Like every Sunday I had to get ready to go to Church with my mum and sister. On this particular morning I came downstairs to hear a lot of commotion as my sister was protesting about having to go to Church. She was complaining of a headache and was still in her dressing gown. I remember standing in the living room in front of a large mirror brushing my hair. I could see my sister in the reflection sat on the sofa. All of a sudden she said to herself 'I am going to die'. She said it in such a manner that suggested she had come to some form of realization. Then, she said it again with horror whilst running into the kitchen to mum. My mum said 'Don't be ridiculous. You better get ready for church now!' As she was a teenager at the time this kind of drama was completely normal. Not that she had ever claimed she was going to die before. I knew this was just another attempt to not go to church as we both found it incredibly boring. Either way, I hopped on my bike and rode to 5 minutes to church. Within moments of me being sat down, a family friend came and grabbed me saying my sister was in the hospital. I found this idea both hilarious for the lengths she was going to to avoid church and a little unsettling for how much trouble she was going to be in.

I went into the hospital intent on telling her to quit this charade and come home. I was also fairly sure that I could probably get away with anything after this stunt! I was shown to the intensive care room with absolutely no idea what the phrase meant. I went inside and stood the other side of the doorway looking for everyone. Within the same moment, in fact before my eyes even managed to focus on my family, I was pulled upwards into the sky. It felt the exact same as a rollercoaster but it was only for a microsecond. I next found myself in a black space which I think might have been actual space as in just above the earth. In the distance I could see a round ball glowing which I think was the planet. I do not recollect any stars in this space, only blackness. Now I can see myself in the third person. I was standing somewhere in complete confusion. Next to me, on my left, was an older man with his hand on my left shoulder. I could tell he was concerned and was worried for me. In front of both of us , about 1 meter away, was a thin vertical sheet of light particles. Just like when the sun shines through a gap in window curtains and catches the dust so it looks like some kind of wall. Remember I am seeing this from an external perspective where myself and the person next to me are on my right hand side. Myself and the other person where both facing the 9 o'clock position and my view is from the 5 - 6 o clock position.

I remember standing there in complete confusion and was in the middle of thinking 'where the hell am I'! (those are the exact words which formed in my mind). As I was thinking it my sister appeared floating in a horizontal position on the other side of the light particle wall. My though continued 'and what the hell are you doing here'!. Again this was exactly what I thought. Immediately my sister responded 'I am gone now'. This is verbatim. I remember the shock and awe realizing that she had heard my thoughts! The words hadn't even got as far as my mouth yet and she knew my question! I said 'gone where... and when are you coming back' with incredulity. Something like a thought then emerged in my mind where I knew more information was coming and that it was important to tell me straight whatever it was. She said 'and I am never coming back'. I then understood that she was 'gone' and what that really meant. She started to drift away into the distance encouraged by someone floating alongside her. As she drifted away I felt rising horror and panic. I said in genuine anguish, or thought really, 'but will I see you again'!? There was a momentary pause but then she drifted back towards me and laughed to her new friend and said like it was the silliest question in the world 'yes, you will see me again'. She was smiling and laughing with her friend over this question in a way that reminds me of when my 7 year old daughter reassures her 3 yr old brother that he will see her again soon when she has to go back to her mums house. Of course he will see her again! We will Skype tomorrow evening! We only get to see her every few weeks as she lives with her mum. It was more like she was going to the next room and I would see her again later in the day. I could tell that she was proud of me being her little brother and I was loved like siblings love each other. The other person I think was smiling like a teacher at a pupils little brother being cute. I felt completely reassured and I knew that everything was going to be O.K. I also thought I might be able to get some 'extra' information out of this place regarding my death! I knew I was being cheeky but I asked 'will I be an old man when I see you again'? I wanted to ask straight what age I would die at but also knew that I would not be allowed to know that kind of detail. Again my sister giggled and said as she was drifting off 'yes, you will be an old man'!

