I was a reasonably good kid who didn�t really like getting into trouble.  I looked forward to going to school every day so I could be around my friends and I basically enjoyed life. 

I could tell you family horror stories that would make people cry, but my goal isn�t to make anyone feel sorry for me as some people seem to get off on.

Instead I am telling this experience because I really don�t have a clue as to why it happened, but it certainly did happen.  I have made some educated guesses as to why it happened but I haven�t concluded anything solid.

I was healthy as a teenager and didn�t partake in any type of drug abuse or alcohol.  I was athletic and basically psychologically healthy as well.

One night, probably a few hours after I had fallen asleep (I didn't have a radio, TV or lights on and I lived in the country where there were no street lights), I remember I woke up hearing what sounded like people chanting.  I looked up and saw what looked like several robed figures surrounding me in my bedroom.  I could only see them from the shoulders up and the expression on their faces were quite evil.

I remember that I didn�t feel any fear, but was trying to soak up and understand what was happening.  Suddenly a very white beam of light came down from the ceiling and landed on my chest.  The robed figures suddenly had looks of terror in their faces and they disappeared.

I looked up to see where the beam of light was coming from and that is when I saw Jesus floating above my bedroom closet.  I remember that I could still see things dimly around my room through my peripheral vision (study desk, windows, dresser, etc), but there above my closet was Jesus.

I was totally awestruck and still trying to grasp the situation.  He was so pure white that He absolutely glowed.  He was as bright as a zillion watt light bulb and He had His arms stretched out as if He was welcoming me.  He was so white that it would be impossible for anything on this earth to ever compare.  Even snow would look grey compared to how pure pure white He was.  The light that He projected around Him was so bright that even the sun looked dim in comparison.

I remember that even though He shone so brilliantly that I could also make out the features of His face.  He had the kindest and wisest smile. 

He was wearing a white robe and I recall the arms of it hung down a ways from His wrists and the bottom of it went all the way to His feet.  His hair was parted in the middle and sort of wavy, like wool.  His hair came down to His shoulders.  His face wasn�t as I had seen in paintings, which is what I would have expected Him to look like.  Instead it appeared sort of round.  He had a well trimmed beard.

Anyway, I suddenly got this feeling of utter euphoria and bliss all rolled up in a big container of Nirvana (even after 5 years of college I still haven�t came across any words that could accurately describe it).  It was the best feeling I ever had in my life.

There was no communication exchanged.  He just hung there with His arms outstretched to me and Him smiling the most gentlest, loving and understanding smile.

I also recall that when I first woke up and saw the chanting robed figures that I realized that I wasn�t on my bed any longer.  My bed was gone and I was on the floor where my bed had been.  This is one of the bigger things that I still don�t understand.  I don�t know if I was in my physical body at this time or if I were in my spiritual body.  I assume that I was in my spiritual body because I don�t think that my physical body could have been able to look at the brightness of Him as well as contain the feeling of profound bliss that I experienced.

The next thing I knew was that I was waking up to the alarm clock.  I got up, got dressed and as I sat on the edge of my bed putting my shoes on I suddenly felt the feeling of bliss again and I suddenly remembered the incident.

My minister and his son (who was my best friend at the time) picked me up that morning and when I told them about what happened my minister just chuckled and said, �You�ve been watching too much Star Trek�. 

I know that the experience was real.  I am now 48 years old and when I have dreams I know they were dreams when I wake up, and I have had several other spiritual experiences, but this was the deepest and most profound experience I ever encountered.

After telling many people of the experience I have discovered that most don�t believe me.  They look at me with pitty and believe that I believe it happened, but they themselves think that I have fooled myself into believing it was real.

Again, I know it was real.  My mission isn�t to try to get people to believe me because I know that it would be fruitless and frustrating, but it is to try to understand why it happened to me.

At that point in my life I had NEVER heard of an NDE, OBE or anything relating to them.  It wasn�t until many years later, while reading of people�s NDEs, that I realized that these people saw and felt exactly what I did, so it confirmed even more that my experience was real.

