Experience description:

I was 12 years old. Our family was visiting California. I was pushed into the deep end of a motel's swimming pool. There were only 4 of us children in the pool courtyard, no adults. I remember hitting the water. While under the water I found myself surrounded by a bright light. The source of the lights was behind me. While under water I was given knowledge (I did not hear anything or anyone speak) that an Angel was behind me and that she was young, dressed in a long white gown, and had long dark hair. I did not see or feel the water. I did not know that I was under the water (I did not feel wet, cold, or any other physical sensations of having a body). I felt total peace, no fear. I did feel time passing. I did not think of anything other than being at peace within the light. I wanted to see what my Angel looked like. The Angel was reaching a hand out towards my shoulder as I was turning my head to see her. I never saw her face. Next thing I knew I was on my hands and knees several feet away from the pool. All of my physical feelings returned. I felt wet and cold as I gasped for air and coughed up a lot of water. My lungs and throat burned from the pool chemicals. Water poured from my nose.

At the time of your experience was there an associated life-threatening event? No

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Uncertain I did not tell anyone about it at the time. Not until my wife and I were married and had children (these were the things God told me about shortly after the event.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? The entire time I was under water.

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness? More consciousness and alertness than normal The feeling of total peace. The lack of any physical feelings (I did not feel temperature, wetness, I didn't even remember breathing).

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. While under water I only saw the brightness. Like I was inside a circle of light. I did not see the pool or the water.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I didn't hear any sounds at all during the event. I was born with hearing loss and a great number of sounds hurt my ears (hyperacusis). I was in a peaceful, silent place.

Did you see or hear any earthly events that were occurring during a time that your consciousness / awareness was apart from your physical / earthly body? No

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Total peace.

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes I was inside a circle of brightness. The source of the light was an Angel standing behind me.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? I encountered a definite being, or a voice clearly of mystical or unearthly origin
I did not hear any sounds. I was given knowledge that an Angel was with me.

Did you encounter or become aware of any beings who previously lived on earth who are described by name in religions (for example: Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, etc.)? No

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? No

Did you become aware of past events in your life during your experience? No

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? No


Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning
Time did not seem to pass.

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about myself or others
The only understanding I was aware of was the knowledge that I was given of the Angel who was with me.

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? Uncertain
I was aware that I was within a circle of brightness. I never thought of this as a boundry. I had no desire to move from where I was.

Did you come to a border or point of no return? No


Did scenes from the future come to you? Scenes from my personal future
A few months after the event God gave me 3 messages and 1 vision. They were that I would meet a girl, her name is Terry, and that we will have 3 daughters. The vision was of me as an older adult (no message was given with the vision and I believe I am not at the age that I was shown to be in that vision).

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness suggesting that there either is (or is not) continued existence after earthly life (“life after death”)? No

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness that God or a supreme being either does (or does not) exist? Yes I knew that it was one of God's Angels that was with me.

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness that you either did (or did not) exist prior to this lifetime? No

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness that a mystical universal connection or unity/oneness either does (or does not) exist? No

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding earthly life’s meaning or purpose? No

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding earthly life’s difficulties, challenges, or hardships? No

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding love? No

During your experience, did you encounter any other specific information / awareness that you have not shared in other questions that is relevant to living our earthly lives? No

Did you have a sense of knowing special knowledge or purpose? No

What occurred during your experience included: Content that was entirely not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience I was 12 years old at the time and grew up in a family that celebrated Christmas more as a family get together than as a Religious event. Church was a place where people got married.

How accurately do you remember the experience in comparison to other life events that occurred around the time of the experience? I remember the experience as accurately as other life events that occurred around the time of the ex What I lost was the ability to 'feel' total peace. For several months after the event I felt very peaceful while in our pool at home or in a lake. That physical feeling of peace gradually left as I grew up. I still feel comfortable in or around water. I just can not 'feel' the peace the same way as I did then.

Discuss any changes that might have occurred in your life after your experience: While I have believed in God and heaven, I always felt that I did not belong on this world. I never truly felt like I was a part of any family.

My experience directly resulted in: No changes in my life

Did you have any changes in your values or beliefs after the experience that occurred as a result of the experience? Uncertain I was 12 years old at the time. The messages I received from God after the event were confusing as I was young. My views are different now because I can look back on them and see that the messages were God telling me why I He had sent an Angel to pull me out of the water.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Uncertain As a very young child I knew that a when a person dies that their body becomes an empty vessel that they have left behind. That they themselves are somewhere else.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? The vision that God had shown me (of myself as an older adult) because I believe that have now reach the age I was shown in the vision and I am not sure if that means that my time to go is near.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes More than 10 years after the event I told my wife. She believed me but does not understand. My wife is the one I was told about when I was 13 and God gave me the 3 messages and 1 vision. My wife can not recall anything that may show that God was guiding us to eventually meet one another.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? No

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened: Experience was definitely real I remembered clearly the knowledge I was given and the feeling of total peace. I was able to hold onto the 'feeling' for more than weeks afterwards and often spent a lot of time in our pool at home to rekindle that feeling.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience at the current time: Experience was definitely real Because it happened 47 years ago and I can not bring back that 'feeling' of total peace I sometimes get a little part that says that when I die I will still not feel like I belong to a family.

Have your relationships changed specifically as a result of your experience? Yes The only girl who was ever a part of my life was/is the girl that God told me I would meet. God told us we would have 3 daughters. We seriously debated on only having 2 children during her second pregnancy when at 6 months along we discovered that we would be having twins. I never doubted that all of our children would be girls.

Have your religious beliefs/spiritual practices changed specifically as a result of your experience? Yes At the time of the event I didn't have much of a view on religion other than I knew that God was there. I just felt that I was not a part of His family. I felt that I was placed on earth as a mistake.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Yes Feeling calm in or around water. Also when I feel the same physically now as I was shown to be in the vision God had shown to me when I was 13.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? I know that this does not qualify as a true NDE as described but I know that it is not a normal event and every part of the event shaped my life without me realizing as I was growing up. Now I have reached that part of my life that I was shown in the vision and I am not 100% sure that it means that my time to leave is near.

Did the questions asked and information that you provided accurately and comprehensively describe your experience? Uncertain The messages and vision from God came a few months after the event, so I'm not sure if that fits with your guidelines of a true NDE.