Keith R NDE

Experience Description

My kindergarten class was on an outing to a local state park where we swam in a shallow tidal pool and played on the beach. Some of us were being taught to swim and, confident in my success at dog paddling, I decided to swim to a wooden raft anchored about twenty feet off shore. I made it and after resting a few minutes on the raft, decided to try to swim to a second raft about sixty feet further out.

About halfway there, I began to struggle and went under. The next thing I was aware of, was being above my struggling body and watching it. Then somehow, I was in the presence of sort of a field of love that was totally wonderful. I felt like I was really 'HOME'. There were no beings that I can recall. There was only peace, love, tranquility, and in at-home-ness feeling. Words cannot truly describe it. Next, I was seeing my mother weeping over my body. Then I woke up on the raft and people were pushing on me. I was angry that I was no longer in the field of love and tranquility.

This event was, as you can see, many years ago. I have told it as I remember it. There may have been more elements but they don't come to mind.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: Summer of 1943

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes drowning 'Life threatening event, but not clinical death' Drowning.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Wonderful

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes 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 As above.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? It's hard to say after so much time, but probably during the scene of my mother weeping over my dead body.

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

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Incredibly more vivid

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? Uncertain

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

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

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? Uncertain

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

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Immeasurable love and caring (for me).

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

Did scenes from your past come back to you? My past flashed before me, out of my control

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

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? Conservative/fundamentalist None

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Uncertain See above comments.

What is your religion now? Moderate

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Uncertain See above comments.

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? Uncertain My life had not progressed to a point where there was a baseline from which I could measure change.

After the NDE:

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes At the age of thirty my mother unexpectedly passed away while visiting my sister in a distant city. She died in the early am, my time, and I awoke from a sound sleep, woke my wife and told her that my mother had died. About half an hour later I received the phone call.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? The absolutely immeasurable sense of being in the presence of love. The vision of my mother's despair.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I was probably about forty-five or so when I stumbled upon some of the early research of NDEs. It was shortly after that that I began talking about it with others. Most were sort of 'ho-hum' about it, most thought it a product of my imagination.

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 At that age, there was no reason to consider the experience unusual.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real The memory has not changed. The love and tranquility are readily recalled. My life has progressed as a searcher for spiritual meaning.

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? No.