Sam's Near Death ExperienceFrom: Paul(mailto:paul@lifeplanningsystems.com) Location: Unknown Source: Form Submission Sam--Here"s my story. Following it is information on a group that has helped me, and others like me, a lot. The NDE is a unique experience, both wonderful and scary. My hope in sharing my story is that it may help others who have questions. I do not sell or promote anything in connection with this. In January, 1971, on a Sunday, I was cooking a late breakfast for my two boys and my mother when I slipped on a spot of cooking oil and fell to my knees in the kitchen. The blow jarred my spine (which had already had one spinal surgery) and I blacked out. When I awoke I was on my back and paralyzed from the waist down. I was ambulanced to Mercy Hospital and, since my doctor was out of town until the next day, put to bed to wait. In the late afternoon I felt well enough to eat a big meal. About two hours later my stomach started to swell enormously and I began to black out. The nurses took me down to an empty emergency room and rounded up the only doctors they could find (presumably there to deliver babies). Despite their efforts, I sank lower and lower and finally respiration and heatbeat stopped. From their viewpoint, nothing was happening (although no one could figure out why). From mine, however, it was very different. I went through a dark tunnel with flashing lights toward a bright light. I came out into a sort of cloud-like area. There were beings there, though I couldn"t "see" anything. One entity, who I"ve always called "the greeter" (because he was there to greet me) spoke to me. We had quite a conversation about my life to date; it was not condemning or retaliatory--just a review. I knew if I chose to go on it was all right. It was like going around a series of light bends. If I went far enough, I couldn"t go back--and that was okay. If I did that, however, I wouldn"t get the opportunity to raise my children or to experience a type of love I hadn"t really known so far. In the end, I decided to return. When I did so, I found myself instantly in the upper corner of the emergency room watching the doctors try to figure out what was wrong and how to fix it. It was really quite comical from my point of view. I knew it was my body down there, but I didn"t mind. I did have to get back into it, however, and finally did so. I do remember the first thing I heard upon re-entering: One doctor, obviously tired and exasperated, said, "Jesus Christ, he"s breathing again". If I had been back more fully to outer consciousness, I would have laughed out loud! I understood his exasperation: They didn"t know why I left, and now they didn"t know why (or how) I was back! Not knowing what to do, they put me back in a room and put a nurse beside me with a pen and paper and told her to write down everything I said. I promptly went to sleep and never said a word all night long. Shortly thereafter, it was discovered I had two injuries, not one. After I had blacked out I fell on the oil bottle I was putting away. It damaged my internal organs. When I ate, the problem got much worse--it was shock that caused my temporary death. With therary, the paralysis let up fairly quickly. Shortly thereafter I entered into a two year custoday fight over my children. I always knew I"d win it, since I had come back to raise them (but I never told the judge or my attorney how I knew it--not in 1971). the doctors passed the experience off as "you had a bad night", but the nuns who read the doctors" reports talked with me about it. I have now raised the children, and I have experienced the love I always wanted in abundance. I also walk normally, despite several spinal operations. It has changed my life considerably, and continues to have major effects on it almost 25 years later. However, I learned a few things. There is a "there" there, and it"s for everyone--not just me, and not just because I belong or don"t belong to the "right" religion--whatever that is. God or whatever you choose to call it--Spirit, the Divine All, Whatever--loves us all unconditionally. The Near-Death Experience, wonderful as it is, is a mixed blessing. It can raise more questions than it answers. I was confused about a lot of things for a lot a years, and I felt very alone sometimes. I finally found a group that has helped me a lot. It is called the International Association for Near Death Studies. It is both a scientific and support group for anyone who has had, or is interested in, the near-death experience. In the group to which I belong, 2/3 of the group have never had an NDE, but all have been touched in some way. I would encourage anyone with these questions to find one of these groups. They exist on every continent except Antarctica. If you cannot find one and would like to, EMail me your request and I"ll do what I can to help you locate an IANDS group. God blesses us all. |