Dan ST Prayer

Experience Description

My story begins with a very sharp pain that developed suddenly in my thoracic spine area at the end of 2024. At the time, I was estranged from my family for about five years, an unfortunate event that hurt me deeply. I still think, to this day, that my back pain was related to the suffering caused by the shock brought by said estrangement. Perhaps it was PTSD related. Just like political or war refugees get back pain, or other illnesses, a few years after the big shock that comes with leaving their countries and adapting to a different culture and life.

I had, and still have, my beautiful, kind and supportive wife at my side. Without her, I do not know how I would have managed the emotional pain of not having a relationship with my family. Before my back pain began, I was not in my best shape emotionally, but I had things to do and to live for: the relationship with my wife, managing our mental health clinic, taking care of our lovely pets and many little side activities.

Then, one morning, I could not get out of bed. My back was so stiff that I could not even believe this was my body. Every slight movement that involved my spine brought such a sharp pain that it was literally eye‑watering. I thought, maybe I stood in an awkward position for too long the prior day or maybe I slept in an unhealthy position. I tend to take these things with optimism and thought the pain and stiffness would pass in a few days.

Not only did the pain not go away in a few days, but it actually got worse. My sleep was reduced to only a few hours per night. After around three hours of lying in my bed, I would get such an acute pain and stiffness in my spine. I had to get out of bed immediately and do a mild but very painful yoga routine. I came to realize that this pain was not going to pass and that I would have to live with it for a while. Life experience has taught me that chronic pain makes people bitter. In consequence, I had set the opposite goal. To deal with the pain, I would be a kinder person.

My wife used to skip breakfast and only have a cup of coffee and a few cigarettes in the morning, leading to some stomach problems. This was a perfect opportunity for me to help. Because I could not sleep for more than three hours straight, I had all the time in the morning to cook good food for her for breakfast and food for takeaway at work. Surprising my wife with a different meal every morning was a new ritual of care. She enjoyed it very much. I very much loved to witness this.

The pain made me focus on the little things in life, such as a smile, a meal, or a kind word.

It was now 2025, after a few months of chronic pain had passed. I began to grow a bit weary. It was time to expand and open a new clinic, so I had a lot of work to do. I still had good morale, so I pushed on. I did a lot of the interior design in our new clinic and concentrating on my work made me forget a bit about my pain. In this period, I changed our mattress three times to no avail. While working on the interior of our new clinic, thoughts and feelings of love and acceptance came to mind. I gathered strength to call my mother and tell her I love her. I also told them that I want to reestablish a connection with family. It may be that my emotional healing process had started, but my back pain was still going strong.

Thank you for bearing with me, we have now reached the interesting part. After six to seven months of back pain, I woke up one morning and opened my eyes. It was a cloudy morning but there was light outside, my wife still asleep next to me. The pain and stiffness in my back were still present, as I was now accustomed to. Then a thought came to mind. I remember clearly that I was half amused by thinking it, “I have tried yoga routines; I have changed my diet; I quit drinking; I changed mattresses; I took a lot of medication. Nothing helped. What if I pray for the pain to go away?”

It was almost like I had not even finished my thought and a bright bulb of white light appeared in the left corner of the room. I'm a physician. My scientifically-oriented mind could not comprehend what this object was and I became terrified. I watched as the bright white sphere of light hovered slowly in the room towards me. At the same time, I tried to grab my wife’s hand in fear. Next thing I know, the white light stopped above me and then it quickly entered my chest.

Reluctantly, I woke my wife up to tell her what I experienced. She was skeptical, but not invalidating. She thought there must be an explanation, just as I did. We went on with our day, but the experience remained with me. Lo and behold, the next day I was pain‑free! After so many months of suffering, now, just after the light entered my chest in the area of my pain, I felt completely renewed!

This event made me question my beliefs and I began to research NDEs, STEs and other spiritual and paranormal experiences. This experience has changed me profoundly and made me question if I was on the right path in life. Since this miraculous healing occurred, I have changed my life in various ways. I moved to the countryside and connected with nature. I talk to the trees, meditate, and pray. I have less conflict in my life. I care for all the stray cats in the village. And, I have opened my mind to other spiritual experiences.

Last autumn, when saving one of our cats that got tangled in a bush on a nearby abandoned property, I scratched myself all over my body in the wild overgrowth that had grown in a very unhinged way for years. I have an atopic terrain, basically a genetic predisposition to develop allergic conditions, so you can imagine how my skin looked after the endeavor.

