John's Near Death Experience
When a person is dying, seemingly before their time, there is often a small window in which medical intervention can reverse the dying process and provide a second chance at life. Those who have experienced this second chance seem to be changed forever in some pretty remarkable ways. They report experiences of their spirit or soul leaving their body for a brief period of time, journeying to other places, having encounters with spiritual entities, and having insights few people are capable of understanding or sharing. After the experience, there is a new-found appreciation for life, an ability to “see the bigger picture,” and/or an awareness of talents or skills not previously accessed. Such an experience occurred to me when I was seven years old. It has proven to be a major turning point in my life. My story follows below. I remember it like it was yesterday.
Lying on the operating room table, looking up into the bright round lights, I heard a deep gentle voice speak to me as the anesthesia mask came down over my mouth and nose. “John, you are very sleepy now. Close your eyes, take some deep breaths, and go to sleep.” I noticed a distinct smell of disinfectant and some kind of gas as I became unconscious.
The surgeon was a Lt. Col. in the U. S. Army; one of the top-ranked eye surgeons in the world. I was diagnosed with a muscular problem similar to lazy eye syndrome, but with both eyes moving separately. It had been estimated that without eye surgery, I would be completely blind by age 13. This was my second surgery to fine tune the first one done a year earlier at Camp Kuwae Hospital, Okinawa. My dad was career Army, which is how I came to be there.
The next thing I knew, I was fighting with all my strength. I didn’t know who or what or why; but I knew I was fighting for my very life. Eventually, I had neither the strength nor the will to fight any more, and gave up, exhausted. To my surprise, … release … freedom. No fear. No anger. No pain. Just peace.
Then, I started moving, slowly at first, then accelerating, faster and faster. It seemed I was moving very rapidly through a tunnel. Soon, I saw a pinpoint of light in the distance which grew as I got closer. It was beautiful, a glowing mixture of radiant lights shaped like a person, but with no clearly defined features. There was such an overwhelming presence of love and peace coming from it, and I felt a clarity of mind, as though I could know anything I wished.
As I excitedly approached this spiritual being, thinking I was about to embark on the next leg of my journey back to my Creator, I heard a voice say, “STOP! GO BACK! IT ISN’T TIME YET!” I was crushed. “I want to go ho-o-o-me.” I wasn’t referring to my parent’s home, either. The Being responded, “I know you do. It isn’t time yet. There is much you have to do. You will understand in time. You need to fulfill your plan.”
I was returned to my body abruptly with a SLAM which could only be described as every inch of me hitting concrete at once. (Defibrillator?) I woke up feeling nauseous and in pain. There were bandages around my head and eyes, so I couldn’t see. Even though I felt miserable, I was able to take some comfort in my Dad being there with me.
I should point out here that even though the memories are more clear in my mind than anything I have ever experienced in this world, what I saw, heard and felt during the NDE were more impressions than any physical perceptions. There was a distinct understanding within me that my soul had left my body, which didn’t seem to matter because my new intention was to return to my Source or Creator.
According to the information given to me by my Father, I was dead on the operating room table for more than four minutes. Over the years, anesthesia was changed from ether to halothane due to a high rate of allergic reactions to ether. The Hospital was under orders to use up its old stockpiles of ether even after having made the transition to the newer anesthesia. As it turns out, I am very allergic to ether and went into anaphylaxis, resulting in all my organs shutting down at once. Death sets in very rapidly, unless quick action is taken. I am very fortunate to be alive.
Of course, it was several years before I could understand any of this. It wasn’t until I was in my late teens that my parents shared with me the details they knew of my eye surgeries. That was when I realized that what I had thought was a strange dream had actually occurred while I was dead. I shared my experience with my parents, hoping to get more information from them that would help me make sense of it all. My Mom told me that I seemed different after that second surgery, more focused and brighter. In fact, an I. Q. test done when I was six years old, and one done fifteen years later in college showed more than 50 points improvement in I. Q. This is an extremely rare occurrence, and many psychologists will tell you it is impossible.
Curiosity compelled me to read everything I could find about people who have had near death experiences. It turns out that one person in thirty has such an experience at some point during their lifetime. While many details vary from one story to another, the basic structure is pretty much the same. A tragic event occurs to cause the person to be temporarily dead. He floats above his body and looks around, then starts moving through a tunnel to a light source and encounters one or more spiritual beings. Longer experiences include moving into a beautiful “heavenly” realm, visiting with relatives and friends, and learning lessons to bring back to the rest of us.
As with most people who have had a near death experience, I wanted to work in service fields helping others more than I wanted financial success or fame. First, I became a special education teacher. After my motorcycle accident, I became a nurse. Throughout my nursing career, I learned to use several powerful alternative therapies, with a focus on reducing personal stress. Then I studied coaching and started helping people to manage their stress. I have dedicated my life to helping people become and stay healthy by bringing balance into their lives.
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