Arthur B Anesthesia

Experience Description

My out-of-body experience occurred on the operating table back in 1974 (maybe 1973) when I was 19 years old. I watched Mayim Bialik's Breakdown for the first time when she interviewed Neil DeGrasse Tyson about alien bodies. Being a big fan of Neil's I watched that episode which led me to explore more of Mayim's podcasts.

I have believed for a long time that we choose what happens in our lives before we are born. If that's true, I picked a doozie! I was born with two clubbed feet, no hip socket on my right side, a touch of spina bifida and extreme scoliosis and lordosis. I went through a lot of surgeries as a kid to correct some of the problems. Unfortunately, the misshapen feet got infected leading to what my doctor referred to as chronic osteomyelitis. This led to having a toe amputated every other year starting when I was 11 years old. Finally, it was decided that I would be much better off without the foot.

That is when my OBE happened. I was on the operating table having my right foot amputated when I thought I had woken up midway through the procedure. I could see the doctor and his nurse at the foot of the table and I heard someone say, 'blood pressure dropping.' The feeling of total comfort was amazing. It didn't last more than a few seconds but it was very memorable. So much so that I asked my doctor if I had woken up in the middle. He said, 'No.'

This was my first experience with Dr. William Kermond as the toes were removed by a different doctor. During my first office visit we, of course, discussed the disease and the planned amputation but he also brought up the idea of a total hip replacement. I was excited and he said we could do that after the amputation had healed and I was wearing a prosthetic successfully, approximately three months.

So as we were getting ready for the upcoming total hip I once again told him that I had woken up during the amputation and again told him how incredibly comfortable I was being awake and I said I wanted to be awake for the total hip. He said, 'No you don't.' I had a spinal as anesthesia but I was put under. Near the end of the surgery they let me wake up while I was still in the operating room. The experience that time was nothing like my experience during the amputation. I could not see anyone, just the green draping and, well, it wasn't what one would call 'comfortable.' Actually, it was horrible and I wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep.

I have had a couple of other events during my life. One was during a period of drug use. Another was shortly after my mother had died.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date of NDE: 00/00/1973

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Uncertain
Routine surgery, I don't think anything went wrong

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

Did you feel separated from your body? I clearly left my body and existed outside it
I heard someone say "blood pressure dropping." I clearly saw the surgeon and his nurse working at the foot of the operating table

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness? It was very brief

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

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No

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 Seemed normal, forward vision only

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience Normal

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Yes, but the facts have not been checked out

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 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 another world? No

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Peace and total comfort. I wanted to do it again

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 no longer in conflict with nature

Did you suddenly understand everything? No

Did scenes from your past come back? No

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? No

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

God, Spiritual and Religion:

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

Have your religious practices changed? Uncertain
It was 50 years ago! I have been very spiritual (not religious) throughout my life, but I really can't say for sure how I felt as a teenager

What is your religion now? Unaffiliated - Agnostic
I practiced Buddhism for a while after the experience

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was both consistent and not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience
That's hard. I thought I had simply woken up

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes
As I said, I became more spiritual

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? 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

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? No

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

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

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

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? No

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

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

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Moderate changes in my life
People didn't believe me. I became more spiritual as my life went on. Some of that was related to the OBE

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 more accurately than other life events that occurred around the time of the experience
The peace and comfort made a very lasting impression

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? Please see my narrative several questions/pages before this page

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes
Told the doctor and his nurse when they first visited after surgery. They didn't seem to believe what I said

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Uncertain
In high school my friends and I discussed stuff like astral projection. I was only 19 and it was over 50 years ago, so I'm not quite sure what came first

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was probably real
Again, I thought I simply woke up. In my narrative I explain it in detail and how a later experience proved to me that it was definitely real

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real
Again, it's all in my narrative

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Uncertain
Again, it's all in my narrative

Did the questions asked and information that you provided accurately and comprehensively describe your experience? Yes
Some of the questions weren't relevant as it was an OBE, not an NDE

Anything else to add? It's all in the narrative