Brent L NDE

Experience Description

My experience began the day before the near-death event. I dreamed a vivid dream that I shared with my wife. In my dream I was visiting my grandmother's house and every person (related to me) that I had known and those that I had forgotten I knew were there. We all had a great visit and when I awoke, I felt so good that I shared it with my wife. That afternoon I had pain in my back. This had been the sign for the need for angioplasty and stent placement before, so I knew what to do. While awake and on the operating table, my doctor was talking to me with his usual back and forth that occurs during an angioplasty when he suddenly yelled, 'Cough, Brent, cough!!!!'

I managed to get one cough out and then I was rushing through a completely black hallway. As I moved, there were living photos of the same people I had dreamed about the night before. They were smiling and gesturing me to move ahead. I looked forward, not to see a light, but a large picture window of blue on the left side of the hallway. The most perfect blue was shining through and I worked my way so I could see the view. I was just turning to see out of the window as I approached and then my doctor's face was in mine saying, 'What did you see?'

The calm I felt was as overwhelming as the horror of waking up and beginning to shake violently from the cold.

I cannot ever be the same.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: February 2004

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Surgery-related Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function or brain function) During a heart catheter procedure my heart stopped.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Wonderful

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I lost awareness of my body

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness? More consciousness and alertness than normal There was no difference. Everything was 'perfect'.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? There was no difference. Everything was 'perfect'.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Incredibly fast

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning I was there in my thoughts for some time, not the same time I was 'out'.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Incredibly more vivid

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I have always had terrible vision, but there it was with vivid clarity.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. There was no sound, but I understood.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Yes, and the facts have been checked out

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes A pitch-black hallway with photos and a window ahead on the left.

The experience included: Presence of deceased persons

Did you see any beings in your experience? I actually saw them

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes All of my deceased family. Even those I had forgotten as a child.

The experience included: Darkness

The experience included: Light

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? A light clearly of mystical or other-worldly origin

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes Through a window on the left. It was brilliant blue.

The experience included: A landscape or city

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm Just the magnificent blue light fromthe window

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Complete calm and a sense of wholeness without a concern.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Incredible peace or pleasantness

Did you have a feeling of joy? incredible joy

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? I felt united or one with the world

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about the universe

The experience included: Life review

Did scenes from your past come back to you? My past flashed before me, out of my control Photos on the wall had photos of me as a child that didn't exist on earth.

Did scenes from the future come to you? Scenes from the world's future

The experience included: Boundary

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? Yes The edge of the window was just out of reach when I was awoken.

Did you come to a border or point of no return? I came to a barrier that I was not permitted to cross; or was sent back against my will

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Moderate

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes Realization that religions are manmade and with no love of manmade church-rules. Faith, love and kindness are the sum total now.

What is your religion now? Conservative/fundamentalist

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes Realization that religions are manmade and with no love of manmade church-rules. Faith, love and kindness are the sum total now.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? I encountered a definite being, or a voice clearly of mystical or unearthly origin

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? I actually saw them

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? No

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes No patience for pettiness and useless time or situations. Confrontations are just a waste of time.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes The sense of impending activities is haunting.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? The essence of life with no weight: mentally or physical was indescribable.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Within minutes. People are interested and cautious.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes I had read about it years ago.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real I was obsessed with defining the situation and even built a model of the hallway. It was a 'must' to define and describe it.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real The impact and the 'feelings' are as strong today as before.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? No

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? For those that read this; the attempt to deny or run from the experience is hopeless. Face the situation and learn from it or it will become an obsession.