I am not  ashamed to say that it affected my life greatly at the time and now I need to really refocus on this again.  I have never forgotten it and need to remember it always.  

AS I said I was in a period with a lot happening in my life to which I could not control.  I had some extensive dental work done and was given a prescription for tranquilizers to help keep me calm in the chair.  The doctor had given me thirty tablets I think because I had told him how much better I slept. 

After the script ran out I could not go to sleep on my own accord. The medication had severely disrupted my sleep pattern. I went two full weeks with no sleep whatsoever.  I know I did not have ANY sleep.  I was there.  I have read that the human body cannot go over seven days without sleep.  That is just not true. I was headed into the third week and my body was beginning to fail.  Horribly so.  There were also two large dogs who lived next door to me that were constantly barking. They further prevented me from sleeping. It was as though I was being tormented.  I would go from the den to the bedroom. Back and forth. Back and forth. But sleep would not come. 

On the day that this happened it was a Sunday.  I felt in my heart I was not going to make it and didn't have enough sense to go to the hospital.  I just did not know what to do.  Kept thinking I would get to sleep.  But the more I was awake the more adrenalin the body would produce to keep me awake.  On this Sunday I called a good friend of mine over so I could fix dinner for him.  He was a great friend and I tried to tell him what was happening to me.  No one understood because they had never experienced such a loss of sleep.  Somehow I managed to cook some fried chicken strips for us. No idea how I did it.  

Later that night as I knew it would be my last night on earth.  I went into the bathroom and slowly got undressed.  I looked into the mirror and was horrified at what I saw.  I was as white and cool blue at the same time.  All of my toenails and fingernails were a cool blue.  I knew my body was shutting down.  I could feel it. I knew that night would be it.  I had so much unfinished work to be done and knew my estate would be left in a mess.  I hated to leave my estate in the hands of my brother as well.   I sat down on the commode and cried out to God from the very depths of my soul.  I will never forget that. Even with no strength within me, I cried out to him in a very loud voice. I told him my grandmothers name and other peoples name that I knew were real Christians. Telling him my name and how my grandmother had always prayed for me and a lady in Louisiana named Ms Reba who prayed for me many times as well.  I knew he would know them. I just knew it.  I then simply prayed the Lords Prayer. That was all I knew to pray. I did. I promise.  

I made my way to the bed and got in, stretched out neatly as I knew the lady I was leasing my home from would probably be the one to find me.  It was a large four poster bed with a pleated fabric top. I stretched out and just lay there.  It did not take very long and hundreds of tiny tiny lights began to shine down from the top of the bed and from all over the ceiling.  They were not bright  like I have read some people have seen. Just so many of them. Beautiful soft lights. Soothing lights.   I remember getting up on my knees and trying to find a light switch on the headboard.  I kept thinking.  Gosh,  I didn't even know this bed had lights on it.  Then I said to myself.  "Lay down fool, these are the lights you have always heard about".  I stretched back out. very straight and as neatly as I could. 

All of a sudden a Man was standing at the left foot of my bed.  I knew it was Jesus.  You just know.  From his appearance, white robe, and long brown hair with a beard.  The kindest eyes I have ever seen.  He walked up to the side of my bed and took his right hand and took a hold of my left hand and pulled at me. I felt my upper body begin to rise up  I rose  up and then was standing beside him.  I looked back at my body and said to him as I was pointing at my body,  "But, uuhhh, uuhh"  

Then all of a sudden off we went and were immediately standing at this glassy, shiny lake with the water not moving at all. We were on the bank beside the water walking together.  He at this time was just in front of me.  I was just back from him to his right slightly and with my head slightly bowed. I walked with him. He talked with me as we walked.  He spoke telepathic to me. The water was so glassy and the banks filled with beautiful vegetation. 

Then just as quickly as we were walking by the lake we were lying in a field of tall grass. I noticed this time however that I was lying  by his right  side but at the same time I was hovering above watching this.  I could see that it was me and that I looked to be about five years old. Jesus had his right leg crossed over his left with his knees pulled up. I was beside him the same way.  He had a straw in his mouth and would take it out to talk to me.  I could see his lips moving and my little head was nodding up and down as I was taking in what he was saying. He was so calm and peaceful acting.  Again it was telepathic and to this day cannot tell you in audible words what he said. He was speaking to my soul and to my heart. 

Then all of a sudden I was lying back in my bed in my body.  Even though I had not slept for so long I just lay there in completeness.  Then all of a sudden Jesus appeared again at my left and this time He spoke audible words to me.  He said "By the way, if you turn all of the lights on out back  at the barn those dogs will quit barking".  That was all that he said and just disappeared. 

It took several hours for the lights to leave.  They faded away very slowly. Very very slowly.   

I lay there for several hours and did not even need sleep.  I was in awe that the Son of God would come to me.  That he put His right hand into my left.  The Son of God touched me with his hand  and took a hold of it.  I still am in amazement. 

I did finally go to sleep and slept for many hours. I awoke afresh and like I had been reborn.  I was I would think. 

I did not turn the lights on out back until the next day.  The dogs never barked again like that again.  Jesus knew.  He really knew they  didn't want to be in the dark outside. 

I am resubmitting this event because I need it to be a place in my life again.  We get caught up in this thing called life and it is very easy to not let the things that should matter the most be put on the back burner. 

I never saw a tunnel of light like my father told us about when he had a major heart attack and we were told that if he made it would be brain damaged.  He was not. 