To this day I still don�t understand the significance of what happened to me.  I don�t understand why the robed figures were around me chanting or why Jesus blessed a nobody like me with His visit, but I certainly am humbled and grateful for it.

I want to add that about 20 years later my wife and I were attending a church service when the minister asked if anyone had ever seen Jesus before.  Of course I raised my hand and I was the only one in a congregation of about 300 that did.

After the service I walked up to the minister to tell him why I raised my hand but he treated me as though I was an absolute nut case.  I often wondered why he asked that question if he didn�t want to hear about it in the event that someone raised their hand.

After that I pretty well stopped going to church.

I didn�t hold that church, or any other bad church (there ARE many good ones out there on the right path) as a reason to give up on looking for the answer(s) or to give up my search for a relationship with God, but I have since realized that the path to life isn�t a religious one, but a spiritual one.  It isn�t who you rub shoulders with, how much money you donate, whose names you drop, what position you hold in life or how you are seen to the public eye, but it�s about love.  It�s about how you love in everyday settings, not on the special occasions.

Thanks for listening to my experience.

Any associated medications or substances with the potential to affect the experience?     No      

Was the kind of experience difficult to express in words? Yes     The feelings of euphoria

At the time of this experience, was there an associated life threatening event?          No      

What was your level of consciousness and alertness during the experience?           Very alert and awake

            Was the experience dream like in any way?   Not at all

Did you experience a separation of your consciousness from your body?     Uncertain     

What emotions did you feel during the experience?            Confusion and awe

Did you hear any unusual sounds or noises?           Only chanting

LOCATION DESCRIPTION:  Did you recognize any familiar locations or any locations from familiar religious teachings or encounter any locations inhabited by incredible or amazing creatures?    No           

Did you see a light?           Yes     The light emanating from Christ

Did you meet or see any other beings?           Yes     The robed figures and Jesus

Did you have any psychic, paranormal or other special gifts following the experience that you did not have prior to the experience?      Uncertain      I has some friends that would dabble quite a bit in Ouija (sp) boards, even against my advice.  When I would enter the room while they were using it they complained that it made the board stop working.  A couple times they threw me out of the room so that they board would work again.

Did you have any changes of attitudes or beliefs following the experience?   Yes     I became more spiritual instead of 'religious'.

How has the experience affected your relationships? Daily life? Religious practices? Career choices?       I have noticed that when things get out of control that Jesus is always there above it all to protect me (which what may be what the whole incident was trying to convey).

Has your life changed specifically as a result of your experience?         Yes     I have not given up given up on Christianity, but I think that the 'religious' part keeps some people in a box that doesn't allow them to see things at a greater depth.  As churches are always looking for a fight, either with other belief systems or each other.  However, there are many wonderful churches that do teach things at a greater depth than the patented "don't do this, don't do that"; they teach about love and that this life is just a school to teach us to become REAL loving beings of God. 

My understanding of what God is all about has become more sensitive since the experience. 

Have you shared this experience with others?         Yes     Explained above

What emotions did you experience following your experience?  Awe, wonder, slight confusion

What was the best and worst part of your experience?      The best part was the confirmation that there really is something out there beyond what we see and experience in our everyday life.  The worst part is that I can't seem to understand the meaning of the experience or why there were the chanting figures.  I don't understand what they were trying to do to me.

Is there anything else you would like to add concerning the experience?        It has certainly led me on a path that I may or may not have chosen had it not happened.  I have certainly made my share of human mistakes, both on accident as well as intentional, since the experience, but in all it has gotten me to think about it a lot (enough to keep searching for the answers).

Following the experience, have you had any other events in your life, medications or substances which reproduced any part of the experience?         No       No.  I will admit that later in life that I got into the drug scene, but no drug could even come close.  The closest that I ever felt to it was when I was deeply in love with a girl and it was so intense that it was overwhelming, but still that doesn't hold a candle to the experience.

Did the questions asked and information you provided accurately and comprehensively describe your experience?               Yes     Yes

Please offer any suggestions you may have to improve this questionnaire.    None that I can think of.