Really cool story Web Wanderer. Thank you for sharing that. Get chills reading that.
When you first encountered NDEs and OBEs did you doubt their veracity? Or did they just always feel right/true to you? Have either of you had an NDE or OBE experience? If so, did having that experience convince you of their realness?
I actually never did doubt the veracity of the NDE or OBE. However, what I DID doubt was my initial awakening experience which happened a little prior to discovering NDE's, and whether Consciousness stemmed from the brain or not. I kept asking myself and researching so many different scientific and spiritual texts (largely Vedanta at the time) about the nature of consciousness. How do I know my own awakening experience was not a product of my brain like materialists such as Sam Harris claim? It was really driving me nuts. I was really desperate in my search to understand that my experience was actually pointing to something 'real'. WW posted a link to NDE's on this forum and that was it for me. I was sold. I don't know why. It felt so right to me. I was previously a hardcore atheist for many years. But, the depth and clarity of the information coming through these NDE's(as I researched more and more) were just undeniable. These people were either the greatest actors in the world or half of the world was just in denial about where we 'come from'.
I had a minor OBE in 2015. I had been going through horrific stress in my life. I wasn't sleeping. I kept having experiences early morning hours between 4-6AM. I would be in and out of sleep, and get this immense, intense buzzing sensation in my ears, sleep paralysis and I felt myself being pulled towards this kind of vortex of energy, but I was petrified and felt that there were entities around my bed and I simply could not let go enough. Letting go, and surrendering I have discovered is the key to allowing yourself to actually leave the body. Well, one morning, I did, I just popped out and floated to my bathroom. The minute I put my attention on my feet, I kid you not, I was back in my body in my bed. It lasted all of 30 seconds maybe? I haven't shared it with many, but I have written about it in my blog and shared it with those who I know would understand it. Honestly, it didn't change anything for me. But, I can say that it was immensely peaceful when I popped out, amidst the massive, intense, insane fear I was feeling at the same time, of being afraid of going into that sleep paralysis state. Very hard to explain. It was William Buhlman who is the expert on OBE's which gave me all of the clarity I needed on that subject matter and later discovered that there were no entities at my bed, but simply my subconscious projections of fear manifesting outwardly.
So, that's my story. I've shifted away recently from exploring NDE's, left all of the Facebook groups which I used to be a part of and have recently delved more into my own direct experience. But, having the back drop of understanding from researching hundreds of NDE's in a short amount of time (only a few years) has completely erased ANY doubts I have had about the nature of consciousness. It's like second hand knowing for me. I still come across an NDE here and there, such as the one I posted the other day on suicide (take a look if you haven't). But, yet my own experiences seem to confirm this now as even more true. Such that, when I was out under anesthesia last spring which is the ultimate deep, dreamless sleep, I went under with a lot of physical distress in my body. When I came out, I was in this immense place of bliss and joy, indescribable. I am a poor sleeper, so I wasn't used to this time of deep, dreamless sleep. Where did I go?