Experience Description

Happened Friday night - last thing I remember was riding behind the art museum in Philadelphia. Then I was awakened on Tuesday morning by a doctor who was pinching my arm. The travel time from the point I last remembered to the point of impact was approximately five to ten minutes through the city to 21/22 and Market. According to companions, the wheels were caught against a curb and I left the bike and traveled approximately ten to fifteen feet to a brick wall.

Anyways, the place, which the doctor brought me back from, was wonderful - calm, peaceful, I was full. I was floating. It was dark but everything I 'saw' was clearly defined (not hard to see). The people who I was seeing, feeling, experiencing, were strangers but loving. In retrospect, it's like the love of a parent to a young child - full, unequivocal - and it was able to flow both ways. I was very happy, content being in that place. I was thinking though, like in a semi-dream state, but it felt like I was insulated (a big surrounding cocoon of fullness), safe, immune from anything I didn't want. When I finally started to feel the doctors pinching my arm it was like, 'Shit, leave me alone,' the pinching was sort of like drawing me away from feeling the fullness; it was like the cocoon was shrinking down to my skin and things were coming into focus with the voices which I had been hearing. The sounds on the inside were soft and soothing. As I was being drawn out of the absolute peaceful state back into the light, the sounds became recognizable words. I DIDN'T WANT TO COME BACK to the light and I hated it.

I told the doctor to leave me the f**k alone (in front of my parents who were standing by). But back I came and lost most of my teeth; split my head open (was told that short term memory would be affected); multiple lacerations; massive swollen neck; but I was young and was okay. Funny thing I never felt ANY pain.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: winter 1968

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident Life threatening event, but not clinical death . Crashed head first into a brick wall off a motorcycle - basically no helmet - a fiberglass bowl with a three inch brim around (circa World War I) with a strap on my head.


How do you consider the content of your experience?
Wonderful

Did you feel separated from your body? Uncertain
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 It was the same but clearer, there were no doubts, just being was enough. I was a full being - I was okay.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Don't really know when I was deep into the 'cushion' I felt aware of things around me but like through a buffer I felt full - I was where I wanted to be it was great.

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 Time sped up when the experience was over and I was drawn back into the awake state in the hospital.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Incredibly more vivid

Did your vision differ in any way from normal? Everything appeared so 'right on'; blacks were black, reds were red. Everything was in focus (I wear glasses) but not oppressively present.

Did your hearing differ in any way from normal? The cocoon thing, sounds seem to be coming through some kind of buffer. I could hear but couldn't hear distinctly - like in a dream where you start to read but all of a sudden the words which you can see clearly when you start just seem to run together into confusion. Well sounds were like all around me and I was comfortable with them but they were just sounds, not recognizable words.

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? No I don't really remember. It was just a place, no definition, boundaries, but I don't remember feeling like I passed though anything.

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 What I remember most was a woman circa 'gay 1990's' big wide brim hat with a large bow from each side tied under her chin; big fluffy dress with the full (with the help of multi hoops) lower part; rich red lips and an umbrella; which she twirled in her hand. Just really remember seeing her but not talking to her because she was the last thing I remember before being awoken and I was pulled away from her like being sucked into a vacuum cleaner back into the light and consciousness.

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? Uncertain It wasn't really a light per se - I was in darkness but everything I encountered, while not 'bathed in light' was clearly visible. No back lighting but the visions were clearly recognizable.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm eerything was beautiful but without any real form it was like only a mind essence with no attachment to a body all ws wounderful

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I don't know if there were defined 'emotions' everything just felt good, okay, right.

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 catholic

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Conservative/fundamentalist 'have my own ''god'''

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

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? No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

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? The desire not to 'return' to the hospital but to stay in that state. Don't know what it was, but it was great and I didn't want to come back.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? No

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. Don't know if it is an alternative universe or the real universe - with this present state of being the unreal - just don't know.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real. It was like being shown another state of being where you use yourself to capacity with no reservations and it's okay.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Yes LSD gave some of the clarity but none of the warm fullness. Excessive drug taking (cocaine) has taken me to the dark place but for some reason I would always hold myself 'back' from slipping into that cocoon (some sort of lack of control thing).

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? If I could market them I would retire.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? You could ask if the person has a preference for either state of being.

You could ask if the person could, would they readily return to that place, and for how long (if possible to determine time there).

You could ask if there was any lingering fear associated with the experience.