Kenny M NDE

Experience Description

I saw the car milliseconds before I hit it. I just had time to think, "Oh no." I didn’t think I even had time to hit the brakes. But I must have, as the back end of the bike skidded. I hit the car door sideways, so the left side of my bike struck the car.

Immediately after the collision, I could see my bike on the ground below me. It was badly damaged, but I was unconcerned. I wasn’t afraid, and I wasn’t in pain.

I remember going down a sort of dark tunnel, but it was wide. It wasn’t scary. I didn’t feel claustrophobic as you would in a normal tunnel; it felt more like going down a wide, dark street.

I also felt connected to an immense pool of knowledge. It felt like being attached to a library of experiences and knowledge, and I had access to that source if I wanted it. It wasn’t a connection like a tether; it just felt like something that was available.

The whole experience happened very fast and entirely unexpectedly. I didn’t want to come back, and I didn’t have any thoughts about missing friends and family.

The next thing I knew, I was on the ground and in pain. When they got me to the hospital, I learned I had been very lucky. I had bruising down my left side. When they took my left boot off, the second toe after my small toe fell off. It just hung there by a thin thread of tissue, but they successfully sewed it back on.

After the accident, I told my girlfriend what had happened. She gave me a strange look, which I can still remember. Because of her reaction, I never told anyone else about the experience.

It did change my life. I can’t exactly explain how; it’s difficult to put into words. Although I have never purposely sought out danger and definitely want to live as long as possible, I am calm and controlled in the face of extreme danger, and I am unafraid of death.

I have had quite a few close calls in the years since the event: car and motorcycle accidents, nearly drowning while scuba diving at 20 meters, the bends, hypothermia, encounters with hostile individuals in conflict zones, atrial fibrillation, and other events. The weird thing is that none of those events fazed me. I guess my heart rate went up a bit, but the fear wasn’t there.

At the time of my near-death experience, there was nothing in the papers, magazines, or on TV about such things. I thought I was the only person who had ever had this experience. But about 15 or 20 years afterwards, when I was in my thirties, it was suddenly in the news and seemed a common occurrence.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date of NDE: 3/19/1973

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes
A car pulled out in front of me, and I hit the side of it at high speed while riding a 650cc motorcycle.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Neither pleasant NOR distressing

Did you feel separated from your body? I clearly left my body and existed outside it
I saw my bike after the crash; it was exactly what I had seen when I was above it.

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness? Throughout all of it.
I felt connected.

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 can’t express it in words.

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 It was completely different.

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 remember.

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

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes
I described it in my statement; it was like a wide dark road, not frightening like a narrow 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? No

Did you see an unearthly light? No

Did you seem to enter another world? No

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I cannot put them into words, but I was calm and relaxed.

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

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? Everything about the universe
I felt that I had access to a vast, unlimited amount of knowledge and experience.

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 - Nothing in particular - Secular unaffiliated
I was not, and am still not religious. I have visited many religious places around the world, such as the Sikh temple in Amritsar, the cremation grounds in Varanasi, the Western Wall in Jerusalem, the Vatican, countless cathedrals and churches, Buddhist temples in Nepal, and mosques. I have received blessings from various religious figures of multiple faiths, but I am just myself and do not adhere to any particular religion.

Have your religious practices changed? No

What is your religion now? Unaffiliated - Nothing in particular - Religious unaffiliated
I just do not know if there is or is not a God, though I imagine it must be reassuring for people who do have faith.

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 had no real beliefs, and this experience was totally unbelievable.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes
I changed.

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? Uncertain
I had never experienced anything like this and had never heard of anyone experiencing anything like this.

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? No

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? Yes
I felt I existed, but not necessarily as me; again, I don’t have words to describe it.

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
It changed my life, but it’s difficult to describe how.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes
I can still visualize it 50+ years later, but still can’t put it 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
The memory has never left me.

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? All of it.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes
I told my girlfriend after it occurred. I never mentioned it to anyone else for around 20 years.

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
It felt real.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real
It was unforgettable.

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
I have answered as accurately as possible.