Some typical accounts of near-death experiences

I was 16 when I had a NDE. It was in the mid 70's. I took a few to many careless risks and ended up having an accident.

After the accident I found myself looking down at my body on the ground from a position maybe five feet above. There was no shock or fear, it was sort of like leaving a house that you had lived in for years. As I starting noticing my surroundings, I discovered that I could perceive so much more than when I relied upon my physical senses. I was at the same location but there was so much more. What stood out most was the way everything vibrated with light.

I was then engulfed in a pure white light while still at the same position. The light was like an aura of a being who was pure peace, love, understanding, and also enlightenment itself. I remember seeing all of the events of my life almost simultaneously. I felt a great shame at many of the things that I had done that were based on selfishness, pride, greed, fear, and etc. but no condemnation from the light. I really can not seem to remember much more of the life review or the being of light but I know that a lot more occurred. I think that I am either blocking it out because it was painful or that maybe I was not intended to remember it because it would hinder my progress.

The next thing I remember was being with a group of beings like myself with one being who was the guide or was in charge of us all. Our bodies were transparent multicolored light and we appeared to have some sort of white robe like garment. It was also made of light. The only communication that I remember was by direct thought and feeling. As soon as another being would think a thought directed towards me it would just enter my consciousness. We were all sitting in space looking back at the earth in silent meditation. There was still such a great feeling of love and peace that words can not describe, but coming from the Earth was an strong feeling of conflict. You could sense the millions of battles being fought and the lack of peace.

I was then told by the being that was acting as the group guide that I had to return. I did not want to return to the conflicts and leave the peace but somehow I knew that I had to return. As soon as I had the thought that "yes, I have to return" it all ended.

At the time, I thought that I had to return to perform some great deed but after almost 25 years I think that I had to return because I have so much more to learn.

It was five days after the accident that I regained consciousness.

The experience has made a tremendous difference to my life.

I died while getting gas to have teeth extracted at the dentist's in 1972. I found myself standing in the operating room, wondering why i was there while "someone" was getting their teeth fixed. It took a while to realise that the someone was me! There was a nun up high near the ceiling. i could only see the top 1/2 of her and wondered how she got up there - i thought maybe she's standing on something. anyway, i felt like an intruder when someone was getting their teeth fixed, so i went towards the door and tried to open it, but my hand went right through it. I tried asking the dental nurse to open it, but she ignored me. I got very upset. the only one in that room who could hear me was the nun, and she was telling me very gently that i had died. I thought she was nuts! Cos i was alive.

I got very scared though as i couldn't understand my hand going through the door and the others ignoring me even though i was shouting at them by that time. Finally i started praying, begging God or Jesus for help - wouldn't you? (I'm not Catholic and at that time, not even very religious)

This huge white light came rolling into the room, getting bright and brighter. The nun held out her arms and I floated up to her. The light was so bright i felt sure it would burn my eyes out. when i closed my eyes i could still see it. But it was beautiful. It moved and when it did it "spoke" - by telepathy. I had previously noticed that the nun never moved her lips when she spoke either.

The Light calmed me down, it was fantastic being in its presence - it knew everything, not only about me but about Everything!! It showed me my entire life like watching a video, everything from when i was a little kid till the day i died. It showed me thing i didn't even remember. When i did something naughty, the light grew sad and darkened a little. this was terrible. I cant describe how guilty i felt when the Light did this, knowing i was to blame for causing sadness to such a beautiful Being. Imagine if you'd poured paint over the Mona Lisa, or punched a newborn infant in the face. That's how i felt, and very ashamed. It's bad enough if another human being knew your deepest most secret thoughts and everything you'd ever done - imagine if a PERFECT being knew all there is to know about you! I was cringing with embarassment!

But worse was to follow - if i had hurt someone during my lifetime, even unintentionally, the Light showed me my actions and their reactions, their pain. I FELT their pain too. And I understood everything about the situation from the other person's point of view as well as my own. It was certainly enlightening.

Then the light opened up on the left hand side and I saw the future. i can only remember pieces of it (like the previous writer, maybe we're not supposed to remember it all). I was shocked and said "Oh no, you're wrong! I'll never do that!" Big mistake - cos the light doesn't take kindly to being told He's in the wrong. He shouted at me - "You WILL do all these things!"

I asked about my relatives and was shown how they each coped with my death. That was upsetting, and i remember feeling surprised that only one month after my death, they were laughing at a comedy show on TV. the Light said, "You wouldn't want them to be sad forever, would you? " i said no, then it showed me each relative months, sometimes years later, thinking about me and missing me. And I realised this was right, that they should go on with their lives. That was what i wanted for them too - anything else was selfishness. The Light told me to go with the nun and she took me by the hand. there was a long tunnel and i was feeling very tired. She was going to show me where i could sleep. We began to speed through the tunnel. Suddenly the Light shouted "Wait!" and we zoomed back to His presence. He asked me if i wanted to go back. I said, "But you said i couldn't go back." He said, "They're trying to revive you." I looked down and could only see the backs of the anaesthetist and the dentist. Whatever they were doing, pain shot through me, something terrible. It was awful. I begged the Light to make them stop. But He only asked me again if I wanted to go back. I did, but i wanted to see all the other wonderful things first. But He said, "No, you're going back now" and he pushed me!!! Yes, right on top of my head, with such a force, i went through this whirlpool sort of thing - it was terrible!

