Gregory R FDE

Experience Description

In the days before seat belts, I was a passenger in a station wagon that was hit by another car. The station wagon overturned into oncoming traffic on a two-lane road where vehicles were traveling about 45 miles per hour.

I felt no fear at all. I simply thought, “Here is where I die.”

Suddenly, I was about 30 feet above the car. I watched it roll over and saw traffic swerving to avoid us. I also saw three men rush out from a service station. They stopped traffic and helped the driver out of the station wagon.

I heard his voice ask, “Are you okay?” Then I opened my eyes in the back of his station wagon. I was unhurt.

The other three out-of-body experiences happened at home. The first occurred about a week after the accident. I left my body and went down the hall into the kitchen. I tried to turn on the wall switch, and then I suddenly snapped back into my body.

“Is that what death is?” I asked.

“That’s all it is,” I understood. “It’s just not physical.”

I had two more out-of-body experiences during the next six months. During both, I rose above the building I was in, then above the city, and finally above the Earth.

I then found myself hurtling through space. I was aware of how infinitesimally small I was. I seemed to be speeding toward something almost overpoweringly ancient and enormous that was rotating in the darkness.

I opened my eyes before I went any farther and lost consciousness and identity.

I have had no more near-death experiences or out-of-body experiences since then. But those experiences changed my life.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date of NDE: 06/00/1970

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes
I was a passenger in a station wagon hit by another car, in the days before seat belts. The car overturned into oncoming traffic (two lanes, 45 mph). I felt no fear at all; I just thought, "Here is where I die." Then suddenly I was 30 feet over the car, watching it roll over, watching traffic swerve to avoid us, and watching three men from a service station rush out to stop traffic and help the driver out of the station wagon. I heard his voice: "Are you okay?" Then I opened my eyes in the back of the station wagon, unhurt. The other three out-of-body experiences happened at home, the first one a week after the accident. I left my body, went down the hall into the kitchen, tried to turn the wall switch on, and snapped back into my body. "Is that what death is?" I asked. "That's all it is," I understood. "It's just not physical." Two more OBEs happened during the next six months. Both involved rising above the building I was in, then above the city, and finally above the earth and hurtling through space. I was aware of how infinitesimally small I was, speeding toward something almost overpoweringly ancient and enormous rotating in black. I opened my eyes before I went any further and lost consciousness and identity. I've had no more NDEs or OBEs since. But those changed my life.

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 could hear and see traffic miles away from my physical location as I rose above the city.

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness? I was highly aware during the entire experience.
I was aware of a much larger environmental perspective and literal overview (30 feet above the car accident, then later above and beyond Earth's orbit).

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? Faster than usual

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning
Time lost all meaning.

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 I could see vast distances not possible with normal physical sight.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience I was not particularly aware of sounds at all. I felt "beyond" sound.

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? No

Did you seem to enter another world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm
The vastness of the solar system.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Mostly peaceful awareness.

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

Did you have a feeling of joy? Happiness

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? Everything about the universe
Not "everything" but the "beginning" of understanding everything, and especially my physical / intellectual / emotional / spiritual connection with "everything."

Did scenes from your past come back? No

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? Yes
Hurtling at incredible speed through the dark vastness of space and unable to "stop," I became increasingly filled with awe (terror or fear would be too strong a term) and realized that I was about to lose my sense of ego identity and awareness if I kept going. At that point my eyes opened and I was immediately back in my body in bed.

Did you come to a border or point of no return? I came to a definite conscious decision to return to life
As I just described, I became aware that if I continued hurtling through space, I would lose my sense of ego identity and individuality. A form of "death."

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Unaffiliated - Nothing in particular - Secular unaffiliated
Raised Methodist; abandoned religion from college onward. Had a strong spiritual sense and awareness of a Higher Power or Higher Self.

Have your religious practices changed? Yes
I am more certain than ever of the negative effects on humanity of blind acceptance of and obedience to man-made religions.

What is your religion now? Unaffiliated - Agnostic

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
My four NDEs or out-of-body experiences confirmed that, as philosophers have taught for millennia, we are non-physical or pre-physical souls who choose to incarnate physically for a time, in order to explore physical reality in all its variety, and to learn how, in fact, we create what happens to us according to our belief systems about ourselves and about life. They also taught me how puny, short-sighted, paranoid, bigoted, ignorant, and violent tribal man-made religions are.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes
I am more certain than ever of direct experience of what is called "God" and universal consciousness.

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? Yes
Just that firm sense that my consciousness and "higher consciousness" were not separate.

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes
The sense that I was part of this incredibly more vast and universal "consciousness," as well as all human souls.

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? Yes
The sense that life on earth is meant to explore whatever draws you to seek out.

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? Yes
Simply the fact that my full consciousness was no longer limited in any way to my physical body or its location.

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? Yes
That "mistakes" are choices which lead to negative results (painful, destructive) and are learned not to be repeated.

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 became able to live in increasingly conscious and aware harmony with all life, as well as with the reality of what death actually is.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes
I am less inclined to waste time with "negative" people or pursuits.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes
The experience is, by definition, beyond the normal constraints of the physical body and its senses; therefore, words are inadequate.

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
These events contained an exaggerated clarity, sharpness, emotional and psychological impact unlike anything else in my life.

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? Just that sense of unity with the All That Is.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes
I shared it immediately. I don't know if they were influenced by it in any way.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes
I had only read about them.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real
The first experience after the car accident was at home. I physically felt myself sit up in bed and get out of bed. As I walked to the door to go down the hall into the kitchen, I felt the carpet on my bare feet. Then I turned around and looked at my body in bed. Totally real.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real
The additional three experiences, all of which occurred within one year after the car accident, changed my life in profound ways that have only increased in positive ways across the decades since.

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
The questions seem well-thought-out, organized, and efficient.

Anything else to add? No.