Bryant B NDE

Experience Description

The job was installing, wiring, and piping up a HVAC unit in a 14-foot ceiling. I was standing on the very top of an eight-foot ladder while installing a ceiling fan-coil unit. I reached out too far and started to lose my balance. Before I went completely over, I grabbed the sheet metal overflow pan but it folded and almost cut off my fingers, so I let go of it. Both, the ladder and I, crashed to the ground. I ended up hitting the back of my head on a cement floor and was knocked unconscious.

As I lay unconscious on the floor, I was aware, that I was dying and how this was the end of my life. I thought about how I lived my life and felt that it was a good life. I thought about how I raised my daughter and it OK because she has had such a good start at life. At the time, she was age 25 and I put her through college. I was very much at peace with this being the end of of my life. The distressing part was when I drifted up through roof of the building and saw the heat pumps that I had mounted on the roof. I thought 'oh sh*#, more work!' I was at such peace before seeing this.

Just then my helper came into the room where I had fallen and started shaking me awake. I came back into my body. Then they came with a $2,000 van ride to the hospital that I had to pay for. I got cat- scan and they diagnosed a concussion. I was sick and dizzy for about a month. Yet, I went back two weeks later and finished the install.

That also was the very last time I ever stood on the 'do not stand on this step' step of the ladder. I still climb ladders all the time and they do not scare me.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 07-15-2015

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident Direct head injury. Life threatening event, but not clinical death. I was standing on top of an eight-foot ladder installing a ceiling fan coil unit. I reached out too far sending both, the ladder and I, crashing to the ground. I hit the back of my head on a cement floor, and went unconscious.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Both pleasant AND distressing

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I normally have to use a ladder on the outside of a building to get on a roof. That was the only time I ever drifted through one. The heat pumps I saw were up there and when I went back to finish the job, they still were. I clearly left my body and existed outside it

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. I am saying that because reviewing my past and all the things in it are not a normal state for me. To me the past is past and not worth thinking about in day to day life. I am no saint and have been an super jerk in my youth, but grew out of it in my 20's.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? I was never not conscious. I was elsewhere the whole time until I was woken back up. It was all very vivid.

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No

Were your senses More vivid than usual? More vivid than usual

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Normally, I do not view looking at roof top units that need work as a shocking or negative experience. I love my work and think thank god, I have a paying job when I see them. When I drifted up through the roof though, I thought 'Oh God, not more damn work to do.'

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. My hearing is shot, was shot and it has been that way for years.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere, as if by ESP? No

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Uncertain. Does a solid roof count?

Did you see any beings in your experience? No

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? No

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? No

Did you see an unearthly light? No

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? No

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Peace, no fear, relaxed. Then anxiety when I saw the work that was left to do and unhappy about it.

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

Did you have a feeling of joy? Happiness

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? I felt no longer in conflict with nature

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? No

Did scenes from your past come back to you? No. I had feelings and thoughts about how I have lived my life. I have been the best person I could be for many years. I have lived by Do unto others as you would have them do unto you for many, many years.

Did scenes from the future come to you? Scenes from my personal future WORK!!! I thought I was free then saw the things on the rooftop. WORK!!!

Did you come to a border or point of no return? No

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Unaffiliated- Agnostic

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Unaffiliated- Agnostic

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was both consistent and not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience. I have no clue what life as a human really is. If you wanna know what I think, I do not think it can even be possible but here you are, being born, being aware and then one day, dead. Personally, I do not believe what I see. I think it is more like the Hindus teach. A great cosmic never-ending dream of which we all are part of. See Shakespeare.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? No

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? No

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? No

Did you encounter or become aware of any beings who previously lived on earth who are described by name in religions (for example: Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, etc.)? No

During your experience, did you gain information about premortal existence? No

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? No

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? No

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

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

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? Yes See above, the answer is 'work'. I am 68 years old and have had a lifetime of work. I am not lazy and have always taken it on gladly. Life is work and work is life. I would just hate it to go on forever and ever.

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? I am uncertain if an afterlife exists. Probably life after life or just more work as I see it. Rebirth is one of my biggest fears.

Did you gain information about how to live our lives? No

During your experience, did you gain information about life's difficulties, challenges and hardships? Yes see above, work

During your experience, did you gain information about love? No

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Slight changes in my life. The bBig change for me was that I will never step on the 'do not step on this step' step again as long as I live.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

How accurately do you remember the experience in comparison to other life events that occurred around the time of the experience? I remember the experience more accurately than other life events that occurred around the time of the experience. Out of body stuff has only happened to me once. Installing HVAC has been my main life experience so those all forgettable in the details.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? No

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? Flying has always been a big dream for me. When I was a kid, I tried to do it with all my heart. I jumped off roofs hundreds of times, jumped down many hillsides with abandon as fast as I could. For a few seconds when I hit the cement floor I did just that.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Same day it happened. No big deal except my wife was a little worried that I had almost died.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes Mostly thought it was a lot of BS but some stories seemed more real than the going up to see heaven.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real. I saw the HVAC units with my own eyes - well my heavenly eyes.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real. This was not a wanna-be dream. I experienced going through the roof. I saw the work ahead of me. I felt the disappointment of not being freed when it felt so good to have it over with a few seconds before.

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

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? Make it shorter. Warn people it will take forever to fill it out.