Marie Son Probable NDE

Experience Description

To clarify, this NDE was related to me by my special needs son, Shane. At the age of 18, he was terminally ill with severe aplastic anemia and was in the intensive care unit on a ventilator.

When Shane awoke after three days, he spoke of “going to heaven.” There, he met his late grandmother, whom he had been too young to remember. He described her in great detail, including the “sparkly things” on her eyeglasses. He also met Elvis, his favorite singer, and was very excited about that.

The entire experience, as Shane described it, was positive. He said that he “would miss me” when he was gone, but he did not seem afraid.

Because of his borderline intellectual disability, Shane was a very honest child, sometimes to an embarrassing degree. His mental age was approximately 12. He was greatly loved because he accepted everyone he met, regardless of who they were.

Shane died on May 19, 1998, once again while in the intensive care unit on a ventilator. He was 19 years old.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date of NDE: 03/15/1997

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes
My son was being treated for severe Aplastic Anemia. While we waited for a bone marrow donor (the only cure in 1997), he was put on a trial drug to which he had an allergic reaction. Sent to the ICU and placed on a ventilator, he was not expected to survive the night. This is when the NDE occurred.

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

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness? One day after coming off the ventilator in the ICU.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness? Normal consciousness and alertness

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
No time element described

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 Clear vision

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience Telepathy

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

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Uncertain
I believe Shane passed through a tunnel, but the details were not clear.

Did you see any beings in your experience? I actually saw them

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased beings? Yes
Shane saw his deceased grandmother whom he was too young to remember, but he described her in great detail. He also "saw" Elvis and was excited about that.

Did you see or feel surrounded by a brilliant light? An unusually bright light

Did you see an unearthly light? Uncertain

Did you seem to enter another world? Some unfamiliar and strange place
Shane described this as being "in heaven."

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Peace and joy at meeting deceased people

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

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? No

Did scenes from your past come back? No

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? Yes
Shane returned to his body, but gave no details on how/why/when or where.

Did you come to a border or point of no return? I came to a definite conscious decision to return to life
Shane seemed to want to return to life at that time as he was quite young.

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Unaffiliated - Agnostic
Non-denominational at the time.

Have your religious practices changed? Yes
See above answer

What is your religion now? Unaffiliated - Nothing in particular - Religious unaffiliated

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
Shane seemed not at all surprised that he "met" his grandmother and Elvis in "heaven."

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes
I am more "spiritual" in my beliefs today due to Shane's experience.

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
Shane was directed to go.

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
Not shared by Shane

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? Uncertain
Not shared by Shane

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Uncertain
Not shared by Shane

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
After Shane shared his NDE, I questioned his doctors and they were quick to tell me in their experience, NDEs are not uncommon, even in children.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes
I am open to this type of experience and more compassionate toward all people.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

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
Shane's IQ level was borderline, and throughout his childhood, he always came across as bluntly honest. It takes complexity to lie and make things up.

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 was meaningful, significant, and memorable despite the passage of years.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes
Only with family members when we discuss Shane and his life.

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 never doubted Shane's story.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real
I never doubted Shane, nor did his doctors.

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
All questions were clear.

Anything else to add? Please know that I hesitated to share this story since it was not my story. It was Shane's story. But I felt it was a unique experience due to his limitations that might benefit others.