Then, I found myself stood in the intensive care unit with my family saying 'come over here, everything is alright'. I walked over to them in complete shock. The problem was that I knew she was dead but apparently nobody else did. My mum or dad made encouraged me to hold her hand, which I did, but I hated it as I knew she was dead. Holding a dead persons hand is a memory I will never forget. My next memory is being in a special waiting room trying my best not to cry because I would have been to embarrassed to do it in front of people. After this I remember being my mum, dad, and me being with the consultant who tried to save her. He showed me an x-ray of her skull which depicted the massive hemorrhage on her brain. I turned away as I did not want to see this frankly gory picture. He said we had to go and say goodbye. I didn't want to go back to a dead body and so I didn't want to. My dad to my mum that it is probably important for me to but she said no and that they would deal with any fallout. That's it really except I would like to add that many years later I had a strange dream where I found myself stood in a small circle made of knee high picket fences. This was on a grassy hillside and around me there were many more identical circles with other people stood in them. Next to me was my Granddad. He put his hand on my shoulder, and with a concerned look on his face, pointed into the distance and I realized that I had thought 'but where is my sister'? I looked where he was pointing and I saw a city that looked like somewhere in Asia; tall skyscrapers, dramatic steep hillsides, waterfronts etc. I understood that he was telling me she was fine, she was thinking about me, but that she wasn't allowed to meet me yet. I had this dream whilst on holiday about 10 years later. I walked into my house and, bizarrely, said to my dad 'so who died'? to which he replied 'your granddad'. It was then that I remembered the dream and told my dad that I already knew. The truth is I didn't know explicitly, it was more of a feeling.

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

Was the experience difficult to express in words?  No    

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness?         I felt no different than I ever felt. I was completely normal.

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness?      Normal consciousness and alertness   It was the same

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.   No different except for the awkward fact of seeing myself from an external point of view.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.   No sound as we communicated by thoughts.

Did you see or hear any earthly events that were occurring during a time that your consciousness / awareness was apart from your physical / earthly body?   No  

What emotions did you feel during the experience?   Nothing particular.  

Did you pass into or through a tunnel?   No  

Did you see an unearthly light?   No  

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  

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings?   Yes   One was obviously my sister. She was accompanied by someone unknown to me. I was also accompanied by someone unknown to me. Interestingly, I have a mild feeling it was my mums dad who died before I was born. But I am not really sure.

Did you become aware of past events in your life during your experience?   No  

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world?   Some unfamiliar and strange place
It was a black space and felt no different that standing in a black room. The Earth was possibly in the backdrop.

Did time seem to speed up or slow down?   No

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything?   No

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure?   Yes
A thin wall of light particles.

Did you come to a border or point of no return?   No

Did scenes from the future come to you?  No 

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness suggesting that there either is (or is not) continued existence after earthly life (“life after death”)?   Yes   Yes, death is not important.

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness that God or a supreme being either does (or does not) exist?   No  

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness that you either did (or did not) exist prior to this lifetime?   No  

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness that a mystical universal connection or unity/oneness either does (or does not) exist?   No  

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding earthly life’s meaning or purpose?   No  

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding earthly life’s difficulties, challenges, or hardships?   No  

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding love?   No  

During your experience, did you encounter any other specific information / awareness that you have not shared in other questions that is relevant to living our earthly lives?   No  

Did you have a sense of knowing special knowledge or purpose?   No  

What occurred during your experience included:   Content that was entirely consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience   I had no concept of death and that was what I got; a black void.

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 th   It is the most prominent memory of my childhood. I remember with incredible detail.

Discuss any changes that might have occurred in your life after your experience:   I have been interested in Buddhism since a teenager but I cannot connect that directly to my NDE experience.

My experience directly resulted in:   Unknown

Did you have any changes in your values or beliefs after the experience that occurred as a result of the experience?   No  

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience?   No  
    

Have you ever shared this experience with others?   Yes  I told my partner about 3 months ago, burst into tears then laughed saying this is why I don't talk about my sisters death.

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 was as real as anything else. At such a young age I didn't know the significance of such an experience. I never told my mum and dad about it. I really want to but I don't want to bring all that up.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience at the current time:   Experience was definitely real   Most importantly for me I remember the horror of having to hold a dead persons hand! Without this element I may have been likely to dismiss the whole memory as the brain trying to protect itself from trauma.

Have your relationships changed specifically as a result of your experience?   Uncertain   I was 12! i have no idea.

Have your religious beliefs/spiritual practices changed specifically as a result of your experience?   No  

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