Mitch C SOBE

Experience Description

I had been reading the Bible for about nine months. Then I began to have doubts about whether what I had been reading and what I had experienced were real. Early one week in the fall of 1980, I stopped reading and studying the Bible.

The following Saturday night, I came home after a night out with friends and went to bed because the next day was Sunday, and I needed to get some rest before getting up and going to church.

I had bought a townhouse. The walls of the townhouses were connected to each other, and the townhouse next to mine was occupied by some college kids. They were having a party, and I couldn't get to sleep because of the noise.

All of a sudden, "I" exited from the top of my head. There seemed to be two different aspects to my spiritual "being." I assumed these two aspects were my spirit and my soul. They seemed to have been closely connected. My spiritual being had a large end and a small end, and the large end exited first through the top of my head.

"I" rose to about five feet above the floor and looked down at my body on the bed. Somehow, I felt sorry for my physical body as I realized that my spiritual body was the real life of my total being.

I floated out of my second-floor bedroom and started down the stairs. Even though it was dark, I could see clearly. My vision was very acute. As I traveled down the stairs, I looked at the paint on the walls and saw how irregular and bumpy its surface was.

I continued down the stairs and passed "through" my back door leading onto my patio. Then I traveled across my patio and over to my neighbor's patio before going "through" his patio door, where the party was in full swing. My spiritual self was at about the height of everyone's face.

As I traveled past the patio door and into the heart of the party, I noticed that no one could see me. Even though everyone was talking, I didn't hear any voices. I traveled past a few people when suddenly I noticed someone directly in front of me staring at me. He was slightly tipsy.

I was able to "talk" to him and explain my situation. The communication was perfect and nonverbal. I knew that he understood exactly why I was there, and he communicated perfectly to me that he would take care of the situation. I trusted him.

At that point, I turned around and retraced my path until I found myself above my physical body in my second-floor bedroom. Then I descended to the level of my body, just above my head. Instead of going directly into my head, my spiritual body backed into it so that the small end of my spiritual body entered first, leaving the large end closest to the top of my head, just as it had been before "I" first exited my physical body.

When my spiritual body entered my physical body, it was like two railroad cars coming together. I think I remember thinking that I was back together again.

I immediately sat up in bed and looked out my bedroom window because of the noise coming from next door. Many, many cars were leaving the area around the townhouse next door. They were really in a hurry. Within about five minutes, the cars were all gone, and everything was dark and quiet.

I went to sleep and went to church the next morning. After this happened, I resumed my Bible study.

About a year later, the college kids had moved out, and a family had moved in. On only one occasion, I entered the townhouse next door. I knew where everything was. I knew that the staircase to the second floor was located differently from my staircase. I knew where the far outside door in the living room was located. I knew where everything was located, even though I had only been there once before, about a year earlier.

I was very alert throughout the entire experience, and my thoughts did not speed up at any time.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date of NDE: 10/15/1980

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? No

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 was at the party next door. I communicated with the tipsy fellow next door. I watched the cars leaving after I returned to my bedroom.

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness? I was very alert throughout the whole experience. I estimate the whole experience lasted between 5 and 10 minutes.
My ability to communicate with the tipsy person was very close to being perfect. My vision was greatly enhanced. I could see clearly in the dark and I could see how "bumpy" the paint on the walls was. The paint had always looked smooth to me before.

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? 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 could see in the dark. Even though the paint on the walls had always looked smooth to me before, it looked very bumpy and uneven during this experience.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience There were no sounds at all.

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? No

What emotions did you feel during the experience? There were few emotions. I was just tired and wanted to get to sleep so I could go to church the next morning.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? No

Did you have a feeling of joy? No

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? No

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? No

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian - Protestant
Was a new Christian. Had been reading the Bible almost daily for 9 months. Then I began to have doubts and stopped reading earlier that week. The OBE occurred the following Saturday night after a night out with friends.

Have your religious practices changed? Yes
I had stopped my Bible study for a short time. I restarted my study after this experience.

What is your religion now? Christian - Protestant
Christian - Protestant

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
I began to doubt that I had a soul/spirit. This experience removed that doubt, and I continued my Bible studies.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes
I had doubts about the existence of my soul/spirit. Those doubts were removed.

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? 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? 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? Slight changes in my life
I started reading my Bible again. This event occurred 46 years ago. I don't believe I've ever told anyone about this experience. Today, I'm old and looking forward to leaving this world behind me.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

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
The fine details of this experience are "burned into" my memory. It was a profound experience that I could never forget.

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? My doubts about the existence of my spirit/soul were removed.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? No

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
The noisy party next door ended within about 5 minutes after I returned to my bedroom. I watched all of the cars get into a traffic jam, trying to get away.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real
I visited the townhouse next door about a year later and realized I had been there before. I recognized the inside. I watched the exodus of the cars on the night of the party.

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 believe I've given you a very thorough description of my experience.

Anything else to add? No.