In 1989 I bled to death on the floor of an ER bathroom. I was down about 20 minutes, no pulse no heartbeat, no breathing. When some poor soul opened the door and found me I had already been dead for some time. The attendants rushed in (and as later told to me by one of the RN´s present) knew I was dead but since My wife had been screaming for help they "put on a show" They knew they were giving CPR to a corpse but they wanted my wife to think everything had been done. They wanted to spare her some of the indignity of my dying with my pants down on the cold tile floor.

Sure surprised the bejeezus out of them when I "woke up". So here is my perspective. I had all the visions and out of body feelings easily explained away ny shock or whatever. Those are not what has stuck with me.

When one is in the process of kicking the bucket one knows a terror inexplicable to any who have not been there. The closest would be a soldier in battlke but even they would have hope they´d get out of it. When you depart, there is no hope you are coming back, so despite all ones faith and knowledge, you´re terrified.

But then, before the lights and the floating and the shadows in the tunnel stuff the terror is lifted, it´s simply gone. I like to think of it as being touched by God. The terror was replaced with an knowledge that what is happening is not only right, its good.

I think thats where most folks depart from the path I took. It´s good, it´s right and you are excited to continue, so you do. I was right there ready to go, excited to go, when I again had that feeling of being touched by the same presence that had taken the terror away. This time was different, this time i knew I had a choice, stay or go.

My daughter was 2 years old, she was so attached to me (still is) I couldn´t leave her. My wife would eventually understand, but my daughter would suffer terribly. I couldn´t do that. It was not an easy decision so compelling is the desire to move on. But I didn´t I´ll go back in good time.

I never told this to anyone, not even my wife, for almost 20 years. I felt silly saying it. But then my Brother in law got leukemia. He was the first I ever told. Just this Christmas he told me it was probably the only thing that gave him any peace for the 3 years he went through hell.

MM, you sound remarkably lifelike. Well done, Sir!

So take my story for what you will but think about this last thing.

I have watched too many freinds pass on in the interveneing years. At each fubneral I have expeienced a most wrenching emotional disconnect. Grief over their passing from my life tinged with a feeling of envy. I know where they are going and I want to go with them.

Please excuse me staff, I´ve broken about a half dozen rules here but this is a story I feel compelled to tell at the oddest times. This was one of them.

Well said, sir. Thank you for sharing, and for giving us hope that death is not so final.

The author seems to accept that there may be heaven-but there is no proof that lawyers are allowed in.

My wife gave me this book. I found it interesting but not compelling. I won´t spoil it, but when the identity of his guiding angel is revealed near the end of the book, I found it too cute by half. In my long life, I have had two experiences I would identify as "near death". I maintained a sort of quasi-consciousness throughout both. Neither was unpleasant, but I would not describe either as exhilarating. I wanted to "return" as I had a feeling that I had unfinished business that God wanted me to tend to.

MM thanks for sharing. gives me hope that God is still with us and the plan is His,even on this sad day

I understand why so many people do not believe in the hereafter. They do not want to be held accountable here on earth, let alone "up there".

I faced certain death a few times in my life- twice in combat in Vietnam- I saw it coming and knew for a few seconds this was the end of my existence on Earth- without any doubt. I wondered briefly, and oddly in my now secure frame of mind, "I wonder if this is going to hurt?" Then a strange and incongruouent calm came over me. I felt totally at peace and kind of joyful- then the moment passed, missing me entirely by fractions of an inch. I was a survivor. And after I got over my surprise at being alive, I felt a kind of let down- that I was going to have to wait to know the "Great Secret". I know, adrenaline and all that- "shock Euphoria"- it can all be explained- but, I have never forgotten it and as a result, I am not quite so afraid of the end.

I can easily go along with the idea of something cognizant after life here ends- It just seems to make sense and it comforts me to believe in it.

I recently lost my grandmother - she had almost 100 good years. She told me once about a near-death experience she had as a young girl when she was unconscious & she believed she saw & experienced heaven. She described its beauty vividly & in rich detail & told me to never be afraid - that it was good & right that we all die & go back to the Creator. Just before my mom passed, the nurse at the care home told me that she had been talking to "unseen ones." Since we had lost my sister some time before, I asked her who had been there. She said it was my sister. I believe these stories because I had my own episode, once. I had such intense pain from a pulled muscle in my back that I fainted. I don´t know where I went or for how long (I was told I was out less than a minute), but I felt INTENSELY my sister was near & was very concerned that I was all right. It is hard to explain, but I think it is all out there waiting.

I lost my best friend some years ago, and was in such a state of turmoil I could barely function. She returned to reassure me and gave me a peek as to where she was. Beauty does not even begin to describe it. There is no earthly comparison. We all carry the weight of our own lives on our shoulders as well as other weights that aren´t ours. All those are gone. Only our spirituality remains, and it is untainted by mans interpretations.
That´s as far as I´ll go about it, but it is not a bad place.

The same thing happened to me, #12. My best friend passed away unexpectantly a few years ago. I was devastated until he appeared to me in what I don´t think was a dream. He was smiling and told me everything was OK and not to worry. It was a lot of comfort at the time.