Experience description:

I was about 10 or 11 years old. At the time, we lived in a two-story apartment in Hungary in the 1980's: the lower floor was the living room, kitchen and dining room, and the upper level had the bedrooms. We all traversed those wooden stairs many times a day. It had a turn and landing halfway. There was a full-length mirror on the wall of the landing.

On this day, I was alone upstairs, and I was about to go downstairs, when a voice inside my head told me this:

'Instead of taking the steps down, you will jump off, but you won’t fall. You will float over the stairs and safely touch down in the landing, because the laws of the Universe will be suspended for you for this brief time. No one will believe what happened to you, and you may also question this memory when you grow up. You must make a commitment here and now that you will never write this off as something a silly child made up. You must promise to remember this as a miracle — because miracles are possible.'

The voice was not alien to me, it was like I was talking to myself. I agreed to all this in my head and pushed myself away from the stairs. I sailed slowly, gracefully, in what I perceived as a smooth elliptical trajectory over the stairs and downwards. As I approached the landing, I turned my eyes to the mirror. In it, I saw myself. I was erect as I gradually descended onto the floor of the landing. I watched my reflection: in slow-motion, my toes touched the carpet of the landing first; then the rest of my feet followed, smoothly, inch by inch. I don’t know how long this took, but it seemed like it was about as much time as it would have taken to come down the stairs the usual way.

After touching down in the landing, I ran down the lower flight of stairs and burst into the living room. My mother was there. I told her quickly, excitedly, what happened to me — that I jumped off the stairs but instead of falling and breaking limbs, I gracefully floated. My mother shrugged. I could tell she didn’t believe me, or that she considered this a product of my imagination. My excitement evaporated and I was reminded of my promise to myself.

This memory has come up a few times in my life, but it has been on my mind more and more lately as I get older. There is a huge temptation to not believe it, but I feel I must stay true to the promise I made myself as a child.

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

Was the experience difficult to express in words?  No    

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness?      When I was floating toward the landing of the stairs.

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 was very focused on what was happening to me.

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.   This was interesting, fascinating compared the usual stuff I was doing on an daily basis.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.   What I heard was inside my head, it wasn't me but it wasn't someone else either.

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?   Happiness, excitement, being intrigued.  

Did you pass into or through a tunnel?   No  

Did you see an unearthly light?   No  

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice?   I heard a voice I could not identify
The voice addressed my inside my mind. It was like I was talking to myself, but it wasn't me, because I was surprised by what it said.

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?   Time seemed to go faster or slower than usual
I lost a sense of time as I was floating down the stairs.

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything?   No

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure?   No

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

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”)?   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 felt like the origin of the voice had powers like God since it was able to suspend the laws of the Universe.

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness that you either did (or did not) exist prior to this lifetime?   Yes   That the laws of the Universe (gravity, etc) were created by someone / something who has power over it.

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   There was a mystical connection between me and the origin of the voice for the brief time of the experience.

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?   Yes   Reflecting on it now, I think the purpose of the experience might have been to make me understand that believing in miracles can help us overcome challenges and hardships.

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?   Yes   I guess the special knowledge was that it is possible to suspend the laws of the Universe.

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   I was going to Sunday school and church at the time.  I sort of believed in God, Heaven and Hell.  But I did not connect the voice with the Catholic image of the God.

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 more accurately than other life events that occurred around the time of the experience   I really don't remember other things that happened in that time as clearly.

Discuss any changes that might have occurred in your life after your experience:   There wasn't any drastic changes but he memory of this event popped up it my head every now and then.

My experience directly resulted in:   Slight 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   The laws of the Universe were created by a consciousness who can suspend them at will.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience?   No  

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you?     I think the fact the voice made me promise myself something was the most interesting part.  The voice knew I and other people would doubt the experience.

Have you ever shared this experience with others?   Yes  I first shared it with my mother right after it happened. She brushed it off.  I haven't really shared it with many people afterwards.

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 thought the experience was real but very different from every day experiences.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience at the current time:   Experience was definitely real   I must believe it is real because the voice made me promise myself that I would.

Have your relationships changed specifically as a result of your experience?   No  

Have your religious beliefs/spiritual practices changed specifically as a result of your experience?   Yes   The experience actually makes more sense to me now than it did back when I experienced it.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience?   No     

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