And I came to in the dentist's chair. the dentist said, "Thank God, we thought we'd lost you for a minute!" My blouse was undone to my waist where they had been using that heart thing to restart my heart. I was groggy from the gas of course, but modesty made me cover up almost immediately. There were a lot of other things i saw and did - like travelling through walls and seeing anywhere in the world just by thinking about it. There is no time - that's why this can be done - we have past, present future - in that world everything is present. (in more ways than one!) PS - He was right - i did do all those things!

Only one question i have - Stupid me! I forgot to ask Him his name. Was the light Jesus? God? I spoke this over with a minister, but he seemed pretty certain that it wasn't God or Jesus. In fact he had some other ideas! I dont know, so if someone has any knowledge of this, i'd appreciate an honest answer. One thing I do know - He was Truth. It was impossible for him to tell a lie.

Ketamine and NDE

It is possible that Ketamine HCL (Ketalar, Vetalar, Ketaset) can induce NDEs. Dr. Karl Jansen has extensively researched this topic and links to his work can be found at the bottom of this page. The following is a summary of what I was able to find on the internet concerning Ketamine as related to NDEs.

Ketamine is an anaesthetic that is available only to physicians and is "scheduled" in several states. Since anaesthetizing levels of Ketamine "knock you out", the dose required to have an experience is 6 to 10 times smaller than what is given by veterinarians and physicians. "Ketamine is a prescription only medicine and so is not covered by the Misuse of Drugs Act. This means that possession of ketamine is not a criminal offence. However, under the Medicines Act, unauthorised supply is illegal."

Tunnels, experiencing God (even if it is you) and oneness, meeting others, out-of-body experiences, life-changes (including "values"), sometimes frightening experiences, seeing the future, experiencing a true reality, believing that you have died, and experiencing things that words cannot describe are all common elements of Ketamine and NDE experiences.

The life-changing aspects of Ketamine are so strong that research in Russia claims that it is very effective in curing alcoholism, phobias, depression, and neuroses. Yale received approval to conduct a double-blind study to confirm the Russian research as it relates to alcoholism. The Russian researcher (Dr. Evgeny Krupitsky) has recently received $24,000 to study the effectiveness of Ketamine in curing heroin addicts.

Words from the Russian researcher Dr. Evgeny Krupitsky:

• A dose of 50 mg (.7 mg/kg) induces a motion picture of colored images when eyes are closed. When eyes are open, ordinary reality remains but assumes an unusual air. Orientation is resolved. On 100-150 mg (1.4-2.1 mg/kg) ordinary reality disappears even when eyes opened. Perceptions of one's own body also disappear. The subject discovers himself as a point of consciousness which moves in very strange worlds yet the feeling of self remains. On doses higher than 150 mg (2.1 mg/kg) intramuscularly, the feeling of individual self dissolves. The process of losing one's individuality can be horrifying and felt as a real death. If the subject can relax and let go, this process may be ecstatic. After the loss of the feeling of one's individual self, the experience is indescribable. There exists only "That which is aware of Itself."
• The changes in the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) after Ketamine Psychedelic Therapy (KPT) session testified to positive personality changes. Changes in the Color Test of Attitudes after KPT testified to a positive transformation of the unconscious emotional attitudes of our alcoholic patients towards themselves and their significant others. Changes in our Spirituality Scale testified to a significant increase in the level of spiritual development after the ketamine session. All these psychological changes favored sober life. As a rule, we also observed positive transformations in our patients' systems of life values, purpose and meaning, but these changes had not been previously measured quantitatively with psychological tests. Clinical impressions and indirect evidence from the Spirituality Scale suggested these changes, but not a rigorous scientific proof.

Words from other Ketamine experiencers:

These comments were taken out of context, but it gives you a sense of how similar the experiences can be. I complained to Dr. Karl Jansen (the only researcher I am aware of that is concerned specifically with Ketamine as it relates to NDEs) that the Ketamine experiences have similar qualities, but my overall impression is that they are not as profound and centered on love. He replied that the setting of the experience makes a lot of difference. Taking a recreational drug in your house is much different from being in a hospital or other sudden situation where you may be in pain or afraid that you are about to die. I agree with Dr. Jansen on this point. Here are the excerpts:
• Looooooovvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeee, Reeeaaaalllliiiiittttyyyyyyyy, Hoooommmmmeeeee.

  I was God, I saw light and warmth. This is Home. Sooo familiar, where we belong. Where we go. Everything is perfect, no words, just basic feeling. Love, Reality, Home. This was about the only words that I could bring back. Really no words there, but strong feelings. I Knew I was God and that I wasn't a little while before, but didn't have any idea what I was before. I was completely calm and comfortable, it was Home. Perfect. I wasn't alone either.

