinking without any struggle. This lasted a short time, before the two arms began beating the water again, and the body came back out of the water, but not so far this time.

That is when my brother got hold of me.

That is also when I realized I had just been saved from drowning. I hung on so tight, with such a grip, that I nearly drowned my brother and my cousin who were grasping me firmly.

Setting foot on the beach, I started to vomit, and was seized by a panic fear. I was shivering with the realization that I had just escaped certain death.

Was the kind of experience difficult to express in words? Uncertain. It's difficult to reproduce the state of  extreme serenity even though the body over there was going through death by drowning.

At the time of this experience, was there an associated life threatening event? Yes. Just beforehand, I was struggling to avoid sinking. I was sure I was going to drown.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? It was at the moment when I looked at this body floating beneath the surface that I had total lucidity. I was conscious that the body was mine.

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

If your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience was different from your normal every day consciousness and alertness, please explain: It was at the moment when I looked at this body floating beneath the surface that I had total lucidity. I was conscious that the body was mine

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.)? Yes. My field of vision was enormous. I could see what was in front of me as well as part of what was behind me. Luminosity was very great. It was like being in a swimming-pool with searchlights at the bottom. I saw the different colors of the pebbles, seaweed and fish, even though I was without a mask.

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.)?

Yes, I heard the muffled sounds of water flowing, and the bubbles coming from the floating body.

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Feeling of peace, serenity, calm.

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

Did you see a light? Yes, as if the depths of the water were lit by an intense light.

Did you meet or see any other beings? No

Did you experience a review of past events in your life? No

Did you observe or hear anything regarding people or events during your experience that could be verified later? No

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? Uncertain. It's the notion of time which I had completely lost. How long did I spend looking at my floating body? I can't say.

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 very often have a feeling of déjà-vu and déjà-vécu (things already lived through).

Have you shared this experience with others? Yes, I spoke about it nearly 13 years later for the first time. During a break at the hospital (where subject works) a nurse had been talking about her near-drowning experience, and of the feeling of pleasure and serenity she had had for a brief moment. So then I told my story.

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. The following days and months were periods of fear and anguish.

Were there one or several parts of the experience especially meaningful or significant to you?

1. How were the arms able to beat the water with such strength and the body leave the water like a torpedo, is still a mystery.

2. The fact that I saw my body as it was drowning, without feeling fear or panic.

How do you currently view the reality of your experience?

Experience was definitely real. After seeing a TV program where people were recounting events relating to those I'd been through, (I realized) the facts related were not the fruit of imagination, they were real.

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?

Since the event I am convinced that when we are at the end, when everything has gone wrong and bears down on us, there is always a light we can hope for and always an answer.

Did the questions asked and information you provided so far accurately and comprehensively describe your experience?