To ask if you've ever had a near death experience and what went through your mind?

I nearly bled out from a stomach ulcer. I could feel myself going and the rush of people moving in to help. I remember calm, quiet and thinking is this it then?

Yes it's in the notes from the hospital. Why would I lie about it?

Meant to say we measure the blood loss by measuring and weighing and that figure will be what it is. 8 Litres, 12 litres, whatever.

I’m a midwife. I’ve known women lose a lot more than 4 litres. Ie all their circulating volume and then some.

We’re obviously ramming it in the top end hopefully slightly faster than it’s coming out the other end. Biggest transfusion I’ve known was 30 units. Squeezing the bags in as quick as we could.

8 litres! 🤔

Lol well someone lost 8 litres further up thread apparently

Are you sure?

Losing 2 litres is a pre-terminal event: women only have 4.5 litres of blood altogether... if you lost all but 500ml of blood, you'd need a lot more than oxygen...

I had sepsis and it was very close but maybe not as close as some have been. I remember feeling that I was in terrible trouble as if I had been caught out doing something absolutely wicked. Then I felt pure fascination at what was going on around me (people putting lines in and cutting my clothes to get access etc). Later I was very feverish and was slightly perturbed to see both Mick Jagger and Julie Andrews crowding round my bed trying to give me water. Oh and a clown was sulking in the armchair in the corner. He stayed ages.

At no point did I panic.

Lost about 3L giving birth. I just remember thinking "Oh dear" as they were giving me oxygen and stitching a line into my wrist for a blood tranfusion

Bad accident, coma etc.
Last thing I remembered was seeing it start to happen, knowing that this was going to be very bad and just thinking "ah, crap".
About the same intensity of emotion as feeling a pair of jeans, that you knew were too old, start to rip when you crouch down. Just a quiet inevitability.

I've had three of what I thought at the time were about-to-die experiences.

When I was a student nurse 50 years ago and was napping in my room during a split shift - had my first experience of 'sleep paralysis'.

Second was around 15 years ago when I thought was about to be attacked by a mountain lion in the US - sounds crazy now but I was on my own and thought this is it.

Last was when I was choking.

On all three occasions, although death seemed imminent I was suddenly at peace.

I'm hoping when my demise is real I'll feel the same serenity.

I was 21 and had gone into hospital with stomach pain that was getting worse. Because it was my lower right side they thought it was appendicitis but it was actually a ruptured ovarian cyst that had perforated my bowel and caused peritonitis. They did 8 internal examinations which were agony and I saw numerous doctors (I don’t know why), but they didn’t scan me because it was a Sunday. I was admitted into an old fashioned 30 bed ward and I could feel poison travelling slowly up my body, I was okay as long as I didn’t breathe deeply or move. I was perfectly calm and knew I was going to die but I was fine because I knew the pain would be gone and I would be at peace. At 1am I saw a doctor come onto the ward, somehow I moved enough to press the nurse call and when she came over I said I needed to see the doctor, she was irritated by this and went an apologised to the doctor and asked him to look at me. He took one look at me and started yelling, lights on, full panic and I was whisked into theatre. He saved my life but honestly I think I would have been fine either way. Thank you Mr Little. Since then I have a terrible fear about being in pain/knowing I was terminally ill, but not about dying, if that makes sense?

Similar though on some long stringy bit of pak choi - was terrifying and just felt really stupid that I hadn't cut the pieces smaller

@Somatosensational yes it was like that and so difficult to describe because I don't want it sound like I was euphoric and happy but it was like a few moments of life being hyper colour - a bit like the point in wizard of oz when it goes from black and white in to technicolour. Just felt so profound but also fleeting, I can't explain it properly.

A similar thing happened to me, too, when my father died. I was in the garden when my phone rang. I felt no relief or euphoria, only shock I think at that point, but I can remember clearly how intensely vivid and colourful everything seemed in that moment, the fluttering of cabbage whites and holly blues, how silent everything seemed, as if time had stopped or I was in a dream.

I had appendicitis that had led to accesses and sepsis after being palmed off by at least 3 medical professionals in the NHS.

I was in constant pain and unable to sleep and early in the morning said to my partner that I will have to go back to hospital else id die that day.

He took me there and was in waiting room lying on the seats as I couldn't physically sit up anymore. Was aware of people around me, some of whom who were tutting but they all sort of slipped away into the peripheral. Then I was sort of floaty and the pain had gone. Felt myself enveloped in warmth and everything going dark and peaceful. Was a wonderful feeling.

Next thing I knew was someone hoisting me onto a wheelchair and the pain came rushing back. I was so angry as I wanted to be left with the warmth and calm

@whoevenamIanymore I had something similar happen. I had been nursing a loved one who was dying at home over several days. When she died, I went outside for a cigarette (this was years and years ago). This would have been shortly after the death, which was very sad but expected and almost a relief once it happened. I vividly remember everything suddenly seemed 'hyper alive', like the colours of everything brighter and intensely vivid, a feeling of such intense euphoria, alertness. Like I had never felt so alive in my life before then. It was the weirdest thing, it is very difficult to describe or capture it but I will never forget it.

Much like other posters, I was extremely calm and very accepting of my fate. I was around 18 years old and in intensive care, I remember hating the doctor touching me or bothering me and I didn't talk at all really either, I just wanted to be left alone to die quietly. Everything seemed like too much effort. I knew I was dying and I didn't really care, I wasn't afraid or unhappy I just wanted it to pass and be left to rest. Nothing really seemed important any more.

I lived, obviously haha, but it's made me less afraid of death in general because the fucks I did not give about dying were outstanding.

I had a 8 litre blood loss following the birth of my first child. Once I figured out what was happening I went very calm but I think this was survival instinct as I knew if I panicked I would lose more blood. I remember being convinced I would either die or be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life, it's like I was bargaining to stay & was thinking I'll be ok in a wheelchair, I'll make it work. They kept me in a coma for 2 days afterwards. The only other weird thing was the taste of food & water after I woke up, everything tasted amazing, like the next tastes I had ever had, which lasted for a few days

I've had a few weird ones that probably don't count. Thought I was dying in childbirth, ended up with an emergency c section under a general and after felt a reassurance it would feel a release. Was subject to a robbery and felt weird that nobody outside knew I was possibly about to die, was terrified.
Also had a very vivid dream where I was flying with angels..It was above and beyond any dream I've had and was so amazing and comforting. I keep hoping that is what death is like. None really true near death experiences I suppose..but have found reading everyone else's very interesting!

I agree it’s comforting to hear when you’ve watched a loved one die. My person was terrified of dying and I hope they felt that sense of calm too.

If you’re interested in this, please Google ‘shared death experiences’. Very much in NDE territory but (for me!) very convincing and supports NDEs from a different perspective.

@whoevenamIanymore I'm sorry for your loss. That brought a tear to my eye.

Not myself but reading all of these comments has made me think about my Dad dying. After a massive stroke, he was in hospital for 3 days, most of which he was unconscious. I was so close to my Dad and didn’t leave his side the whole time, holding his hand. I was utterly devastated and an emotional wreck. The moment he passed away, I felt a very strange feeling of calm and peace that I’ve never been able to explain to anyone before. It was such a surreal feeling, I went from being a hysterical mess to what I can only describe as something even more than peace, the second he took his last breath, whilst everyone around me was breaking down. Maybe it was something he gave to me, I’d like to think so…..

Honestly once I knew that there was nothing I could do to stop it, I had no fear. I felt sad that I had to go but not afraid.