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

[Flufferblub]

I have a medical condition that sometimes brings on seizures. I have stopped breathing a couple of times in the past. I felt really unwell in a hospital waiting room one day (best place to be I suppose), and after waiting hours, I got up to speak to the receptionist to tell them I was feeling really unwell. I collapsed in the middle of the waiting room. I was aware, but things around me seemed a little distant. I noticed that I wasn't breathing, and I really thought that I was going to die. My mind was very calm and willing to go along with it. I thought Oh well, that's that. I was 32 at the time.

Any way, the doctors rushed over and got me breathing again. I find it a little bit reassuring how calm I was. But also a little bit scary how little fight I have to survive.

Has any one had any experiences like this they want to share?

@ShadowoftheSentinels for me at least there was a rather odd bit after acceptance of weird thoughts e.g. I won't be able to xyz tomorrow and I was looking forward to it, and my DBro hasn't been to a funeral before etc.

The acceptance is strangely comforting. It goes against all your instincts but when it happened to me I just thought this isn't what I wanted but I know there's nothing I can do about it, this isn't in my control anymore so I had to let go. I believed that was the end so closed my eyes and just waited and hoped it wouldn't hurt too much. The time between closing my eyes to let go and opening them again a week later felt like just a few seconds. That empty gap between going and coming back I have no memory of but that was the week I was wired up to all kinds of machines forcing oxygen in to me and keeping me alive. It was morning when I woke up again completely confused because I thought that the nurse I saw before I left had come with me.

I agree it's strangely comforting. As someone with a huge amount of anxiety, it's weird to know that death won't be "bad" if that makes any sense?

I have but I was literally unconscious for the entire time so don’t remember a thing. DH said they had to bring a back up ambulance plus the Police to divert traffic as we stopped on a roundabout and the cars were backed up for a mile or so.

Nearly squashed between 2 moving trams in Hong Kong - never run so fast - would've been smeary paste if I'd stayed where I was

Yes awful car crash at 60mph lucky to survive only me in the car as it was snaking and twisting before the impact I just thought 'I'll never see my mum again' obviously survived it but lost my mum 4 years ago and it's broken my heart but I can only imagine how much losing a child would of haunted her , she had already experienced alot of trauma and loss so I'm glad ( if that's the right word) it's me that bears this grief and not her for this relationship

I was very ill, and remember suddenly feeling chilled and shaking and thinking ‘that’s strange, it’s a warm day’. Then i was convinced I was very deep underwater and the surface was too far away, so I’d just stay down here. I wasn’t panicked, just observing dispassionately. I had to be resuscitated, but made a full recovery.

A foreign lorry changed lanes on the M1 just as we had almost finished passing it in our little MX5 - the driver wasn't aware of our car at all. I saw the front bumper in my window and then wondered why we were reversing at speed down a hill. We weren't - the lorry spun the car at 70mph, we hit the central reservation and then the lorry hit us again and sent the car spinning towards the hard shoulder. I remember wondering why I couldn't move my head. It all happened very slowly but my brain couldn't process what was happening at all. I was eating a cheese and onion pasty at the time and it ended up splattered over every window of the car.

Second time - major heart attack, totally blocked artery. Was very calm, totally unaware of what was happening and remained unaware until I overheard a nurse talking to my husband 12 hours later. Not entirely sure I was that close to death but I wouldn't have survived had it not been for a speedy pair of paramedics and a VIP pass straight into the cath lab.

I rolled my car on the A12. It was a Fiat Panda with a soft roof. No idea what happened to trigger it. As I hurtled into the Central Reservation everything froze and I felt my life flash before my eyes. Walked away with some minor bruising.

Yes I have experienced this, and was also very calm and accepting. I felt no panic or fear but I did feel a bit sad.

My main thoughts were that I felt sadness because I was too young to die and sadness for my young son that he wouldn't have me around anymore. Then I remember thinking how hard it was going to be for my DH and that I hoped everyone would rally round and support him.

It was a massively impactful experience for me!

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.

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…..

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

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.

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.

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 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

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.

@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.

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

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.

@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.

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

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?

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.