In coma, "I could see all of creation."

I was having unusual pains in my chest, so I called for an ambulance. My wife was at work. When I called her, she said she would come home and take me to the hospital since the ambulance was taking a long time. I said, 'No, I will wait for the ambulance.'

The ambulance arrived and the emergency medical technicians settled me in the ambulance. Shortly thereafter, my heart stopped. The ambulance had planned on taking me to a large hospital but since my heart stopped, they took me to the nearest hospital. I was without a heartbeat for 24 minutes and underwent CPR for 45 minutes. When my heart started again, I was transferred to the large hospital. I had stents put in and remained in a coma for 10 days.

At some point in all of this, my consciousness was transported to the edge of the Universe where I could see all of creation. I did not know the Universe had an edge. I thought it was infinite.

I could see all the planets and stars. When I focused my attention on anything, such as the Earth, it came to the fore in my field of vision. Throughout this experience, I felt incredible love that remains beyond my ability to describe. I also was aware that I was a part of everything I saw as well as still my individual self. I was both, the observed and the observer. I encountered my first born son who had died in infancy. Yet, here, he was an adult.

There were some horse-like animals that were marked like yellow and orange zebras. While I was in a coma, the nurses suggested to my wife that she bring in some of my favorite music and play it to see if it might help me come out of the coma. On the tenth day, I emerged from the coma to Bob Dylan singing, 'Knocking on Heavens Door.'

After waking up from the coma, strangeness persisted. For instance, my room in the hospital overlooked the parking deck. I saw an old man out there every day who was drinking beer. When I asked about him, nobody but me saw him. Then my 3-year old grandson came to see me in the hospital. He saw the old man and asked who he was. Later, my grandson said the old man went home with him. I figure it must be so, as I never saw the old man after that day.

Once I was released from the hospital and began driving again, I felt as if there was someone else doing the driving and that my consciousness was still separate. It took quite awhile for my body and consciousness to reintegrate.

I loved being on the other side. I did not want to come back and thought about how to get back to the other side; even considering suicide. Over time though, I am fully reintegrated. I am different though. I do not fear death at all. I am extremely sensitive now. Perhaps too much so, as my wife tells me I overreact to things.

Also at some point while in the coma, I could see myself and my hands were tied. When I woke my wife said I had been restrained to keep me from pulling the intubation tube out. After that, I would not sleep, staying up all night watching television while still at the hospital. My wife said that when I came out of the coma, I cursed a lot around everyone. This was not normal for me. When I came out of my coma, I told the nurse that I rode on the back of a turtle from the underworld. Not knowing this, my wife had purchased a turquoise turtle and placed it near my bed. I like turtles for some reason.  

NDERF.org #9216