Experience Description

It was a beautiful day and I was lying out by the pool, getting a suntan. I was in great spirits and having a wonderful summer. I decided to get a little exercise, so I walked over to the work-out room. I lived in a large 5000 square ft. home and was living a life of which most people dream. The work-out room was on the far side of the house, in one of the single car garages. I walked across the backyard along the pool, then made a right turn, and proceeded along the north wall to the door of the garage. Inside was the equipment, all set up. I started to do a little lifting on the weights. I sat on the weight bench, laid back, and did a few bench presses of about 150 lbs. I am not a big weight lifter because I am a surfer; I do it to maintain my physique. After the bench presses, I decided to work on legs. I did about 10 reps [repetitions] and then rested while still in a sitting position. I felt a little light-headed.

I have passed out before when I was a young boy, getting out of the shower. I was standing in front of the mirror with the towel around my neck wondering how long it would take to pass-out. The next thing I knew I was waking up on the floor. That time I did not go anywhere, I just passed-out and woke up a little frightened that I passed -out, I never did that again.

Feeling light-headed, like I was going to pass-out, I put my arms back behind me and held onto the bench, so that if I did pass-out, I would fall directly back on to the bench.

The next thing I remember, I was in complete euphoria. I didn't feel the weight of gravity anymore. I was completely aware of myself without my physical body. I was soaring through space in some galaxy with the whole universe in front of me. I could see in perfect clarity the stars and galaxies. I felt the earth was behind me on my right side: a small ball that was getting smaller. I had no desire to go back because I was in complete happiness traveling to somewhere wonderful. I could sense a host with me outside my peripheral vision. The host was there right along with me as we were traveling to some place. I could not tell what the host was or who it was, but it didn't matter to me at the time. All that mattered was that I was in complete awareness of myself traveling across the universe, in the most wonderful, peaceful, and powerful state of existence. I knew I was going somewhere and was really getting in to my new experience. Then all of a sudden, like a lightning bolt, I was thrown back into my body hard and abrupt!

I was very upset because I was now back on the earth, in my body, in pain and struggling to stay conscious. I had fallen off the bench and now lay on the cement floor. My body was completely flat on the floor. I could feel every crack. It was all I could do to stay awake and breathe. I tried lifting my head up off the floor and it was very difficult. It took all of my strength to get myself up and crawl over to the carpet. At the same time, I was completely in awe of my recent experience. I was confused, thinking of my friends, and afraid of them coming in to see me lying there dead on the floor. I was also praying to Jesus, thinking of my life, and all of the things I still want to do, knowing that I did not want to go yet. As I sat there struggling to breathe, all by myself with no one around, I thought to myself that if I can just get up on the chair maybe I could catch my breath and start to breathe normally. With all my strength, I managed to get up on the chair and sit. A few moments later, I felt like I needed to cough. I went into this convulsion type of coughing, approximately ten loud, heavy coughs. Then all of a sudden my breathing started to become normal. I immediately broke out in a sweat. Every pore on my skin was sweating; I was completely wet. Then as I sat there in that chair, I could see outside, the beautiful blue sky. I thought to myself, 'I made it! I'm back.' So I stood up and walked out of that garage. As I was walking along the side of the house, I remember feeling the weight of gravity on me and just the simple feeling of my tongue inside my mouth. I walked over to the pool and noticed the beautiful clear water. I was still amazed about what just happened to me and jumped into the pool.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: August 23 2008

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Uncertain Other: No condition. Not sure, but I think it may be a blood clot in my leg that released.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Entirely pleasant

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? No 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 was free of my physical limitations.

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

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning Earth time was irrelevant.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? No

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Same vision but I was not on the earth but in space.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. No words were said. No words needed to be said.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? No

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

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? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm Traveling to somewhere unknown.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Euphoria, content, happy

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? No

Did scenes from your past come back to you? No

Did scenes from the future come to you? No

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

God, Spiritual and Religion:


What importance did you place on your religious/spiritual life prior to your experience? Moderately important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Other Christian

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I have become less intense. More relaxed and forgiving.

What importance do you place on your religious/spiritual life after your experience? Greatly important to me

What is your religion now? Christian- Other Christian

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was entirely not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience Beliefs were not a factor.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes My life is important here on earth but our time here is an experience in the physical realm that something every soul needs to experience to move on to the next existence.

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 Something to the left of me but I could not see it.

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

Did you believe in the existence of God prior to your experience? Unknown

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes I felt a presence not sure what. I think If I would have I probably would not have returned back to earth.

Do you believe in the existence of God after your experience? Unknown

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:


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

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are meaningful and significant

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? No

Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? I was uncertain if an afterlife exists

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Yes My experience confirms continued existence after we leave our time on earth.

Did you fear death prior to your experience? I moderately feared death

Do you fear death after your experience? I do not fear death

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Not fearful in living my earthly life

Were you fearful living your life after your experience? Not fearful in living my earthly life

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are meaningful and significant

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant after your experience? Are meaningful and significant

Did you gain information about how to live our lives? Yes The information and awareness was not specific just the actual experience of awareness outside of my body and away from the earth. And the complete feeling of joy and contentment and amazement.

During your experience, did you gain information about life's difficulties, challenges and hardships? No

Were you compassionate prior to your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

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

Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Slight changes in my life. I feel somewhat the same but my question of ‘is there an afterlife’ has been answered. Slight changes in my life. I feel somewhat the same but my question of ‘is there an afterlife’ has been answered.

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 as accurately as other life events that occurred around the time of the experience I remember the experience as accurately as other life events that occurred around the time of the experience

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? I have a sense of wisdom I did not have before.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Immediately I called my best friend and told him the whole experience. I also shared it with my other friends through the years.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? No

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real I viewed it as completely amazing and: why did it happen to me?

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real The reality is what is so mind-blowing.

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? There are many more areas of my life that changed because of my experience.