[Andreth]

I feel very weird about asking this question, but here goes: Have you ever died and come back, or know anyone who has? I don't mean in a zombie-Dawn of the Dead fashion, although that would explain the smell in here sometimes but a situation where the body is dead for minutes or even seconds before being revived?

I was asked about mine a few days ago and have had an original story plot bunny gnawing at my mind ever since. But people always seem disappointed by my answer - When I was 18 I had a severe allergic reaction to codeine called anaphylactic shock and my father didn't quite get me to the hospital in time. I stopped breathing just as he carried me into the emergency room and by the time they got me intubated and revived, they estimated that I'd been gone for around two minutes. But people are disappointed by my story because there was no light or angels singing - all I remember is a horrible feeling of not being able to breathe and then black. That's it. Then I remember hearing a bunch of people yelling and carrying on and someone shining a light in my eyes and asking me questions.

My ex-grandmother-in-law, on the other hand, had a heart attack in her 60s and was dead for more than five minutes. They brought her back, but she was unresponsive and the docs were certain she had irreversible brain damage from the oxygen deprivation. Then she woke up in ICU three days later exactly like she was before the heart attack. She said that she saw a light, felt very warm, and while she didn't see anyone, she knew there was someone there 'talking' to her and 'taking care' of her.

I've read reports on the subject and some of the research that has been done. There's lots of theories about why people have different experiences but no real explanations.

Sorry to spring such a morbid subject on you folks, but I wanted to see if I could find some varied perspectives or stories to help me out with my story.

[SpaceWeavil]

I haven’t but I do have a close family member who has, and who I’m sure wouldn’t mind my telling the story (as he tells anyone who’ll listen himself ).

Basically, as a bit of background, my mother’s younger brother was born with a serious birthmark on his face and had several quite serious operations to correct this (this back in the 60s – 70s), some of which went wrong and have left him with photophobia and serious eye / health problems. He’s been housebound for years and on very strong painkillers because of the eye problems, which made him put on a lot of weight. So, two years back, his heart finally gave up on him. He had a minor heart attack at home, which he didn’t notice besides a few pains in his shoulder, but it caused a build up of fluid in his lungs, which made it increasingly difficult to breathe until finally he was in such distress that they took him into hospital.

Once he was admitted, he had another two heart attacks, and that’s when he had his ‘episode’. He told me about this a few days after the event, and though you could argue this was a product of the painkillers etc., this is what he said happened. Take it as you find it.

Basically his first heart attack in hospital was massive and he did technically ‘die’. The doctors on duty were about to call it when one of the student doctors suggested another technique he’d just been learning somewhere and that brought my uncle back again. But my uncle claims that he was aware of it all. He heard the doctors and nurses discussing whether to call it a day or not and was aware of what the younger doctor was doing, but in the middle of all this he says he saw the ‘standard thing’ (his words) which was a bright light ahead of him, only rather than him wanting to move towards it, he says the light moved towards him. He has always compared the way this ‘light source’ moved as being similar to the bullet time effect used in the Matrix film. I’m not entirely sure what he means by that, but that is always what he’s said. Finally when this light came close to him, so that he was almost enveloped in it, he says he felt an overpowering sensation of awe, and could make out the beginnings of a face in the middle of the light. He says, from what he saw, that the face was leonine. He wasn’t afraid of it, rather ‘awestruck’ as if it had a feeling of power about it, he says, and that made him recoil. After that the light eased back and he heard the commotion in the ward as they tried to resuscitate him. He says he also had a feeling like he wasn’t supposed to be there, when he saw the light, like a gut instinct that he had strayed somewhere he shouldn’t have.

Finally he started to become aware of what was happening and started trying to let them know not to stop working, that he was ‘trying to come back’, and did that by pulling the oxygen sensor thing off his finger as the nurse tried to attach it. Finally she realised that it wasn’t just falling off, that he was deliberately pulling it off, and she called to the doctor to say that he was back.

He was in hospital for weeks, and did suffer another minor attack, but he’s doing fine now. Most of the nurses in coronary care though seemed stunned, and said they were stunned, that he survived at all.

That’s the story he’s always told me, as I said.

[inglor]

I've had one, though not as spectacular as that one, more like Andreth's

I was in a real bad car accident in 1992, I was thrown from a Ford Bronco after it hit a bridge and rolled. I remember being put into the ambulance and then waking up in the ER. I was told later that they had to "jump start me" 3 times. No bright lights, no feelings what so ever. I remember the ambulance guy putting a collar on me and asking me questions and then waking up cussing like a sailor in the ER (I was quite inebriated, and was covered in glass and road rashes)
Supposedly I was dead for not long (BTW, that is a very disturbing thing to write...) and have no recollection other than what I have written

I think I am going to go hug my wife and daughter now


Inglor

[miriel361]

My father-in-law told me the story of a colleague whose son died at 6 years of age. The boy had had some sort of illness that had had him in and out of hospital. There was basically no hope for him and everyone knew it including the boy.

