Experience description:

In my dream, I was laying in my parents' backyard at night, looking up at the stars, with pine trees all around me. Suddenly the trees started to stretch up into this strange vortex. Suddenly I was in outer space outside this bright, burning ball of fire, which I now believe was a star. I looked down, and realized my body was gone. I was just this bright ball of light with a misty like haze surrounding it. I looked around and realized there were hundreds of other little bright balls of light just like me also encircling the star. I didn't know anything about their lives, or who they were... but I KNEW them like I know myself. I've never experienced that kind of unity before or since. The best way I know to describe it is like we were all part of some larger organism. If our hearts had been beating, they would have beat in unison. If we had been breathing, we would have breathed in unison. But we weren't. There was no need. I didn't feel afraid, it was just calm and peaceful. The only sound was of the star burning in the background. And we were all waiting for something. I didn't know what, we just were.

Then I looked back toward earth and saw people going about their day as usual, living out their lives. Then I realized we were watching our OWN lives being lived. It was like what was happening on earth was the back story for how we'd ended up where we already were. Then I knew I had to go back. I didn't want to, but I didn't have a choice. Suddenly I was falling back towards earth. As I came back down through the atmosphere, I could see my limp body still laying on the ground right where I'd left it. As soon as I hit my body, I woke up, choking and gasping desperately for air. I felt so heavy... I never realized how much work breathing is until that moment. Then this scripture came to mind...

'And God raised us up, and seated us with Him in heavenly places... That you may know the height, breadth, depth, and length of the love of God.' Ephesians 2:6; 3:18

**There are four descriptors of dimension from this passage in Ephesians, not three... The fourth dimension is time. I believe what I experienced was outside of time.

'...Waiting for the redemption of our bodies as sons of God.' Romans 8:23

I believe that is what I experienced. My spirit waiting in the stars for the redemption of my earthly body. I believe that those who have been redeemed by Jesus Christ are up there in the stars right now, watching our own lives being lived out on earth. This experience really gave me a different view of predestination... It's not like God picks Who He likes and saves them. He ALREADY KNOWS who belongs to Him... And He searches throughout time and space to make sure every single soul who is up there waiting right now is found and redeemed... He ensures that their destiny is fulfilled.

'Those who You have given me, I have not lost even one.' John 18:9

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my experience! I hope this will be comforting for someone either doubting their salvation or living in constant fear that they could lose it at any moment. It's not like that up there... It's a done deal. HE has the final say.

At the time of your experience was there an associated life-threatening event?   Uncertain  I may have stopped breathing while I was sleeping, but I have no proof of this, other than gasping desperately for air when I woke up and feeling heavy

Was the experience difficult to express in words?  Yes     That feeling of unity I experienced with those other souls... there are no words for that.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness?      The whole time

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   I knew things without having them explained to me

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.   My vision down here isn't very good, but up there I could see things happening down on earth from thousands of miles away

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.   The only sound was the star burning softly in the background. Everything else was complete silence.

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?   Yes   I saw people's lives being lived out on earth... including my own.

What emotions did you feel during the experience?   Complete calm and peace  

Did you pass into or through a tunnel?   Yes   I would consider the vortex that pulled me up to be like a kind of tunnel

Did you see an unearthly light?   Yes   The star in the background... and all the little souls around 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
The souls around me. They never spoke, but we knew each other completely in a way I can't describe

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?   Yes   All the other souls around me... they were also watching their own lives being lived out on earth

Did you become aware of past events in your life during your experience?   Uncertain   I didn't witness any specific events, I just knew I was watching my life being lived out on earth

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world?   A clearly mystical or unearthly realm
The star burning, the souls around me

Did time seem to speed up or slow down?   Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning
Time was separate. It was "other." We were outside of time.

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything?   Everything about the universe
Predestination... Time was separate.

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure?   Yes
I guess the star could be considered a boundary... we never moved beyond it.

Did you come to a border or point of no return?   I came to a barrier that I was not permitted to cross; or was sent back against my will
At one point I just knew I had to go back. I wanted to stay, but I didn't have a choice.

Did scenes from the future come to you?  No 

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”)?   Yes   The souls and I were outside of our physical bodies

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness that God or a supreme being either does (or does not) exist?   Uncertain   I didn't see a specific supreme being (besides the other souls around me). I just knew we were outside of time watching our lives being lived out on earth. When I woke up, scriptures came to my mind that correlated with and explained my experience via my Christian worldview.

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness that you either did (or did not) exist prior to this lifetime?   Yes   I was existing outside of my earthly body in outer space

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness that a mystical universal connection or unity/oneness either does (or does not) exist?   Yes   I can't describe that feeling of unity I had with all the other souls, other than it was like we were all part of a larger organism. We knew things about time without having them explained to us.

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding earthly life’s meaning or purpose?   Yes   The understanding I had was that what was happening on earth was the back story to how we'd ended up where we already were.

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding earthly life’s difficulties, challenges, or hardships?   Yes   The struggle of wondering whether or not we are saved... doubts about gaining/losing salvation.

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding love?   Yes   The idea that God was searching through time and space for the souls He had redeemed

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?   Yes   Being outside of time. Our lives being lived out on earth were the back story to our destiny, which had already been fulfilled.

What occurred during your experience included:   Content that was both consistent and not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience   The only thing that was not consistent was my understanding of time/destiny as described above.

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 experience   I was actually contemplating suicide at the time. The only thing holding me back was not knowing whether I was saved or not. But when I came back, I had a strong desire not to disappoint all the souls who were watching!

Discuss any changes that might have occurred in your life after your experience:   I don't have to wonder whether I am saved or not. I know what my destiny is now... I've already experienced it. I don't have to live in fear anymore.

My experience directly resulted in:   Large 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?   Yes   I don't fear death or the afterlife at all anymore.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience?   Yes   I have had dreams about what other people are experiencing that I did not have prior knowledge about, which were later confirmed by these individuals.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you?     Being outside of time... understanding things about destiny that were not explained to me

Have you ever shared this experience with others?   Yes  My family, other people who have had out of body experiences

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience?   Yes   My knowledge was limited... I knew people experienced heaven/hell, but nothing like what I experienced.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened:   Experience was definitely real   That kind of understanding without having things explained to me, being outside of time, was completely foreign to my prior experience.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience at the current time:   Experience was definitely real   I still remember that feeling of unity, being connected to all of those disembodied souls. I don't have the right words to describe that. There's no way that wasn't real.

Have your relationships changed specifically as a result of your experience?   Yes   I have been able to share my experience with others doubting their salvation/living in constant fear of the afterlife.

Have your religious beliefs/spiritual practices changed specifically as a result of your experience?   Yes   I no longer doubt my salvation or my destiny

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience?   Yes   Having dreams about what other people are experiencing and later having those events confirmed by those individuals

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience?   N/A

Did the questions asked and information that you provided accurately and comprehensively describe your experience?   Yes   Very much so! I believe the questions asked allowed me to describe my experience accurately and thoroughly.