Experience Description

At approximately 5:00 p.m. on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, in 1988, I was in my medical office in Washington State. I had recently been diagnosed as having chronic fatigue syndrome and needed to retire from my medical practice for health reasons. I had been dictating business related letters for several hours, and was exhausted. I lit some incense, put a meditative tape on the tape recorder, was going to lay back in my Lazy boy recliner, when all of a sudden, I could not get air into my lungs. I have asthma, but I had never experienced this sort of difficulty breathing. I knew I needed a steroid shot, epinephrine and oxygen. All these were available in my office, but I did not have time to get them. I had an albuterol inhaler, so I tried to use this multiple times, and was aware that none of it was getting past my spastic vocal chords.

The next thing I knew, I was up at the ceiling of my office, looking down on my body lying, and all sprawled out in my recliner chair. Then I was up in the air above my office building, it was dark. The stars were out, the street lights were on, and the hospital was a city block to the south, traffic was moving on the streets within my view. Then I instantly went up into the sky, and ended up in a dark tunnel, with thousands of sparkly little lights on the walls and ceiling. At the far end of the tunnel, there was a light a long distance away. In an instant, I was at the end of the tunnel, which had looked like an inverted ‘V', and reminded me of the opening between vocal cords.

At the end of the tunnel was a vast space, multiple colors were dancing about, many colors and shades that I had never seen before. The colors were all choreographed to awesome, ethereal music. I felt total peace, almost euphoric. I knew that there was nothing to fear, no condemnation of my life the way it had been lived. I experienced total forgiveness in regards to my life and actions. I was given the choice of ‘stepping over’, or returning to my present life. However, I was encouraged to return, because there was still more work that I should do. I decided to return, primarily because of my love for my wife, Jeanne.

With that, I awakened, feeling fine. I have no idea how much time had elapsed.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: November 1988

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Allergic reaction Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function or brain function) Spontaneous laryngeal spasm (probably allergic) with suffocation

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? Yes When I was above my office building in the dark of early evening, I saw the stars, the top of my office, the adjacent streets, and the large hospital one block south, with all its parking-lot lights. 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 Much more aware of my surroundings, and events. In awe! Much more in tune with my surroundings and events. All knowing!!

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

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Time seemed to go faster or slower than usual The events happened very rapidly.

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. My vision was more acute during the experience.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. My hearing was more acute.

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

The experience included: Tunnel

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes Previously described

Did you see any beings in your experience? No

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

The experience included: Unearthly 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 Light at the end of the tunnel, and the dancing colors

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm The long black cave, with the sparkly lights and light at the end of the tunnel. Then seeing the dancing, undulating, multicolored lights moving in sync with awesome, ethereal, music.

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? At times detached, at other times euphoric.

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

The experience included: Special knowledge or purpose

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? I came to a barrier that I was not permitted to cross; or was sent back against my will I was given the choice of returning, or not. However, I was strongly encouraged to return.

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? Other faiths- New age Going to Unity Church at the time.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

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

What is your religion now? Unaffiliated- Nothing in particular- Religious unaffiliated Meet 2 times a month, in private homes as a Spiritual Study Group.

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was entirely consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience Confirmed my knowing that there is life after life.

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? I encountered a definite being, or a voice clearly of mystical or unearthly origin I felt the presence of an awesome presence. No voices, but an acute awareness, like remarkably clear mental telepathy, ‘all knowingness’.

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? Yes

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

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes Yes the mental awareness, that I was being communicated with by a higher entity.

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

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:


During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes I was to help others, with my medical abilities.

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 Work with and help others.

Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? An afterlife definitely exists

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Yes Absolut knowing that I could go on into another existence.

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

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

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Slightly 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? No

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

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

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Yes Yes that I had more love than I had been aware of for my wife.

Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Moderate changes in my life Moderate changes in my life. I began seeking more spiritual knowledge and information, not limited to the Christian faith.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No No

After the NDE:


Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes Most of it I could easily talk about, However trying to explain the colors, the music and the ‘all knowingness’ is still impossible to explain.

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

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes I have had voluminous channeled writings from an entity named Abu.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes That same evening.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes I had been studying past-life experiences, and NDEs

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