• (buzzing occured) Most of the time I felt like a pure light that could flow like lava and make sweet guitar-distortion sounds, I was burning very bright. I could just "be" in this state, it felt beautiful. Other times I would have conscious thoughts, I would note that I felt godlike, I would love myself, it was great. When I'd think of my friends I'd feel very warm, but the couple times I tried explaining to them how I was feeling (I had to get up and piss quite a few times, was still dizzy), I felt the words totally inadequate, and I'd lose the feeling.
• (Buzzing occured)Tunnel vision and a feeling of 'being deep inside your own body' occurs.
• . . .reality as we normally experience it had crumbled into a different form. It was as though the world broke up, revealing another dimension. The subject was there, and not there at the same time - there was no apparent boundary between the subject and object - the world and I became one. . . . Although it was certainly an extreme experience, it was fundamentally unsatisfying. No real insight into the world, or even the experience were gained,
• Bubbles, bouncing babies and bubbles, she kept saying.

  I can't feel my body anymore except this overriding general fuzziness. The lines on the cieling become a tunnel and I am flying down it faster than sound approaching the speed of light.....

  Oh no, the tunnel takes a big dive downwards! I am facing straight down this big tunnel and I am falling. . . .

  Now there are rules. I can see them all. I am outside my room looking down at us and I know all the rules. There is so much going on outside of us. Other people, other rules, other things, that we are not allowed to see in the day to day. More knowledge. Who is next to me. What is next to me. I know it is something important. I say who is there.

• One friend of mine who took it thought he had died, but he wasn't frightened or upset by this at all, which should give you some indication of just how weird things can get.
• It sort of dissociates you from your live. I drifted trough worlds of other dimensions from inside the cosmos towards the outside of the circular thing which is called the universe.(Sounds strange, but that is what I felt) I also had the feeling that I have learned a lot of spiritual things. It is perhaps truth, there was not especially much fun. But I was satisfied and content as I would be after a long adventure holiday.
• I realized then that I didn't travel between theses two worlds but only shifted my attention in a different direction. I always was and probably always will be in this world I found there, but living different lives I will enter different 'simulations'.

  I floated back with a peaceful and content feeling. I felt that I had experienced something good, something special. I was slowly entering my body, like putting on a garment: legs first, then arms, chest, head. At the same time, my sight and hearing returned as I was shifting my attention to these senses. Everything felt a bit unreal at first, but this went away after a while.

  This experience felt to me as real as anything I know from this world. Now, 3 Months later this hasn't changed. I consider this level possibly dangerous for unexperienced users, because of the strong impact it has on your life. In my case, experiencing reality as 'just a game' could have easily driven me into suicide, if I wasn't happy with this life.

• They have been reported as spending a great deal of time analysing conversations that they have held with the various Ketamine entities. These beings offer great insights into life, the universe and everything. In the words of one such traveller into the realm of the hyper-real, "It is no great accomplishment to hear a voice in the head. The accomplishment is to make sure that it is telling you the truth."

How Dangerous is Ketamine?

Although most of the comments on this page about Ketamine are positive, and it is routinely used as an anaesthetic in much larger doses, Ketamine is not a safe drug. For example, you can pass out, vomit, and suffocate. Depending on your source, you may not know how large a dose your are taking. If I understand some of the user's comments correctly, it seems that Ketamine may produce substantially negative and long-lasting psychological effects, bringing to mind fears of LSD trips that can ruin your life. Here are some of the negative comments I was able to find about Ketamine:
• "People who have taken the drug report a range of effects from the unpleasant, to the downright dangerous. Reports from America offer numerous examples of users who get trapped in repeated, compulsive administration of the drug giving rise to incidents usually associated with bad acid trips, with people believing that they can fly or attempting to get out of moving vehicles. Others have suffered paranoia or severe delusional states. In the last few months, it has been increasingly evident that such incidents are no longer limited to the USA. Having the Ketamine entities lie to us may be the least of our worries.
• In fact, though I may be wrong on this, I would consider such an adventure to be a high risk one. Please be careful.
• Not a bad idea to have a straight person around while you're doing it, especially if there are open flames nearby or anything like that. Like I said, you'll be very out of it.
• After my experience with ketamine, I was advised, and agreed, to take a semester off from school. I was warned that I might experience flashbacks. I did not.

  I awoke from the anaesthesia to the the most petrifying, unpleasant experience of my life. I experienced hallucinations that were beyond description. I, also, experienced severe memory loss ... I was unable to recognize family and friends. I was, also, very anxious and restless. I said things that made no sense. According to the attending anaesthesiologist, I was "insane" for five days. The attending, later, went to NIH to brief the doctors, there, of my reaction.

  My family and I were later told that my reaction was worse than the norm, but certainly not atypical. I have always been surprised that this drug is still available, but I understand it does have positive pediatric and vet. uses.

  As a result of my experience, though, I would would certainly wonder why anyone would wish to experiment with ketamine. That is only one persons opinion, though.

• I consider this level possibly dangerous for unexperienced users, because of the strong impact it has on your life. In my case, experiencing reality as 'just a game' could have easily driven me into suicide, if I wasn't happy with this life.

"It is significant that 30 percent of normal subjects given ketamine insisted that they had not been dreaming or hallucinating, but that the events had really happened."