When did your world go quiet?

[PalominoOrGreyOrChestnutOrBay]

inspired by a tiktok trend recently, just thought it might be an interesting thread. I’m a regular poster not a journalist or anything like that (MNHQ can verify!).

When did your world go quiet? Basically, what was a time you got a fright and time seemed to stop or go quiet?

mine was I was on my horse and he decided to rear up, over concrete ground, and I felt him wobble back. As soon as I felt that first tilt backwards everything sort of went quiet and it was like an out of body experience (not a good one!). I couldn’t hear anyone around. I just remember the last thing I thought was along the lines of this is it im about to die and it was like everything was in slow motion. Luckily it was all ok but that split second was easily the scariest moment of my life and my world completely stopped.

So, when did your world go quiet?

When I was in a car accident, the car flipped on the M1.

Unoriginal but I've been in 3 very minor car accidents as a passenger. Even though they were really minor, there was still that second where you see what's about to happen before it does and it all slows down but it's not long enough to do anything about it.
Such an odd experience.

When I had a knock at the door to say my brother had been killed in Iraq.

it was very strange. It was like me watching it happen to someone else.

When my father had me pinned up against the wall with his hands round my throat, everything went quiet apart from a loud rushing in my ears, I knew I was going to die unless I got him off me and I remember thinking how would he explain how I had died.

Oh these are chilling.
I’ve had a few.and even thinking about them again is making me go a bit out of spacey,and afraid.

I was punched and I remember slowly spinning around and thinking I didn't like it and the world going dark. Then I remember sitting up by a tree and the world being really quiet for a bit.
Obviously I'd been knocked out but the teacher just said to get a wet paper towel and my parents said I probably deserved it.

Same here, on my first. I had an epidural so it wasn't pain per se, it was just pure distress and fright. I have a clear memory of it, being about 4 feet over the bed looking down.

For me it was when a cyclist randomly crossed the road right in front of my car. I was just passing through a green light at a crossing when this woman wearing headphones turned into the road without even a glance. There was literally nothing I could do but brake as hard as I could. Time really did slow down as I realised I was going to hit her. I heard my sister in the passenger seat shout out. Then the impact.
By some miracle, she wasn’t hurt… I think her back wheel took the brunt.
The what ifs are horrible. I’d I’d been going a bit faster, if I’d looked away from the road for a second and hadn’t braked.
Every time I drive now, it crosses my mind. I’m constantly looking for the person who’s going to step unexpectedly into the road.

I've been a safe motorbike rider for years. Never had an accident. Then one day I got a lift as a pillion from someone else. He started showing off and taking corners like a madman. I knew we were going to crash so my body just slowed right down, my brain stopped and I just accepted it. The next minute I was flying through the air in absolute slow motion and then a while later hit the ground and the world and noise came rushing back and the pain hit.
But that slow motion flight was really weird.
I was unharmed which was a miracle but black and blue to kingdom come. The other rider was killed.

TRIGGER:

an assault by a doctor during my induction process. Having gone through therapy to process this (I was in denial it was assault) it was. I just zoned out totally.

a sexual assault on me as a teenager. I was in a club. It to me felt totally silent during the assault. everything went slow. People were like shadows.

Sorry to all the posters who've lost someone 💐 can't imagine your pain x

In labour with DD. Already classed as 'failure to progress'. Then DD went into distress, heart rate plummeted, 2 docs and a midwife in the room, said they just needed to step outside. I swear they were gone 30 mins but DH says it was 30 seconds. Then every time I opened my eyes, more people in the room prepping for theatre. Then when she was delivered she didn't cry, longest 4 mins of my life waiting to hear that.... Nothing wrong with her, just stunned to be outside I think haha. All ended up well and she's 6 now but jeez time stopped twice that day!

When a doctor came to tell me my baby dd wouldn't last the night, he asked if I'd like her baptised or something like that. I don't know because everything went quiet, air felt sucked out of the room and then I could hear a wailing noise. Took me a while to realise that noise was me.

