Near drowning convinced him that "we do live on"

My uncle jumped into the pool as I was coming up from the bottom to the surface. Just as I was about to surface, the force of him jumping beside me pulled me down under. I ran out of air and took a big breath of water. After a few minutes, people realized that I was drowning and took me from the pool. 

I remember it like it was yesterday I was above the pool about five-six feet up. I remember saying aloud to myself I am all right. I felt amazing, a feeling of total joy. There was no pain. I was looking down and could see people around somebody on the sidewalk beside the pool. I did not know who anyone was. 

I was I looking down but what I saw was not Bob. I did not even know Bob, but I was still me as I was before I drowned. I do not know how to explain this any other way. I believe that our bodies die but we do live on. I could see and hear everything. How is that possible? The whole thing lasted about six or seven minutes. 

Just before I came back into my body, there was a lot of pain, but somehow I knew that it was just the pain of life. I never told anyone about this until my father was diagnosed with lung cancer. I don't think he really believed me. It’s one of those things you have to experience to believe. I don't know what to make of it.

NDERF.org #20703