The cat was saved, we lived through our day and the time had come to go to bed. I crawled into bed, pulled the covers over me and another similar thought came, “How can I ever fall asleep with this pervasive itching all over my body?” Then another question came as a response. This time almost like it came from a distant place, “But who am I?” Suddenly, I heard intense buzzing in my ears that was getting louder and louder. The vibrations were going back and forth through my body. With the vibrations intensifying, the question came again, “Who am I?” As the buzzing was getting more intense, the answer came like a revelation, “I am.” I felt like this was the answer to all the problems, suffering, joy and good times in life. It seemed like my ego had dissolved so fast that there was a possibility I would not have been able to recall my name if someone had asked. I felt like I was just in a state of existing and nothing else. Sadly, this very pleasant feeling of oneness vanished pretty fast when I realized I was coming out of my body through my head. The feeling of leaving my body was so foreign to me that I became terrified. The fear quickly snapped me, or my consciousness, back into my body.

For the sake of not making this text too long and losing the interest of the reader, I can say that I have had other spiritual experiences since this time. I have reconsidered spiritual experiences I have had in my childhood that I wanted to forget about. One would be knowing my grade on the capacity exam. The capacity exam is one taken by all middle school students. We have to pass in Romania to get into high school. The grade was told to me during prayer, to calm my anxiety a few days before it was published. I interpreted this event as a coincidence for many years, but the exam was complex and self‑evaluation was not my strong suit. Realistically, I could not have known my grade.

To keep it short, I recently had another spiritual experience during meditation. I was thinking about all the starving children in Gaza, with immense pain in my heart. I am not religious but I know Jesus loved children very much. So, I thought there would be no harm in asking Him a few questions. I kindly asked Jesus to sit with me during my meditation. If He wished, there was space for Him next to me. Not knowing whether He was there or not, I asked Him who we are as humans, that we can commit such atrocities as starving children to death. I kept asking in desperation, “Who are we? Who are we? Who are we, my friend, please tell me.” I began to feel strong vibrations in my body. After a brief pause, I placed my hands on my knees, palms up. I asked Jesus to hold my hands if He was there. The next second, I felt as if I was somehow taken away from my body. But this time, I did not feel even a grain of fear. He was there! I felt myself crying deep inside with joy and amazement.

At the time, I had financial problems and an ongoing legal dispute after buying a house that had been built illegally. But in the space where I was taken, a deep knowing arose within me. It was a feeling that is hard to explain. I have nothing to fear in life, not now or ever. The experience lasted for a few minutes. When I came back, I was amazed by how tall I felt. I am an average height man, but for about fifteen minutes after returning, I felt like a giant. I stood up, and it seemed as if my eyesight was higher than ever before. It was almost as if my eyes were on the top of my head.

Life is a wonder and after reading many experiences on NDERF, I thought I could share mine. Maybe it helps people with similar stories, maybe it can bring some hope where it’s needed or maybe it helps in scientific research.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date of NDE: 00/00/2025

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? No

How do you consider the content of your experience? Both pleasant AND distressing

Did you feel separated from your body? 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? I would say that mentally, I was very alert throughout the entire experience.
It seemed different from daily life to me. Like I could concentrate on the things I needed answers for, and all things in life that I considered important up to that point weren't even an issue. Like I was in a space where our daily struggles as humans were of no importance. A place that had a higher meaning.

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? Time seemed to go faster or slower than usual
It seemed as if time was moving more slowly, or that I had no sense of time at all, perhaps because time had no importance to me in those brief moments of my spiritual experiences.

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 I did not have a heightened sense of vision or 360-degree vision. It was more like everything was taking place in a very quiet inner space.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience There was intense buzzing in my ears at the beginning of the experience, followed by complete silence during the short, deep revelations.

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? No

Did you see or feel surrounded by a brilliant light? No

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes
I described the light experience in the main text. It was a sphere of white light, about the size of a football, hovering roughly two meters above the ground before descending toward me and entering my chest.

Did you seem to enter another world? Some unfamiliar and strange place
A strange, quiet inner space that I cannot describe as another realm—perhaps more like a deep inner space.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? During the first experience, the one with the sphere of light, I felt fear. During the second, I felt peace and a deep inner knowing. During the third—the meditation experience—I felt an overwhelming joy of being loved and seen, a feeling so deep it made me cry inwardly, but without tears. I felt as if I was crying, yet not inside my body somehow. I was in another place.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Relief or calmness

Did you have a feeling of joy? Incredible joy

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? No

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? Unaffiliated - Agnostic
I used to believe there was a similar chance of God existing as there was of a leprechaun being in the backyard. I could not affirm with definitive certainty that God did not exist because I had no proof to back my statement. So, I could say I was agnostic, viewing life through a scientific lens.

