I was taking a break from work, working from an apartment, on an August morning (August 1, 2011) in Rapid City, SD, walking outside in the sunshine having a smoke.  As I was walking back to my apartment, in the middle of the parking lot, I felt my chest flutter

like a heart arrhythmia, which stopped within a few seconds.  At that moment my upper chest started feeling like it was inflating. (Doctors later informed me that my heart was likely in a fatal arrhythmia, not pumping, and back-filling with blood, which swells the heart.) 

I then felt a euphoric surge flood over me, like I was immersed in pure love.  Everything turned a brilliant white. I stumbled and fell to my hands and knees.  I felt so wonderful, I just wanted to roll over, lay down and succumb.  I tried to see to "the other side" but all I could see was brilliant white.  

At that moment I realized I was dying, something I did not want to do.  I was in a parking lot, for God's sake, I was not going to die in a parking lot!  Someone would run over me!  I pitied the guy who found me dead.  I didn't want to leave my wife, my kids, I still had more to do here!!  So I struggled with all my might, fighting death with all my life energy. With all my strength I struggled to my feet, staggered a few steps, then the white light, the euphoria, the chest swelling feeling started to subside.  I staggered a few more steps and they were gone.  The whole thing lasted maybe 45 seconds, or so it seemed.  I felt absolutely normal!  Like nothing had happened.  I walked up the steps to the 3rd floor apartment and sat down at my desk to resume work, wondering what the heck had just happened to me. 

I didn't tell my wife for a few days, she being in another state at the moment.  Once I told her she got a bit upset and told me to go to the doctor immediately. All medical readings, including an EKG were normal. The internal medicine doctor said I was a "flat liner".  My neurologist said I had a "significant arrythmic event."

As a follow on, July 17, 2015 I was found to have a 99.9% clogged circumflex artery in my heart and 3 overlapping stents were placed, but no heart attack, just chest tightening symptoms on exertion.  The interventionalist cardiologist said my near death may have been related to arterial insufficiencies, a fore-warning.