These NDE accounts were submitted to our website and are published here anonymously. Minor edits have been made to protect the identity of the experiencer and others who may have been involved with the experience. Note to researchers and authors: IANDS cannot grant permission to publish quotations from these NDE accounts because we have not received permission from the NDE authors to do so. However, we advise authors who wish to use quotations from these accounts to follow the Fair Use Doctrine. See our Copyright Policy for more information. We recommend adopting this practice for quotations from our web site before you have written your book or article.
When I was 5, my sister who was 7, was lost in a snow storm on the family ranch and subsequently died of hypothermia. My mother died two days later of a broken heart.
Twenty three years ago, I was running late for work; there were freezing conditions and my car slipped off of a bridge. My body left the vehicle, landing on frozen ground. Due to the temperatures, loss of blood was minimal but I was out-of-body/NDE for three days.
In 2008 I was a practicing cardiac-anesthesiologist. I was Chief of Anesthesiology at a heart hospital, and derived my identity and happiness from the work I did and my family. But in August of that year - everything was turned upside down when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. A routine surgery to treat it, in the same month, led to complications that left me incontinent and in excruciating pain due to scar formation. Due to these complications I was forced back into surgery a further three times between Aug and Dec 2008.
I was having a difficult labour. Behind the placenta there was bleeding. I was trying to push but felt quite weak, so forceps were used to get her out. She was beautiful! I remember they placed her on me but I was at the point where they had to remove her, I was too weak.
I was ill in bed and the pain, suffering and noise was all just getting too much and I remember thinking "I can't take anymore," and gave up.
Suddenly I'm floating in this lit grey volume (lovely colour of grey) in complete bliss (the word bliss doesn't even come close to the feeling) and thinking "I'm at peace." Then I thought "well, if this is death, it's brilliant."
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