Justin M NDE

Experience Description

I've been in and out of recovery for over 20 years. I started using heroin when I was 18, and my addiction has taken me through hell and back. I experienced prison, overdoses, failed attempts at getting clean. More than half my life has been spent battling this thing. Even though I’ve had moments of clarity and stretches of sobriety, I’ve also had some of the darkest moments imaginable. One of those moments changed my life forever.

At the time this happened, I had been clean for over six months. I was doing well, finally starting to feel like I was turning a corner. I wasn’t perfect by any means, but I was making progress. Then a friend of mine. who was still deep in addiction, needed help. He was struggling badly. I wanted to help him because I know what that kind of darkness felt like. So I brought him to my place to try and get him on the right path.

But instead of pulling him out, he ended up dragging me back into that dark world. That’s how addiction works sometimes. It can be fast, sneaky, and brutal. I relapsed and overdosed at the same time.

We were in a car, and I was completely passed out in the passenger seat. My friend didn’t have a phone and we were lost. He panicked so just drove around. I was in the car for over 30 minutes; not breathing and blue from lack of oxygen. I don’t blame him, because living with an addiction, that kind of chaos is normal. He said he started crying, freaking out, and eventually just gave up. He pulled up to a random four-way stop in the middle of a rough neighborhood, laid his head on the steering wheel, and said out loud, "God, please help me." When he looked up, there was a hospital right in front of him.

He pulled in, and the emergency staff came out instantly, as if they were waiting for me. They rushed me inside. I don’t remember any of this part. He told me about it later, after he found out I survived.

What I do remember and will never forget, is the overdose itself.

There was a warm, calming light, despite that I can’t remember the color exactly. The light was more like a presence of peace itself was wrapped around me. I felt like I was leaving my body, even though I never saw myself. It wasn’t visual, it was more like something I knew. It felt weirdly familiar, like I had done this before. I started moving toward the light. In that moment, I realized that I was dying or maybe already dead. I can’t say for sure.

Then I heard a voice say two words. I was commanded to "Get down." The voice was loud, deep, and powerful like nothing I’ve ever heard before. I didn’t see who said it and don’t know if it was God, a guardian angel or something else entirely. But I knew I had to listen. I wasn’t ready to go yet. I knew I had to fight to get back into my body. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life.

It felt like hours, although it was probably only a few minutes. I was above my body in the hospital bed, and just kept trying to force myself back into it. I didn’t know how to get back in my body, I just knew I had to come back. I had to live. It was like wrestling with death itself, and I didn’t want to lose; not like this. Eventually, I snapped back into myself. The first thing I did was to curl into the fetal position and scream, "God is real!" And I meant it with every part of me. That was the most unforgettable moment of my life.

I’ve had so many questions since then; like who was that voice? Why did they tell me to "get down"? Were they trying to keep me alive or telling me I wasn’t welcome where I was headed? Was it a warning? A wake-up call? A second chance?

All I know is, I lived. And maybe there’s a reason for that. I think I was being told that I still have work to do here because my story isn’t over. That maybe I’m supposed to help someone else avoid going through the same hell I did. I carry that moment with me every day now. It was more than just a near-death experience. It was a spiritual slap in the face. And I haven’t been the same since.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date of NDE: 10/20/2020

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Uncertain
not sure

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

Did you feel separated from your body? I clearly left my body and existed outside it
I heard that voice that commanded me to GET DOWN

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness? 30 mins
I just felt very alert of what was happening

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? More vivid than usual

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience I didn't really see much but that light and I had a moment of clarity more knowing than seeing that i was dying

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience I heard the command 'GET DOWN' deep very authoritave tone. almost like I knew who was saying it without knowing it was very strange

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? An unusually bright light

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes
I felt a warm light that was so peaceful

Did you seem to enter another world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm
It was just a very warm bright but peaceful light

What emotions did you feel during the experience? PEACE, TRANQUILITY, 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 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? I came to a definite conscious decision to return to life
I just had this like moment of clarity and then I heard that voice that said 'GET DOWN' when I think back on it i know that I was either like levitating or my spirit was out of my body and I had this moment of clarity that I was dying I knew I was dead or dying, or whatever and I heard the voice so I fought to get back in my physical form

God, Spiritual and Religion:

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

Have your religious practices changed? Yes
im more in touch

What is your religion now? Christian- Other Christian

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was entirely consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience
I am very religious and truly believe that there was a son of GOD thta walked this earth and that he ultimately died for our sins and the story of the bible is 100% accurate. I dont know how much is written so it can be relatable to humans or whatnot but I just do believe there is a power struggle on this earth behind the scenes between good and evil and heaven and hell are for real. I mean this whole experience probably goes so much deeper than we even know or can possibly fathom. Humans have destroyed the true meaning of this existence and weve made it into this weird society that is jjust naive to the true meaning of life. Its veery unfortunate

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? No

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? I heard a voice I could not identify
I heard a very large deep voice say the words 'GET DOWN' i could not see where the voice came from but I heard it plain as day. That was the memorable part of the whole experience

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? Yes
After the fight to return to my body, I immediately got into the fetal position and began crying and repeated over and over 'that heaven is for real' i just knew I had either heard Gods voice or one of his angels or some spiritual beings voice, and the place I was moving towards was heavenly feeling

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes
I feel like the reason I was told to 'GET DOWN 'was because I have more work to do or some chapter had been left unwritten, some very important chapter at that. I was not supposed to live through some of the things I've been through People fall victim to overdoses every day, and for some reason, I've managed to make it through some very close calls, this being the closest of all. I haven't even gone into detail on some of the other close calls I've had but none of them were like this. I have a point of reference that's how I know this one is different

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

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? Yes
I just got this sense that there was something else about to happen but it didnt let it get that far or wasnt allowed to go to that realm

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 am currently in recovery from drugs and alcohol and I am now going to school to try and help others recover from drug addiction. I also had a daughter who I believed saved my life after the experince. I have totally changed my life, not necassarily because of this experience but I do think about it quite often and its very hard to talk to anyone about it. No one believes me or understands the significance. I just wish i had more answers

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes
Its just hard to express into words what happened and not have people look at you like your crazy

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
Its just a very vivid memory that I can remember like its yesterday. I can recall everything that happened that day.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes
I very intuitive. Its almost like I can feel what others are thinking and feeling at all times. Its made me very socially awkward because i just cant handle social interactions anymore because im constantly feeling their thoughts and feelings. its a bit much

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? I have already explained about the voice and also the backstory of my friend not knowing where he was and how he was just dribving around aimlessy and had 'given up' he was ready top pronounce me dead. he said he was aboiut to just kick me out of the car. He is from a town an hour norgth of where we were so he had no friends around to go get help and he was on active addiction so he had no phone and mine was locked and he couldnt get my pin tol get into it. that part alone is just mind blowing. If you just understood the area where we was its the ghetto, ythere are no hospitals around but this one that barely operates he found out of no where. it was a miracle

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes
no one believes me

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
i just thought it was a dream but it happened.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real
ive went to the hospital and got the records to make sure it wasnt a dream

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
it was all accurately explained

Anything else to add? not at this time