Thomas NDE

Experience Description

I was on a metal gurney after being transported to the hospital by ambulance boat in Venice. Surgeons in green gowns and hats inserted a stomach pump. I had difficulty swallowing and then passed out.

I found myself floating up near the high ceiling of the theater, or emergency room. This building was quite old and large. I was looking down on the surgeons working on me. I was studying in Venice at that time, and the teachers in charge arrived looking worried. I "heard" one say, "Oh, Thomas..." They were asking about my condition. One of the surgeons said, "He's in a coma; we cannot tell the outcome," and they were told they had to leave and were escorted out.

During this time, I was aware I was floating at the ceiling. I had no sense of being in a body, just like a floating consciousness. It was rather bewildering but not unpleasant in itself. I had no sensation of pain or of being handled by the medical staff. Although after regaining consciousness, there were a lot of bruises on my body. As noted above, I could see and hear things, but it didn't feel like normal sight or hearing. It was an immediate communication which I assume was telepathic. I didn't have any further near-death experiences, like passing through a tunnel or meeting loved ones.

My next experience was, I presume, after coming out of the coma and being assisted by male nurses. I was in an agitated, but half-conscious condition. I couldn't remember the details when I fully woke up.

Background Information:

Gender: Male

Date of NDE: 11/30/1975

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes
Suicide attempt associated with bipolar disorder.

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
People were very reluctant to discuss it, but I was not familiar with the hospital before I went into it. When I regained consciousness it was as I saw it when floating above the gurney: the building was not modern like usual hospitals but located in an old large building, as it was in Venice.

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness? When floating just below the ceiling
Knowing what was going on below and with my disembodied self with complete immediacy, no sense of bodily restriction.

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 had no sense of time, past, present, or future.

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 Telepathic vision with a sense of direction rather than conscious use of the eyes

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience Could very clearly 'hear' what was said despite the distance. Again, more telepathic than normal hearing

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Yes, and the facts have been checked out

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? Yes
The people referred to above.

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? Bewildered, astonished but interested, peaceful release from bodily restraints or discomfort, comfortable, no sensations of external heat or cold, aware of the emotions of people I saw as well as how they looked and what they were saying

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 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? Yes
Everything happened in the emergency room while I was floating near the ceiling.

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

Have your religious practices changed? Uncertain
I became more interested in the mystical side of religion and the paranormal.

What is your religion now? 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
It accorded with my religious and philosophical belief that there is more than just our physical life and normal consciousness

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes
I developed a greater wish to explore philosophical and belief systems.

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? Moderate changes in my life
Wanted to make more of my life, disappointed with the materialism, selfishness and cynicism encountered in people.

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
After decades, I still vividly remember this experience, when often I don't easily recall what happened last week!

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Uncertain
My intuition and empathic abilities are, I think, higher than normal, which was confirmed by a Myers-Briggs test. However, I am now more aware of them and have learned to trust them more.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? I can't separate it; it was a totality of experience.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes
I shared it at various times. I was more reluctant immediately after because I encountered skepticism.

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 just had an overwhelming psychological effect that took time to work through.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real
It's as described above. It's difficult to add anything.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Uncertain
Some mystical experiences, like a feeling of oneness with the world due to meditation, have reproduced parts of the experience.

Did the questions asked and information that you provided accurately and comprehensively describe your experience? Yes