Dd turns 14 in a few weeks 😁

Car accident, as the car was skidding and spinning it went into slow motion and I remember thinking, 'fuck this is how I'm going to die' and could see in my mind the local newspaper headline.

what a moving thread this is 💛

When I was in labour and ds heart rate dropped and they rushed my up to have a c-section it was the look of terror on the midwives face that struck me it then he took a few seconds to cry I don’t think they were concerned but those seconds seemed so long I remember thinking he he doesn’t make it I don’t want to either. he was absolutely fine

ds running off in a department store I ran to the escalators but staff were already there. Then I heard mummy where are you and then a woman shouting out ive found the little boy. He had made it to the other side of the shop floor but I could hear his voice so clearly. He wasn’t fazed at all just confused as to why I was crying

when my Nanny died. The nurse told us she was going to take off her mask and told us she isn’t in pain but it was time. I don’t understand what she meant. A few deep breaths and that was it. It was a beautiful moment no pain and so peaceful time did stand still I felt a powerful feeling go through my body it’s the closest I’ve come to a religious feeling it was comforting

I've got plenty to tell but rather not.
I appreciate all the heartfelt sharing on here about painful and sensitive things in your lives.

I hate the possibly of some journo reading through and using these moments to exploit other's pain for money.

@PaisleyP your experience has really moved me. I am so sorry this happened to 13 year old you who did not deserve either the rape or the sharing of it after. I hope you have had some help to process this as it is beyond what anyone should ever have the endure xx

Decades ago now ... I was walking in a glasshouse in a Cardiff park when a toddler escaped from his parents and ran ahead alongside an ornamental pond. The pond had aquatic plants on it and the toddler clearly thought these covered solid ground and stepped onto them, instantly plunging into the water. I could see what he was about to do in slow motion a few seconds before it happened and - also in slow motion - ran towards him, grabbing the toddler's arm as he went under and dragging them out. Then everything snapped suddenly back into real time as the toddler started spluttering and crying and the mother rushed to where he was. Surreal moment.

Really interesting to read this! I thought it was just me...

Car crash when I was in my early 20s and our car was hit by a drunk driver.

Thankfully I survived but yes everything went into slow motion as described.

I would be really interested in what the rational/scientific explanation is for this.

Had a brief version of it too when the horse I was on just randomly took off and I remember a bit of a slowing down around me as I regained control of him with a one rein stop.

When my mother died. It was like I had all her memories for a short time. I could see her whole life in my head. It was very bizarre but comforting.

When I was a child I had an operation. I still remember now looking down on myself on the table. I don’t know if it’s a dream, or if I didn’t have enough anaesthetic, but I still remember it now and feel uneasy when I do.

Day one of Covid at work.

I worked in the Covid+ve obstetric theatre. We only had one, & we used it near constantly. On day one I went in and taught myself PPE donning & doffing from a video I found on Twitter. None of us knew what was going on. We used the anaesthetic room to Don and it was FULL of equipment. We got dressed in near total silence with an ODP watching us to make sure we didn’t accidentally de-scrub.

It was really eerie.

We couldn’t really speak in the masks and I struggled to use my resus equipment as we wore double gloves. When we were ready we moved into the theatre and were duct taped in (we didn’t know what was safe & what wasn’t on day/week one). We did the whole op in silence as we were too hot and breathless to chat.

It was like being in a film. By the end of the op I was absolutely desperate to doff all the PPE. We crowded into a tiny dirty sluce and (almost) undressed oneanother. We were dripping wet. It was just awful. Awful. The whole thing took almost 2 hrs (usually under an hr) and we had 4 more to do.

Anyway. It was like being in a dream. Also, I lost 8lb that day.

Seeing a young child break away from the people she was with on the other side of the road and run across to someone on my side that she recognised. She was hit by a car, went up into the air and landed in front of me. If felt like everyone was frozen in total silence for an eternity before springing into action.

I also think the tendency to subconsciously put your hand over your mouth in shocking situations is interesting. What's that about? Stifling a potential scream?

When I was on the motorway and there was a loud bang and something hit my windscreen and also flew into my face through the open drivers side window. It was a massive lorry in front of me whose tyre had blown. It completely lost control and started snaking madly. I hadn't long passed my test. I was weirdly and totally calm, thinking, "I'm going to end up in the back of this and die" but just kept control of my car, glanced in the mirror and swerved quickly into the right hand lane to avoid a collision.

Probably when we hit some unexpected violent turbulence when on a flight for work.

was unexpected as if it’s expected the cabin crew won’t be on their feet with trolleys. They went flying and you could feel the plane dropping.

eveything was okay but that was the worst flight experience I have had and I’ve flown a fair bit

Jesus this thread is so difficult to read, I'm in tears reading so many of these posts.

For me it was probably the time I saw a 4-ish year old very nearly get hit by a 4x4, he just ran straight out into the road and the 4x4 stopped within centimetres of him. I'll never ever forget that mothers scream of absolute terror and cry of relief.