Karl H Probable NDE

Experience Description

I recall there were tubes running up my nose, and I was suffering from a high fever. I was packed in ice from head to toe. My body was swelling due to the infection, and I kept telling my dad, who was standing next to my bed, that I was dying. He was military and told me that I was a trooper and to hang on. At the foot of my bed stood both of my brothers.

I yelled to them one more time that I was dying, and that's when I felt my body lift upward. As I ascended, I could feel my body roll over until I was looking downward through a suspended ceiling. It was like an elevator stopping. When I raised my head, I realized I was between a concrete slab above me and the suspended ceiling below.

I could see the fluorescent lights, with some light illuminating the ceiling area. I sensed what I call dead airspace. I could see wires coming down from the concrete ceiling that were attached to the metal framing. I could also see the electrical flex cable coming out of the fluorescent lights.

I looked downward, and for whatever reason there were no tiles in the ceiling where I was. I could look right through the opening and see my family around my bed. I also saw my body lying at rest in the bed.

From there, I felt myself going upward and through what many people describe as a tunnel. I felt a little nauseated as I passed through it, but then found myself in an upright position, moving forward with a creek on my left. I wasn't walking. I was simply moving forward.

I could see a rather large tree lying across the creek in the distance, and I felt that this was where I needed to go. As I approached the tree, I noticed a forest in the distance on the other side of the creek. The trees appeared as if they were dead or burned. The water in the creek was dark.

As I got closer to the tree that I felt I was supposed to cross, three images of people came toward me on the other side of the creek. As they got closer, it appeared that they were dressed in monks' clothing, and each carried a staff. I could see them traveling toward me, and then I realized that none of them had a face.

Something in my spirit or consciousness told me not to cross that tree or I would never return. I turned to the right and went into a luminous type of fog. I saw no individual, but I connected mentally with a voice. The voice told me to stay because there would be a difficult life ahead of me.

I explained that I had not yet lived my life and wanted to live it out. This happened three times. It was not as if we were arguing, but simply debating it.

The next thing I knew, I found myself back in my body and all the pain came back. Before that, there had been such peace, and I had felt no pain or sorrow whatsoever.

There is a lot more detail about my recovery, but one of the clearest moments occurred when I woke up with some clarity. To my left was a large lily on the table next to my bed. I heard crying, so I turned my head to the right and saw three people in white uniforms sitting and looking at a television while crying. They were mourning John F. Kennedy, who had been assassinated.

There is much more detail about the recovery process. Since that time, I feel as if I can sense things about people. I know there are evil people out there whom I sense and avoid completely.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date of NDE: 11/12/1963

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes
In November of 1963, surgery was performed at Cripple Children's Hospital in Richmond, Virginia. Complications set in, and I was taken to MCV in Richmond as I had an embolism in my upper left leg.

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 do know that JFK was assassinated, and somehow it was mixed up in this near-death experience I had. There was an emergency with the spirit I was communicating with.

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness? The entire time from my departure from my body to my return to my body.
I simply sense things about people with more clarity.

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? Time seemed to go faster or slower than usual
Traveling through the tunnel seemed as if time was speeding up. Once there and walking along the creek, it was at a slow pace.

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 simply know that there is more to life than being here in the physical sense.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience During my experience I heard nothing; I just felt my conscious speaking to me as well as a voice that was heavenly. I was full of peace and felt no pain. I feel that my hearing is 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? Yes
It felt as if it was a tunnel, but I saw nothing but gray colors. I recall feeling somewhat nauseated initially going through the so-called tunnel.

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
It was as if I were in a luminous fog.

Did you seem to enter another world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm
See previous statement.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Absolute peace. No pain or sorrow or thoughts of what was going on with family or friends.

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 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
The heavenly voice I was speaking with debated and encouraged me to stay, and all I could remember was that I spoke with him, telling him I haven't lived my life and wanted to do so.

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian - Catholic
Had my first communion at St Joseph's Villa in Richmond, Virginia, as my sister and I were orphaned there for several years.

Have your religious practices changed? Yes
I feel like you don't have to belong to any particular religious group or attend any particular church.

What is your religion now? No comment
I do not currently go to any particular church, although I am very spiritual.

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 do recall the severe pain I felt when the blood clot exploded.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes
There were times when I knew I was close to people who were somewhat demonic, as I could sense it.

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
Refer to previous statement.

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.)? Uncertain
There was simply a voice, and it must have been through mental telepathy. I really don't know if it was Jesus or God who I was speaking to, or the Holy Trinity.

During your experience, did you gain information about premortal existence? Uncertain

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? Yes
There is a Heavenly Father full of grace.

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes
There is no doubt there is a God. When I was around 24 years old and working in construction, a journeyman asked me to set a ladder up and climb up there to lift the tile out so we could pass pneumatic tubing through the top of the ceiling, which controlled the temperature in the building. When I popped the tile up through the ceiling and stepped up on the ladder, looking into the space between the concrete ceiling and the suspended tiles, it was an instant reflection back to what happened in 1963.

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Uncertain
On multiple occasions in my life prior to any accident, I knew it was going to happen and even told others.

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? Uncertain

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? Yes
With a comforting voice encouraging me to stay, I was informed that life would be difficult on Earth compared to if I stayed.

Did you gain information about how to live our lives? Uncertain
I knew the life ahead of me was going to be difficult, but somehow after that experience I keep smiling through it all.

During your experience, did you gain information about life's difficulties, challenges and hardships? Yes
I was definitely told life would be difficult, but nonetheless I wanted to live my life.

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Uncertain

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Large changes in my life
Years later there was confirmation of everything I saw as a child in 1963 while suspended in that ceiling. Years later, as an adult working in construction and climbing into the suspended ceiling area, I had solid confirmation of what I saw back then. My wife at the time, after I told her for the first time about my near-death experience, came home from work one day with a book by Dr. Moody.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes
I care deeply for people no matter what background they come from.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes
My father was not allowed to visit me in the hospital as he apparently threatened the doctor. However, when I was released from the hospital some six months later, after having received skin grafts, I told my father on the way home about my experience, and of course he explained it as being on the morphine.

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
Everything fell into place many years later as an adult when I stuck my head up above that suspended ceiling. That was 100% confirmation to me, as others I had told in the past thought I was crazy for having such an experience.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes
On several occasions after my experience, I saw things happening before the actual event, and witnesses were present.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? Having had that experience, it keeps me walking a much straighter line in life.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes
I shared the experience some six months later with my dad after he came to pick me up from Cripple Children's Hospital.

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 definitely real
I simply knew it had happened.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real
I still continue to believe deeply that the experience was true, and many times I wished perhaps I could go have someone hypnotize me and relive the very details of everything during that incident.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Yes
I do believe I've already explained that previously.

Did the questions asked and information that you provided accurately and comprehensively describe your experience? Yes
I wish I could be hypnotized and have it documented to relive that experience again.

Anything else to add? I felt that through the years I should have been telling about my experience, but due to negative reactions from some, including children, I've just stayed pretty much quiet about it. My daughter talks about it, as I have told her.