Experience description:
My son Mark, aged 19
had come home from his studies at Un. Calif. at Berkeley for Thanksgiving week
with me. We spent a wonderful week together and he visited all his old high
school teachers and friends. The day after Thanksgiving, he left with friends
to spend the weekend at Salton Sea in a friends cabin.
I went to bed early
that evening. tired and happy. I was brought up from deep sleep when I heard an
authoritative voice say, " Your heart will stop beating". I was not afraid but
wondered if it would stop suddenly, or slowly. I started trying to count my
heartbeats. (I was still asleep but in an altered state of sleep) Suddenly, I
was out of my body with nothing but my consciousness. It was dark and silent.
I was extremely curious about my new state of being and how to function without
a body. I had a sense of adventure and fun - no fear or anxiety. As I was
trying to figure out how to move, I noticed a scene far below, so I knew I was
high above in the night sky. I saw what I thought was my prostate form lying on
the ground and a person in great distress over me. I was filled with a feeling
of compassion and wanted to go to that person and tell him not to worry- I was
in a blissful state. As I got distracted trying to move myself, I noticed
lights below - a convoy of vehicles and as I noticed the lights, I was pulled
towards them, much like a light beam. I arrived as the convoy parked next to a
building and a van opened and 2 men brought out a gurney with what I thought was
my body. I could hear their voices and thought, "Great, I am going to learn
what is happening. At that moment, my mother opened my bedroom door and I
awakened. I looked at the clock and it was 11:15 PM. The next morning I told
my mother about the dream and that if that was what death was like, there was
nothing to fear. I learned later that morning that my son had died after being
thrown from a vehicle in the Bombay Beach area of Salton Sea. One friend stayed
with him while another ran for help. After the police and coroner finished
their work, his body was taken to the Imperial County morgue - the building I
saw in my dream. The coroner reported he died at 11:17 PM.
Later I talked with Dr. Raymond Moody and asked if he found other cases like
mine and he said only one, in which a nurse had experienced her father's death.
Any
associated medications or substances with the potential to affect the
experience?
No
Was
the kind of experience difficult to express in words?
No
At
the time of this experience, was there an associated life threatening
event?
Yes My son died in an automobile accident at the time I had the OBE which
mirrored the events and location surrounding his death. I learned about his
death the next day, but the OBE happened at the time of his death.
What was your level of consciousness and alertness during the experience?
I
was asleep but hyper-alert.
Was the experience dream like in any way?
I
was asleep but the experience was not like a dream.
Did
you experience a separation of your consciousness from your body?
Yes I had no form - no 'edges'. The closest I can come to a description is
that I was like an amoeba or cloud.
What emotions did you feel during the experience?
Wonder, sense of adventure, love, compassion, curiosity.
Did
you hear any unusual sounds or noises?
Only
the voice, pronouncing my heart would stop beating, then the men's voices at the
morgue.
LOCATION DESCRIPTION:
Did you recognize any familiar locations or any locations from familiar
religious teachings or encounter any locations inhabited by incredible or
amazing creatures?
No
Did
you see a light?
No
Did
you meet or see any other beings?
No
Did
you experiment while out of the body or in another, altered state?
Yes
Yes,
I witnessed part of the experience of my son's death, or what happened after his
death.
Did
you observe or hear anything regarding people or events during your experience
that could be verified later?
Yes I related my dream to my mother and daughter the next morning, before we
learned what had happened to my son.
Did
you notice how your 5 senses were working, and if so, how were they
different?
Yes I had no physical form but my consciousness was intense.
Did
you have any sense of altered space or time?
Yes There was no sense of time. Dr. Moody pointed out that the dream was
precognitive because Mark's body would have arrived at the morgue hours later.
Did
you have a sense of knowing, special knowledge, universal order and/or
purpose?
No Not until much later, when I realized the experience probably
saved my life. Both Mark and I believed that death is the end, but this
experience made me KNOW that is not true.
Did
you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure?
No
Did
you become aware of future events?
Yes Only the immediate future - I saw what was happening as my son died, and
later had other mystical experiences that helped me survive the loss.
Were you involved in or aware of a decision regarding your return to the
body?
No
Did
you have any psychic, paranormal or other special gifts following the experience
that you did not have prior to the experience?
Yes A few precognitive dreams or visions.
Did
you have any changes of attitudes or beliefs following the experience?
Yes Certainty that something survives death.
How
has the experience affected your relationships? Daily life? Religious practices?
Career choices?
Years later, I was led to the hospice movement and was instrumental in
pioneering inpatient hospice services in Arkansas
Has
your life changed specifically as a result of your experience?
Yes In every way.
Have you shared this experience with others?
Yes Friends were interested, amazed.
What emotions did you experience following your experience?
Wonder, peaceful, until I learned my experience was a mirror of the events
surrounding my son's death.
What was the best and worst part of your experience?
Best
was knowing that my son's spirit survived. Worst was learning that he had died
and that I had not got the chance to join with him spiritually. Had my mother
not awakened me, I wonder what would have happened next.
Is
there anything else you would like to add concerning the experience?
I am
not of any religious faith and have more questions than answers, but I find
great comfort in knowing that somehow my son or 'the universe' gave me enough
knowledge of life after death to help me survive the depths of grief and lead a
productive life.
Following the experience, have you had any other events in your life,
medications or substances which reproduced any part of the experience?
No
Did
the questions asked and information you provided accurately and comprehensively
describe your experience?
Yes