Home PageCurrent NDEsShare Your NDE

Ray G NDE

EXPERIENCE DESCRIPTION:

This was weekend trip with folks from our office. I was a financial analyst with Campbell Soup Company at the time. There was some concern by the outfitters that the Cheat river (West Virginia) was possibly running too fast to go. In the end we went and there were three rafts with about 9 people per raft. I was sitting on the back of our raft with the guide. After about an hour or so of running through various size rapids, I suddenly found my self under water, tumbling through very fast rapids. I had no air because I never saw the wave coming which knocked out all but one out of our raft. When I realized I was under water, with no air, I tried to figure out which way was up. When I approached the surface my head hit the bottom of the raft above me so I had to go down again and try to come out from the raft. I finally did come up, tried to get a breath but swallowed more water as the waves were up to 8 feet high going in all directions. I remember seeing the one person left in the raft trying to hold a paddle out for me but he was over 10+- yards away from me and I knew I couldn't get to him. I kept trying to get oriented and kept trying to get air but I couldn't seem to do either. I had no idea where the others were at this time. Then almost instantly, I entered a state of complete calmness, I realized I was dying and wasn't afraid of it in any way. I started reflecting about my family and that I would miss them and that this was such a silly way to die. I seem to be just entering a peace yet I was thinking clearly and calmly as I was bouncing down the river. I almost didn't want to come back.  

Then I ran into a large rope which was thrown across the river for me to grab in hopes of saving me. I never saw it thrown. I was told I ran into it & that I grabbed onto it. I don't remember that either. I do remember once I was about 10 feet from shore with folks dragging me out that I had survived. I spent the next 5 +- minutes hanging over the edge of the beached raft belching water out of my lungs. I actually got back into the raft & finished the rest of the ride. I wasn't real excited about getting back in but it was the only way out of the canyons where we beached. Turns out I was the only one who got stuck under the raft & swept into deep water. The others apparently bobbed up and swam or walked to the beach along the cliffs. I am no longer afraid of dying as I now know what it's like.

 Was the kind of experience difficult to express in words? Yes     It was hard to describe how calm I was & clear headed once I realized I was dying/drowning beyond return. The fact that dying was at first scary trying not to drown but the extremely calming. Then, after being saved, my feeling was very reflective trying to figure out what had really happened.

 At the time of this experience, was there an associated life threatening event?          Yes     Being suddenly knocked out of our raft in very fast & cold rapids.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness?    I had two such periods:

1. When I realized I was under water & under the boat and that I was in deep trouble.

2. When the extreme calm came over me bouncing down the river when I had no more air. Everything I was thinking about was very clear & calm. Everything seemed to be fine, in order, and making sense. I had no more concern about surviving at that point.

 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:            I had two such periods:

1. When I realized I was under water & under the boat and that I was in deep trouble.

2. When the extreme calm came over me bouncing down the river when I had no more air. Everything I was thinking about was very clear & calm. Everything seemed to be fine, in order, and making sense. I had no more concern about surviving at that point.

 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 vision seemed to be almost blank, like I didn't really need it any more?

 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.)?
            Uncertain     

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

 What emotions did you feel during the experience?            Complete calm & peace.

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

Did you see a light?           Uncertain     

Did you meet or see any other beings?           Uncertain      I was envisioning family/friends very fast and as I was doing so I could see them in my mind.

 Did you experience a review of past events in your life?    Uncertain      I remember thinking about what people would say when I'm gone & what an unusual way to go after all I'd been through in life. Still during that time I felt completely fine with it all. It was like someone saying, It's okay, all will be fine.

 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?   Yes     Things seem slow yet my mind was thinking very fast. I had no perception that I was bouncing down a river raped.

 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      A few years later, I was on an acquisition trip in England for a corporation I was working for. I was traveling all over the country everyday looking at different factories and businesses. One day while traveling with other business associates in a limo near the town of Norwich I suddenly go that calming feeling again and felt like I was home and that I had been there before. I don't mean that I had just visited the area before, I mean that I felt like I had lived there before. I had never been there before in my life. Five years later I started working on my family genealogy and to my utter surprise I discovered that my family 10 generations back were from Norwich, England. It about floored me. I still can't explain it today.

 Have you shared this experience with others?         Yes     I have shared it with people close to me & most find it interesting but they generally let it go.

 Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience?    Yes            Just what you occasionally heard on TV. Never had thought much about it. In fact I was probably skeptical at the time.

 How did you view the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened:            Experience was definitely real    It was very clear to me. I just couldn't explain what actually happened or why.

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

How do you currently view the reality of your experience:            Experience was definitely real    It is as clear today as it was that day.

 Have your relationships changed specifically as a result of your experience?           Yes     I don't fear death at all. I'm more emotional and sensitive today. I smell the roses more. Although I'm very successful financially, it's not as important as it was then to me.

 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'm actually glad it happened as I think I see things more clearly now.

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

Are there any other questions we could ask to help you communicate your experience?   I wish you luck & I hope my story helps in some small way.