Bryan C NDE

Experience Description

I was on my 3rd tour of duty in Iraq/Afghanistan. Typically, I was a pilot, but my last tour I was on the ground doing Personnel Recovery in Baghdad, Iraq. It was very "hot" during 2007. While walking dismounted I was blown across the street by a large explosion. I was med-evaced to the Green Zone, Balad, Germany for 2 weeks to stabilize, and to Walter Reed. I suffered numerous injuries.

I was generally not considered a religious person. I was raised Roman Catholic, yet I left the church at age 20 with little understanding of the church or scripture.

I considered myself to be a "soldier of God" in the sense that if I did good deeds, helped the oppressed, etc. I would find favor with God. That was it.

During the explosion I was knocked unconscious. I remember vividly an encounter with a spiritual being. There was no "tunnel, bright lights, etc." I did find myself hovering about 125 feet in the air. I am going to use the Cardinal directions of north, south, east and west for ease of description only. I was facing "east" looking directly at the bare feet of an angelic being. Although my left arm and shoulder was badly injured, it was raised straight-up with my left hand holding the right hand of an angel whose right arm was extended straight down by its side. This "angel" Being was facing "south." He had bare feet, a snow-white robe that went just above his ankles. Since I was looking directly at bare feet, I raised my head and eyes to try and see its face. I was not able to look past its chest. I was prevented from seeing its face. I could not look further up.

I then looked over my left shoulder and saw deep, green, green grass. No flowers, weeds, etc. Just beautiful green grass along with deep, deep blue skies. Not a cloud in sight. Just deep blue skies. I saw gently rolling hills of green grass with a lone, full tree about 35 feet tall. A single tree. I brought my gaze back to my front and tried to look back upon this "angel's" face and it would not let me. At this moment I took this as I was dying, even in this state I felt I had simple reasoning, and I shook my head side to side, and said no several times. At that instant, I was back on the street in Baghdad.

While I remember this incident vividly, I never spoke of it nor told anybody. I never took it Biblically or any more than "that was pretty cool." 3 years later I was watching a movie with my young daughter called the "Lovely Bones". It is about a teen girl who is murdered on her way home from school. I wanted her to be aware of the dangers when walking home from school as a teen. The little girl goes into the "after-life" and there was a single tree. The same tree I saw. About 35 feet tall, busy, etc. I almost fell off the couch. Fast forward 15 years to 2025. Recently I have become more spiritual, I realized there are several references to trees in the Bible, the Tree of Knowledge, the Tree of Life, a tree in Daniel 4. I have taken these as validation of my experience.

My mother died in 2022 and there have been several strong signs following her passing. Not only to me, but to others as well.

While I am working on trying to become a stronger Christian, my faith is weak. But, I can describe what I saw with great clarity. What I saw and felt was no pain and peace. I saw simple beauty and maintained a simple awareness. Enough to know what I perceived and enough to know I was not ready for what I was experiencing. Thus, I shook my head side to side and said no several times, and it was over. I can go into greater detail if necessary.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date of NDE: 09/11/2007

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes
I was on my third tour of duty in Iraq/Afghanistan. Typically, I was a pilot, but my last tour I was on the ground doing personnel recovery in Baghdad, Iraq. While walking on dismount, I was blown across the street by a large explosion. I was medevac'd to the Green Zone, Balad, Germany for two weeks to stabilize, and then to Walter Reed. I suffered numerous injuries.

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

Did you feel separated from your body? No

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness? The whole time.
I was 125 feet in the air, in an unusual circumstance, and I was intrigued and alert.

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

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning
I was 125 feet above the ground with an angelic being holding my hand. I was over green grass, no weeds or flowers, beautiful grass, rolling hills with just one tree, approximately 35 feet tall, and deep blue skies with no clouds.

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 Colors were extremely vivid. Blue skies were very deep blue, green grass was very green, and the spiritual being's robe was white, white.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience I do not recall hearing any sounds.

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

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? Uncertain
I could not see the face of this angelic being that held my hand.

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? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm
I was 125 feet above the ground with an angelic being holding my hand. I was over green grass, no weeds or flowers, beautiful grass, rolling hills with just one tree, approximately 35 feet tall, and deep blue skies with no clouds.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I felt confusion at first. No pain, peace, yet simple understanding.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Incredible peace or pleasantness

Did you have a feeling of joy? No

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? I felt united or one with the world

Did you suddenly understand everything? No

Did scenes from your past come back? No

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? Uncertain
I could not look upon the face of the angelic being that held my hand. It would not let me. My gaze was limited.

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

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Unaffiliated - Agnostic
I was raised Roman Catholic, but left the church at around age 20 with little to no understanding of the Bible or the church. While I assumed there was a God, I imagined there was a lot of fairy tale with it.

Have your religious practices changed? Yes
It has taken me 15 years to dig spiritually deeper for more understanding and answers. I have found a lot of answers.

What is your religion now? Christian - Other Christian
I developed a deep Christian understanding after developing Covid pneumonia.

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
I was 125 feet above the ground with an angelic being holding my hand. I was over green grass, no weeds or flowers, beautiful grass, rolling hills with just one tree, approximately 35 feet tall, and deep blue skies with no clouds. I wrote a detailed account. Please review.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes
Details were provided early in paragraph form.

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 was 125 feet above the air. My left arm was extended above my head and my left hand was clasped in the right hand of an angelic being whose right arm was extended fully as I was to the side and beneath this angelic being.

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
I was 125 feet above the ground with an angelic being holding my hand. I was over green grass, no weeds or flowers, beautiful grass, rolling hills with just one tree, approximately 35 feet tall, and deep blue skies with no clouds. I wrote a detailed account. Please review.

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes
I was 125 feet above the ground with an angelic being holding my hand. I was over green grass, no weeds or flowers, beautiful grass, rolling hills with just one tree, approximately 35 feet tall, and deep blue skies with no clouds. I wrote a detailed account. Please review.

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? Uncertain
I was 125 feet above the ground with an angelic being holding my hand. I was over green grass, no weeds or flowers, beautiful grass, rolling hills with just one tree, approximately 35 feet tall, and deep blue skies with no clouds. I wrote a detailed account. Please review.

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? Yes
I was 125 feet above the ground with an angelic being holding my hand. I was over green grass, no weeds or flowers, beautiful grass, rolling hills with just one tree, approximately 35 feet tall, and deep blue skies with no clouds. I wrote a detailed account. Please review.

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? Yes
I was 125 feet above the ground with an angelic being holding my hand. I was over green grass, no weeds or flowers, beautiful grass, rolling hills with just one tree, approximately 35 feet tall, and deep blue skies with no clouds. I wrote a detailed account. Please review.

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Moderate changes in my life

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
I can remember my experience with extreme clarity.

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 several non-ordinary experiences after my mother died in 2022.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? No

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes
Yes, in the news you hear stories.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real
It was definitely real, although I didn't understand its meanings until 20 years later, and only then I have a vague understanding still.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real
I explained in detail everything earlier.

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

Did the questions asked and information that you provided accurately and comprehensively describe your experience? Yes
Yes, pretty close.

Anything else to add? Please review my description in paragraph form. Thank you.