I'm inspired to bring up this thread by a near death experience I had at 14 by a near fatal horseback riding accident, and my SO had one when his heart stopped in the hospital from an asthma attack. I love the (newish) true story series on Biography channel called "I Survived:Beyond and Back" profiling real people who's hearts have stopped and what they experienced before they were revived, or their hearts started beating again. I was fascinated by this show when I realized most of their stories are very similar to what my SO and I experienced. I remember what happened to me like it was yesterday!

I've told many people what I experienced over the years, being above myself after my 800 lb. horse fell on top of me and temporarily stopped my heart. I could see myself laying on the ground with my right leg out as I was floating above, the car next to me, the barn, my horse running away, the dirt road, the field....everything, but I was knocked out and then boom, I was back in my body I couldn't breath and was gasping for air. My right leg was severely dislocated (catching the weight of my horse), cracked ribs, broken foot. The Dr's couldn't believe I didn't die, I'll never forget them saying that. I was in the hospital for 3 weeks and couldn't walk for another 3 months.

My SO was in the ER and flatlined, and he remembers seeing himself from above too, but in the ceiling area watching everyone frantically working on him. He remembered a lot of details in the ER they said he couldn't have because he was flatlining, but he did.

I know this may sound bizarre to someone who has never had a near death experience, so I'm wondering if anyone else here has and if so, what was your experience?

^That's terrifying OP! Well i don't know if this counts but one year when i was younger i went to watch fireworks at the local park with my parents. I was sitting on a bench and my dad told me to move closer to him, i only moved like a few inches to my right. A few minutes later, a firework fell over and shot right where i was sitting before my dad told me to move. If i hadn't moved those few inches, god knows what would've happened, i probably would've had a firework shot in my face...

^^Actually it wasn't scary at all, it was an incredible experience to have gone through Honestly, the people who have had much longer near death experiences, such as the ones profiled on "I Survived:Beyond and Back" have all said it was the best thing that ever happened to them. They had never felt so calm, loved, and at peace. Every single one of them said they are no longer afraid of death after their experience knowing what is beyond is incredible You'd have to watch the show to understand what they are saying. It's not a scary show, it's more inspiring than anything!

Yikes about the fireworks episode, good thing you moved when you did! That remind One of my SO's friends was joking around a few years ago with a bottle rocket with his brother. They were drinking (of course) and he thought it would be funny to shoot the bottle rocket at his thinking it probably wouldn't hit him anyway. Well, he was wrong. The bottle rocket flew directly in his left eye completely blinding him and he has to wear a glass eye now. The ER Dr. said if the bottle rocket would have exploded while in his eye (it didn't go off thank God) it would have killed him. Now that's scary!

Originally Posted by labelwhore04

^That's terrifying OP! Well i don't know if this counts but one year when i was younger i went to watch fireworks at the local park with my parents. I was sitting on a bench and my dad told me to move closer to him, i only moved like a few inches to my right. A few minutes later, a firework fell over and shot right where i was sitting before my dad told me to move. If i hadn't moved those few inches, god knows what would've happened, i probably would've had a firework shot in my face...

I went to the other side when I was about 8 years old. The doctors wanted to hospitalize me, but my case of red measles was too severe as well as contagious to risk moving me. I remember being in my bed, nearly immobile in a dark room, and having to wear sunglasses to protect my eyes. At some point during those weeks, I remember an incredible ease come over me... Wash into me. And then I was walking around this beautiful prismic haze, feeling very at peace but curious as to where I was. In a moment, I was "being led" back and a voice told me it wasn't my time yet. Then I was back in bed, reclined on my pillows, and listening to my mother's footfalls pound down the hallway. I opened my eyes and saw her standing in my doorway, completely stiff. The voice said, "She can't see your eyes. Move." Ohhh the sunglasees, I thought. So I moved my head a little. My mom collapsed against the door jam, sobbing. She knew.

Thanks for sharing that Threshold! One person in the show I was talking about had a near death experience when he was 8 years old too. What you are saying is what many of the people who had a similar experience said as well, they were completely at ease and what they saw was beautiful....but then they were told "it wasn't their time" and they had to go back. Only people who have experience this can understand what it's like!

Originally Posted by Threshold

I went to the other side when I was about 8 years old. The doctors wanted to hospitalize me, but my case of red measles was too severe as well as contagious to risk moving me. I remember being in my bed, nearly immobile in a dark room, and having to wear sunglasses to protect my eyes. At some point during those weeks, I remember an incredible ease come over me... Wash into me. And then I was walking around this beautiful prismic haze, feeling very at peace but curious as to where I was. In a moment, I was "being led" back and a voice told me it wasn't my time yet. Then I was back in bed, reclined on my pillows, and listening to my mother's footfalls pound down the hallway. I opened my eyes and saw her standing in my doorway, completely stiff. The voice said, "She can't see your eyes. Move." Ohhh the sunglasees, I thought. So I moved my head a little. My mom collapsed against the door jam, sobbing. She knew.

^^ Thank you for that kind response. I had to really think twice about sharing my experience. Not everyone is receptive. My little trek past the veil affirmed that there IS "life after life". But you are right, not everyone can find comfort in that unless they have experienced it, or have an ideology that provides comfortability with the inevitable.