His parents were with him when he died. Of course they were really sad. Just before he died, the boy started staring at something they couldn't see and then he turned to them and said, "Don't be sad, can't you see how really beautiful it is?" Then he died.


You know Inglor, I think I'm going to go and give my kids a hug too.

[Robbie]

[Amlee]

[Thuriniel]

[Yavanie]

Andreth,
I haven't got anything constructive to add, but thanks for starting this interesting thread. I am intrigued by the real life experiences and can also SO identify with the humorous responses. Both are appreciated. Looking forward to more posts.

[Andreth]

Robbie, I firmly believe that a good sense of humor is key to survival, and from the sound of it you're going to need all the survival skills you can get. Hope you don't get killed too dead. Glad to see that you made it out all right. Cars can be replaced.

Thanks for sharing these stories. I know from experience that things like this aren't pleasant to discuss and I appreciate you doing so to help me out. And it has helped, tremendously. I've almost gotten the whole outline of the story written - now I just have to figure out how to keep the two main characters, who were brought back when they weren't supposed to be, out of Death's grasp. And he's a tricky muse to write.

The mention of SW's uncle feeling like he went somewhere he wasn't supposed to be was very helpful, Amlee's story shows another view of the death experience, miriel's story shows that some of these experiences are comforting, and Inglor's helps correlate my own, showing that even though there are no fireworks or special effects, it's nonetheless something that affects you dramatically. Everyone on the thread has helped by showing me that while this isn't a pleasant topic, it's something that moves people and gets to them. Thanks again guys.

Anna

PS Yavnie, you're right - I've read and heard stories from people which are obviously dressed up and elaborated. Probably people trying to get attention or with a very active fantasy life. But stories like the ones here that ring true and are obviously real experiences are always fascinating to see.

[Rous]

My mom talked about dying on the operating table. She hovered over the room the whole time and heard everything the doctors said. Years later, I was playing around with things better left unplayed with. My sister got me interested in astral projection. The couple of times I did it scared me so badly that I never tried it again. And returning to your body. It is true what they say about the rubber band. It is like someone took a giant rubber band and pulled it as far as possible before releasing it. It hit so hard I thought I was having a heart attack. That was about twenty-five years ago. I dropped it all and never tried it again.
There is still something there. I can think about my husband, and minutes later, he will call and ask if I need something. That is eerie in itself.
The closest I have ever personally come was when I went to the ER for a migraine and whatever they gave me made me think I was dying. If that is a near-death experience, I would rather just tumble on over the line and be done with it.

[LuthienTinuviel]

It is said in the legends of the Malay folks in my country that those who die always follow the lights.

(Come to think of it, why is death always associated with going to the light?)

I've no near-death experience, but when my Grandmother died I kept seeing her everywhere and it crept my mother out she took me to an Ustaz to sort me out, but it turned out that a child's 6th sense is just more sensitive compared to an adult's, and my deceased relative simply meant no harm.

[Rous]

[Amlee]

[Rous]

I can buy into the sixth sense thing. Too many things go on in this world. But as for seeing dead people, I do not buy that. Once someone is dead, they are gone. If you are a believer, it will tell you that in the Bible. I do not believe in ghosts. Never. That being said, I think that there is something there. I usually refer to it as a haunt. Not in negative way, just lack of a better word. Dead people go on to their reward, whether that is heaven or hell. So what remains. I have no idea. I have never seen a 'ghost', but my husband has, he claims. But I have been in houses where there is no way I will go upstairs after dark. My step-dad's first wife died in their house, and I never had a bit of trouble. The house where my sister lived supposedly had someone die in it, and it felt creepy during the day, and terrifying at night. I never saw anything, just a feeling. The house I live in now, they used to hold funerals where our bedroom is now. Never felt a thing, nada, nothing. (Let me explain that last thing. The house is 170+ years old. Back then you did not cart your loved one of to the funeral parlor. You just did it at home.)
I could not begin to tell you what is seen, I just do not think it is a ghost. I rather like to think that after a life led here on earth, that my loved ones have finally reached heaven and are enjoying life there. It does make their passing easier.

PS. About the imaginary friend, I dragged mine behind me on a piece of twine. Not very respectful, huh?

[Andreth]