Experience Description

I had surgery a week before the experience. I had gotten a flesh-eating bacteria at the time. I just thought I was sore from the procedure, which was in the groin area. I entered the hospital in Little Rock Arkansas on New Year's Eve. They said they were going to admit me. I was swelling profusely. I had eight surgeries with no hope. The bacteria was eating so much muscle they had to put a colostomy bag in. I was given eight antibiotics in a tube in my neck and pain medication kept me in and out of consciousness. Then I coded. At that moment, I was suspended in darkness, naked and cold. I could feel the presence of evil all around me. I kept trying to speak, but my mouth was sealed shut, as my body was frozen, no movement. I saw my wife reaching out to me but she was going in the warm and comfortable direction. I woke up to a team bringing me back to life. The doctors told my wife it was unlikely I would survive this bacteria. She told me later she went home that night and decided she'd stop practicing Buddhism if God would save me. We both started praying. I survived it. I feel like this was my second chance. I now believe in God and I believe my doctors do too, because they told me there was no way I should have survived. The name of this bacteria is in medical books now. I believe they told me this one has never been seen.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date NDE Occurred: 2006 new years eve to 2007

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Surgery-related Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function or brain function) Cardiac arrest.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Entirely unpleasant and/or frightening

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I saw my aunt die. She died while I was in hospital, but not until after my experience. I told the doctor what she said. My aunt had died. 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 knew my doom had I not changed the course I was on.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? In the darkness.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Incredibly fast

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No

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. It was not a vision it was my soul.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I had eight surgeries and I could tell you everything they said during my surgeries, even them complaining of the odor of my dead flesh.

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

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 My aunt.

The experience included: Darkness

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? No

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Some unfamiliar and strange place Darkness. See narrative above.

The experience included: Hellish imagery

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Fear.

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? My past flashed before me, out of my control

Did scenes from the future come to you? Scenes from my personal future

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? Greatly important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Buddhist Nichrin shoshu Buddhist

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes Pursue Him and you will find Him. He is real whether you believe or not.

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

What is your religion now? Christian- Protestant my experience definitely changed my beliefs

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 I believe now anythhing that is not about God is evil.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I got rid of all my Buddhism stuff and take my children to church.

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

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? I actually saw them

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 evil

Did you believe in the existence of God prior to your experience? God does not exist

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes because evil was present

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 have done evil things and must change.

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

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? Yes yes change or you will be suspended in hell forever alone to deal with.

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 there is HELL...therefore there must be heaven

Did you fear death prior to your experience? I did not fear death

Do you fear death after your experience? I moderately 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? Moderately fearful in living my earthly life

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are probably 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? No

Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes My family is close, problems seem solvable now, and I pray a lot and I get results.

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 I still feel that fear

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? There is HELL, therefore there must be heaven I believe God put me on the right track. I believe now anything that is not about God is evil.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Christians believe me; my Buddhist friends think I'm full of crap.

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 probably real Interestingly I became sick if I was near my Gohonzon, which we chant as a Buddhist; had to get rid of it.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real I'm a skeptic. I always have been. I believe because it was real. In my opinion, I think there are some things we can't know.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Yes I often dream about this experience. I remember the smell and feeling of pain.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? I don't understand why I have seen so many deaths since my experience. I mean right before my eyes. For example, a man was in a car wreck 50ft from us. I jumped out of the car but he was dead on impact to a tree. I just watched him lifeless, knowing he was there somewhere. This has happened a lot to me. I wonder why.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? Ask people if they have problems with their watches.