Ricardo FV NDE

On 28th April, 1984, which was a Sunday, I awoke early, feeling very relaxed. When I was awake I began to feel like having sex, so I started to touch my wife, with this in mind. In the middle of it, I felt a strong pain in my left arm, with reactions towards the throat, and in seconds I felt that my lungs were out of oxygen, my strength left me, and I told my partner that this was a possible heart-attack.

Within half-an-hour I was in the care of doctors, and while in the ER I lost consciousness. What I then saw and what others there saw are completely disconnected events.

OK. This is what I myself saw: I ascended through a tunnel at the end of which there was a lot of white light. When I got to the end, my deceased father-in-law was waiting for me there, to my surprise. I asked him what I was doing there with him, and he told me not to be afraid, that I had simply died. I answered this by saying it was not possible, since my children needed me, being still very small, so I refused to stay in that place. Other deceased persons came near, trying to keep me there by force, and I was fighting them all, except my wife's father, handing out punches and kicks all round.

The real situation, which I was told about, and of which I was completely unaware, was that apparently I did suffer a loss of consciousness, and, according to the doctors, a cardiac arrest. They explained that when I lost consciousness, I leaped from the gurney, left the room at a run and went to hide in a corner, where doctors and nurses tried to pacify me. I was punching and kicking in self-defence, and my wife told me she heard me shouting in a really terrified way, so that as soon as she could break free from the people restraining her she ran to my side and spoke in my ear asking what was happening to me. Then I opened my eyes, and seeing her there I told her I had been to the other side. She asked where, and I answered, with her father, who had died 4 years previously.

They calmed me down and put me in the ICU. Until now, what I learned from this experience is that from then on I have never feared my last day, since this can come at any time, but I am sure that when it does come, instead of struggling against it, I will go happily into death's embrace.

Was the kind of experience difficult to express in words? No, not at all.

At the time of this experience, was there an associated life threatening event?No

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? At no time

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal every day consciousness and alertness? Less 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:  At no time

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, a very white light of great purity.

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. Until a familiar voice said I few words to me, I was unable to extricate myself from the situation.

Did you experience a separation of your consciousness from your body? No

What emotions did you feel during the experience?  Fear, sadness and incomprehension.

Did you pass into or through a tunnel or enclosure? Yes, a tunnel with a light at the end.

Did you see a light?   Yes, a very clear, white light.

Did you meet or see any other beings? Yes, they were waiting for me at the end of the tunnel. One of them was my late father-in-law, dead four years previously.

Did you experience a review of past events in your life? No. I learned that the fact of dying is part of life, and I stopped having that awful fear of it that I had before the experience.

Did you observe or hear anything regarding people or events during your experience that could be verified later?

No. I don't understand the question, but if I did see anything I don't think it was real.

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. I have never worked out how long the situation lasted.

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

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure?

Uncertain. I feel that I crossed the frontier between life and death, and there were physically present people who were already dead.

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? No

Have you shared this experience with others? Yes. They told me that God had given me another chance, that, according to their beliefs, their God needed me here for other more important things. I have to say that I consider myself an atheist.

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 believe that when my heart failed, the blood supply to my brain was reduced, and that this story formed itself by a chemical process.

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

OK, I think I would be repeating myself, see above, but I have always sought answers which are more scientific than religious.

How do you currently view the reality of your experience?

 Experience was definitely real. It was one more experience in the passage through this world, but it has left me without fear.

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?

The truth is that I would like to have an answer, but I know that this is wanting to know from whence we came, and where we are heading.

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

Yes. I give my word that the whole event happened just as I have described it.

Are there any other questions we could ask to help you communicate your experience? I think the questionnaire is quite comprehensive.