^^Which leads me to say, there are a lot of things that happen on this Earth which can't always be explained or proven. Also, there are many people who believe in things they have never actually seen, but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Some people don't believe in anything unless they have 'proof'. I keep an open mind about a lot of things. Several people profiled on this show said they kept their experience to themselves for years thinking no one would believe them, but after they read about others having the similar near death experiences they felt comfortable enough to share what their stories

I've never experienced one but as a religious/spiritual person, I very well do believe that it happens.

Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences. I love watching "I Survived" too! lol

During college, I was volunteering in Bangladesh as an English teacher and I got hemorrhagic dengue fever. My platelet count got down to around 6,000 I believe, and my blood went rushing to the surface of my skin which made me look like a "tomato" if you can imagine.

I become unconscious when they took me to the hospital which I never really actually remember being unconscious...I only remember waking up. When I did they told me they had expected me to die that night. They even told my mother they didn't think I was going to make it... All the blood transfusions they had given me had failed but the last one they tried finally worked.

None the less, it was a traumatizing experience and I'm a changed person because of it. I went to Bangladesh a hard core christian and left an athiest. Despite all this, I am very grateful in a weird kind of way?

Life took a whole new meaning and focusing more of my efforts on living a good, responsible, and fulfilled life with those I love became very clear to me, than spending all my time and money praying to a god that really isn't there.

Had the doctors left me and only prayed to "god" I would have died. No amount of pleading to the savior I devoted my life to would have saved my life. It was the nurses, doctors, and my teaching associates (the ones who gave me blood), who saved my life. Where was god during this time? Just waiting for me to die so he could greet me in heaven? That's kind of a weird way of showing you love someone.

Had I of died during the time I was unconscious I wouldn't have even known it. When I think about that and question if I would have been happy with how I lived my life that short time I always answer, no.

Because there was a god I truly believed in, that I truly believed was watching my every step , telling me not do do certain things, or believe in things, or to be a certain way, simply because HE said so. And following his commands for what? To live by a set a rules only to die young only for a reward he will only give me when I'm dead?

Life is too short, and when you go leave this world you won't even know it. So before you die make sure you live your life and love the people who really are real, who reward you every day with their love and friendship.

My experience seems to be the completely opposite of a previous poster I think

^ Thank you for posting a different perspective. Although I fear this is verging on religious discussion, any discussion of near-death experiences (and the assumption that there is something after this life) IS inherently religious. I believe there is a rational explanation for most of these situations; the brain can create amazing situations under duress.

^^I am not a religious person at all, never have been and neither is my SO. I never tied my experience to a or any religion in any way. Also, the show I referred to is not based on religion and if that were the case I would not watch it.

Well, to many, having life after death is religious. Being not religious is no life after death, just die, gone, no experience of peace etc. If you can experience peace then it means there is something there after all.

In my personal opinion, if there is a voice to tell you that it is not your time yet, that means there is a "spirit" on the other side who knows the situation. My Mom experienced that too and was told by "a guy over the other side" that it was not her time yet, so she woke up.

This is just my opinion, don't want to go into an argument whether there is a god or not (that is your duty to decide, you are given a free will) but I feel if it is not our time yet to cross over for good, then no matter what, things will happen that you will survive. If you survive, then that means it is not your time yet to cross over for good. There are people who cross over for good even though no sickness etc., one was my friend's mother who just died sitting on the chair listening to their chit-chatting. Another was my cousin who had no sickness , just out shopping and fell and passed away. This is because their time had come to cross over. Another relative, no sickness, passed away in his sleep. So how can one not believe that there is a date for us to cross over?

Originally Posted by andkenfly

During college, I was volunteering in Bangladesh as an English teacher and I got hemorrhagic dengue fever. My platelet count got down to around 6,000 I believe, and my blood went rushing to the surface of my skin which made me look like a "tomato" if you can imagine. I become unconscious when they took me to the hospital which I never really actually remember being unconscious...I only remember waking up. When I did they told me they had expected me to die that night. They even told my mother they didn't think I was going to make it... All the blood transfusions they had given me had failed but the last one they tried finally worked. None the less, it was a traumatizing experience and I'm a changed person because of it. I went to Bangladesh a hard core christian and left an athiest. Despite all this, I am very grateful in a weird kind of way? Life took a whole new meaning and focusing more of my efforts on living a good, responsible, and fulfilled life with those I love became very clear to me, than spending all my time and money praying to a god that really isn't there. Had the doctors left me and only prayed to "god" I would have died. No amount of pleading to the savior I devoted my life to would have saved my life. It was the nurses, doctors, and my teaching associates (the ones who gave me blood), who saved my life. Where was god during this time? Just waiting for me to die so he could greet me in heaven? That's kind of a weird way of showing you love someone. Had I of died during the time I was unconscious I wouldn't have even known it. When I think about that and question if I would have been happy with how I lived my life that short time I always answer, no. Because there was a god I truly believed in, that I truly believed was watching my every step , telling me not do do certain things, or believe in things, or to be a certain way, simply because HE said so. And following his commands for what? To live by a set a rules only to die young only for a reward he will only give me when I'm dead? Life is too short, and when you go leave this world you won't even know it. So before you die make sure you live your life and love the people who really are real, who reward you every day with their love and friendship. My experience seems to be the completely opposite of a previous poster I think

Let me tell you a true story - a family member had a posting given to him after we prayed for several years. We were overjoyed but we were sad that it was so far away so we decided to pray together that he be given another same posting but nearby. Within minutes of our prayer, the phone rang and an administrative person on the phone told us that the posting had been changed to one nearby our town!!!