Have your religious practices changed? Yes
I pray and meditate for love, peace, for my loved ones who have passed, those who are still living, and for the people I value in this world. I don't feel the need, nor do I want, to adhere to any religion. I simply want to spread kindness and send out good thoughts that I hope reach people and all living beings.

What is your religion now? Do not know
I do not adhere to a defined religion, but I do think we are spiritual beings and that there is more to this life or reality than we can see or perceive with our senses, measurement methods, and technology.

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 was baptized as an Orthodox Christian (Eastern European Orthodoxy), but I became agnostic in high school and developed a science-oriented belief system at university (medical school). At the time of my experiences, I would never have believed that spheres of light could hover in a room, that I could leave my body, or that Jesus possessed any special powers. I thought Jesus was simply a loving person who wished well for humanity, was misunderstood in His time, and was unjustly killed by the regime. Nor did I believe that we had souls or that we might be vessels for souls.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes
Yes. I believe very strongly in small acts of kindness, and I never view the world through a nihilistic lens. I feel that I still have things to do here, and I try to expand my capacity to love with every new event in my life. I still have much love to give, and I don’t think I’ve reached my peak yet. I bring small moments of joy to random people in shops or around town—I smile and speak to them kindly. I give money, food, or freshly pressed juice to homeless people. I have no interest in material possessions anymore. I don’t care how I’m viewed by society, and I try to be as genuine as I can. I feel regret whenever I am not my genuine self, though it happens very rarely. I now value deep connections rather than having many connections. I enjoy working for free to help someone or to support the community.

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.)? Yes
I haven’t seen Jesus, but when I asked Him to hold my hands, I felt a deep sense of acceptance and love, mixed with my surprise that He had time for me or that I mattered to Him at all. And His immense power. It is hard to describe.

During your experience, did you gain information about premortal existence? Yes
During my second experience, when the phrase ‘I am’ came to me, I understood that there was no time—in the sense that I had always been here, that I had always existed and forever will exist. There was no Dan (my name), no ego, only 'I am.'

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? Yes
During my second experience, there was no Dan (my name), no ego, only 'I am.' It was a state of oneness.

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes
Yes, in my meditation I felt that Jesus was guiding me to the realization that I should never be afraid of anything. But it was only a sense of Him being there and guiding me—I didn’t hear Him speak, and I didn’t see Him, at least not in a literal way.

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? Large changes in my life
I may add that I have no fear of death, but I do fear dying. It is only the suffering I might encounter, and even more so the burden I could become to my loved ones in the time leading up to my passing.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes
I no longer get angry at the things that used to trigger me. I have a changed sense of self, and I no longer feel the need to react to other people’s emotions. And when I do react, I catch myself and reflect on it.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes
The fear I felt during the first experience (the white light) wasn’t hard to describe, but the intense feelings from the other two are very difficult to put into words.

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
Many life events occurred around that time, including discovering that our new house had been built illegally by the constructor who sold it to us. We began a legal battle as a result. This unfortunate event brought me intense negative emotions, but they were never as strong as the complex emotions I felt during my spiritual experiences. That is why I can remember them so clearly. You may forget events, but you never forget how they made you feel.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? No

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes
I shared my experiences with my wife immediately after they occurred. I think she was skeptical, but she is a good listener and she listened to my stories intently. She never invalidated me, but my experiences were so unusual that she couldn’t really relate to them. I also shared them with some of our friends and family. Some looked at me as if I were crazy, while others sensed the genuineness in my voice and believed that, at least for me, in some sense, these events had taken place. My therapist seemed to fully believe me. She told me that she had always thought my profound way of understanding life would eventually lead to something like this. She also warned me that I needed to set intentions before venturing into the astral planes.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes
I had read many NDEs on NDERF before the experiences I’ve described here. That knowledge may have influenced my experiences—it is impossible for me to know. But I know what I felt, and what I felt was genuine and unfiltered.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real
The experiences stuck in my mind like superglue on plastic. Historically, it has been difficult for me to believe anything without evidence, but again, I cannot deny the complex emotions I felt during these experiences. In the days and weeks that followed, my worldview began to shift, so my brain must have interpreted them as real.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real
I think these were experiences I needed to go through in order to return to my path. I simply needed a slight push to the right and maybe a shove to the left.

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