Ruud L's NDE

EXPERIENCE DESCRIPTION:

On September 10, 1975 I fell 10 meters (30 feet) from a rooftop where I was working as a plumber.

On the street below, I struck a cauldron of tar. A wave of hot tar spilled out over me. Lying there on the street, I was conscious and felt no pain but very warm. I cannot remember the ride to the hospital. At the hospital the doctors started working on me right away. Because they thought I was in tremendous pain, they gave me a shot of morphine.

I remember quite well that they called the hospital in Beverwijk, specialized in burn treatment, asking for advice. Dr. Hermans sent an assistant with a quantity of wrappings and flamazine (ointment used to treat burns, ed.)

Lying at the first aid station, I had the first out-of-body experience. I saw myself lying on the table and heard the nervous yelling of the doctors and assistants.  What I said earlier about the morphine, because they thought I was in tremendous pain – I wasn’t, because I was not in my body.

They were wrapping up me in a sort of net, like a sausage, when Dr. Hermans’ assistant entered. He got very upset and told the others to unwrap me. They were also trying to take off my T-shirt, but because it was stuck to my skin with the tar, they also tore my skin. I had truly never seen anybody get so angry, I almost had to laugh despite the fact that it was my own body.

After I was treated as best as possible, they brought me into intensive care. They brought me in a glass-encased sterile room and put me to bed.

The first week after the accident they injected me literally full of morphine, to keep me in a sort of coma. Afterwards a doctor and also my parents told me that I had not been conscious for one moment during that week.

The funny part is that I can remember everything that happened at the intensive care. I know my parents came to visit, that my father had to throw up when he saw me, that my mother did not know what to do and could not stop crying.

There was also a nurse that came to sit by me whenever she could manage the time. I knew she was taking courses in surgery assistance. I saw her and her colleagues working the whole week, with me and other intensive care patients. One given moment, I knew precisely what patient was given which medication and what time.

When I still had not died after one week, I was given penicillin. Because of the lack of morphine, I suffered withdrawal symptoms. I slowly regained consciousness and that is when the pain also started.  

When I told the nurse what she was studying for and how far she had progressed, she was incredulous. Afterwards I never saw her again, she avoided me as if I were some sort of pariah.  Another nurse I told of the medication patients were getting and she also reacted very strangely. After this, I did not mention it again.

Five weeks later I was released from hospital. I spent three months at home to heal from the burns and the concussion. I did not have any more out-of-body experiences afterwards.

Was the kind of experience difficult to express in words? Yes     It has been 31 years and I still have difficulty talking about it. When I try to talk about it, people’s first reaction is disbelief.

At the time of this experience, was there an associated life threatening event?          Yes     Severe burns covering about 25% of my body and a heavy concussion.

The ambulance took me to the nearest hospital. From there they wanted to transfer me to a hospital in Beverwijk, specialized in burn treatment, but the staff did not dare to because of the concussion and other injuries.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness?            The whole week

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

           

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     I do not know if you know how big the letters on the label of a medicine bottle are? From the glass room I was in to the other end of the intensive care, it was about 15 meters (45 feet). Either I was standing next to them when a patient was administered medication, or I watched from my room.

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      I cannot remember if my hearing was different. One ear was full of tar, so I suppose it was less clear.

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience?            I remember quite clearly I had a choice to pass over or to stay. I chose to stay, because I thought myself too young to die.

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?    Yes     Trust myself that everything will be fine

Did you observe or hear anything regarding people or events during your experience that could be verified later?          Yes     By telling the people involved

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?     Yes     Clairvoyant people tell me I have this gift too. I admit I have never tried to.

Have you shared this experience with others?         Yes     At the hospital; disbelief and being shunned. A few years later I told my girlfriend (my future wife); at first she did not believe me, but later she was intrigued.
Influence, thinking about life after death.

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 could see and hear everything around me, including that what was happening to me. I was even reading along in the books of the nurse sitting opposite of me.

Were there one or several parts of the experience especially meaningful or significant to you?    It made me realize that there is more than this life. I now believe a person does not lead one life but a few, maybe even several.

How do you currently view the reality of your experience:            Experience was definitely 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?            Yes            made me realize that there is more than this life. I now believe a person does not lead one life but a few, maybe even several.

Following the experience, have you had any other events in your life, medications or substances which reproduced any part of the experience?         Yes    My father passed away in March of 2004.

I had not seen my parents for eight years because of an argument. When we got the message my father had died, we went over and made up. Perhaps no NDE but at night my father visited me to tell me everything was all right. Afterwards I had contact for three more times.

Is there anything else you would like to add concerning the experience?        Yes, about four months after the accident I started having nightmares. Every night I would dream about the accident. I saw myself fall down and strike the cauldron of tar. Lying there on the ground, my boss had my head in his lap. The paramedics had to cut my hair loose with scissors, because it was stuck my boss’s pants.
At that time I also started having headaches. These migraine attacks were so intense I had to lay down flat on the floor beside my bed, waiting for them to subside. During these headaches, I saw myself back in the hospital, screaming from the pain of the burns. At that time, I felt the burn scars glow.

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