I don't know how you keep records but I would appreciate it if you can see if my story has remained pretty much unchanged.  Nothing really to update. It was what it was. 

Thanks very much,  This is and was a very true happening. 

Rick

Was the kind of experience difficult to express in words? No      

At the time of this experience, was there an associated life threatening event?          Yes     Severe loss of sleep.  To the point my body was shutting down. Into third week with no sleep when experience happened.  I submitted this story soon after it happened to NDERF back in 2000.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness?    During the complete happening

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal every day consciousness and alertness?    Normal consciousness and alertness

            During the complete happening

Did your vision differ in any way from your normal, everyday vision (in any aspect, such as clarity, field of vision, colors, brightness, depth perception degree of solidness/transparency of objects, etc.)?  No       I only know that everything looked so beautiful. But not in brightness or anything like that.  Everything was just so peaceful.  I never saw anyone else.  Just Jesus and myself.

Did your hearing differ in any way from your normal, everyday hearing (in any aspect, such as clarity, ability to recognize source of sound, pitch, loudness, etc.)?            Yes     Only different in the sense that there were no audible noises until the very end when He spoke to me just before departing about the lights to be turned on out back of the house

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience?            Love, complete peacefulness, reverence.

Did you pass into or through a tunnel or enclosure?          Uncertain      I never saw a tunnel or enclosure.  He just took my hand and we were there in an instant

Did you see a light?           Yes     Not a light but rather hundreds of tiny tiny soft lights coming from the top of the bed and from the ceiling

Did you meet or see any other beings?           Yes     Only Jesus.   No one else whatsoever.

Did you experience a review of past events in your life?    Yes     The only event I experience about past life was when I was hovering above looking down at myself and Jesus lying in the green grass.  I have certainly tried to be a better person.  I don't share this story to many people unless I feel led to do so. It is amazing that some people I have told either know someone that had a similar thing happened or something of the nature rather.  Not just like what happened to me.

Did you observe or hear anything regarding people or events during your experience that could be verified later?          Yes     Well, in the sense that Jesus on his second trip to me told me to turn the lights on out back.  Other people knew that the dogs did indeed quit barking. May seem trivial to you but it was very real to me.

Did you see or visit any beautiful or otherwise distinctive locations, levels or dimensions?            Yes     a beautiful serene lake with the waters not moving at all.  Very still waters and the reflection was phenomenal.  Then  foliage and a field or pasture of the greenest of grasses.

Did you have any sense of altered space or time?   Yes     Yes,  The whole event as best as I can remember seemed to have taken about ten minutes.  Then I was back in my body in my bed.  Refreshed and very peaceful.

Did you have a sense of knowing special knowledge, universal order and/or purpose?     Yes            The only knowledge I had was that I knew it was the Son of God.  The Son of the God that made this universe.

Have you shared this experience with others?         Yes     I told my first cousin in Longview , Texas the first thing the next morning.  She had called to check on me as she knew I was in bad shape.  She said later that she was calling to see if I had gotten sleep.  Otherwise she was going to drive to Mississippi and take me back to her house.  She awoke me from my great sleep the next morning.  I just began to babble and tell her about the experience.  Just told her that I was ok.  That Jesus had come and took me to the other side.  very matter of factly and quickly told her what happened.  Then I told her I had to go back to sleep.  Which I did quickly.  She thought that I had lost my mind of course.  Little did she realize it but instead of losing it I found it.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience?    Yes            Only from what my father had told me when he had a major heart attack in 1968.  He was clinically dead when he was taken to the hospital.  He was given shock treatments and later was revived. The doctors told us he would have brain damage for being without oxygen for as long as he was.  But he did not have any damage,  He told my brother and me ( along with countless others) about going into a long tunnel of light.  We did not believe him at the time.  I do now.  He later died in 1976.

How did you view the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened:            Experience was definitely real    The reality?  Just a sense of completeness and knowing that God loves me after all the wrong I had done in my life. I still am not a perfect person.  I read where He says to be perfect as He is perfect.  I think that will only happen when we actually make it to heaven.

Were there one or several parts of the experience especially meaningful or significant to you?    No it was all meaningful.  One thing does stand out to me though.  That the Son of God would take his hand and put it in my hand and have the power to raise my spirit out of my body.  That part is quite phenomenal.

How do you currently view the reality of your experience:            Experience was definitely real            Because I think of the experience quite often.  Something like this cannot happen to you and you not remember. I just see this world in such a horrible mess with all the wars, hunger, etc.  I can only have peace about all of that because it somehow fits Gods total plan.

Have your relationships changed specifically as a result of your experience?           Uncertain      Not so sure.  I have always tried to be a kind person and help others.  I have given nearly my last dime and dollar to help someone in need.  Money does not mean a lot to me now as it did before this happened.  I  used to cross the Atlantic all the time going to London and Europe to buy antique books. Not so concerned about that now.  Of course there is the internet now.

Have your religious beliefs/practices changed specifically as a result of your experience?            No           

Following the experience, have you had any other events in your life, medications or substances which reproduced any part of the experience?         No      

Is there anything else you would like to add concerning the experience?        Not really

Did the questions asked and information you provided so far accurately and comprehensively describe your experience?         Yes     That is self explanatory.   I can only say that I feel that everyone who has a near death experience is spiritual in nature.  Everyone may not believe in God.  I'm not sure about that.  But through this  know He is real as I have always known He was.

Are there any other questions we could ask to help you communicate your experience?   Don't really have any suggestions.  Thanks though.