I died last night

Hi Lombozo. This is the section of your experience that immediately rang a bell with me:

When the "moment" happened, suddenly an all encompassing blackness occurred. Yes we all have a blackness when we sleep, but this was so different. It was like everything shut off. I don't know how else to describe it. Complete and utter blackness and silence. I thought I knew what blackness and silence was when I slept, but trust me, it is nothing like this.

A few weeks ago, I had one of my periodic blackouts: crashed unconscious in the bathroom, stopped breathing for a short while, apparently. Luckily, family members were in the house. One had dreamt a few nights earlier that I died, so when I had my mini-death in the bathroom they were upset, feeling for a moment that their dream had 'come true'.

A few nights later, after having gone to bed, I lay there for a while in the darkness, mentally winding down, as you do. Everything was calm and dark. I wasn't dreaming -- hadn't entered real sleep at that point.

Then, with no warning at all, I experienced that total 'shut-off' and utter blackness you described in your post.

As you've explained, it's no ordinary blackness. I mean, my room was dark in any case, and in addition I had my eyes closed, on the verge of sleep.

But this new and sudden blackness gave new meaning to the word.

As as you say, it's a complete 'shut off'/'shut down'. It's shocking. It's not just the mega-blackness --- it's the silence, the suddeness and the *finality* and emptiness. The black is all there is.

It felt to me as if a switch had been turned off. Even in a dark room, at night, with the eyes closed --- even though that's 'black' -- there's nevertheless a sense of continuation: you have a sense of things going on normally around you.

When you lie down in bed in a darkened room and close your eyes, yes, that's black. But it's your blackness, isn't it? You've entered that blackness voluntarily. YOU are in control of it.

I was already 'in' that stage of blackness: dark room, night time, eyes closed, falling asleep.

And then it happened -- the shut-down. Exactly as if I had been 'turned off'. And it was a whole new dimension in blackness. Complete, utter, total 'nothing' except blackest-black. Over. Finished.

It only lasted a second or two. Left me very frightened.

I've lost consciousness at infrequent intervals since childhood. During one period, I was losing consciousness frequently. I'd be walking down the road and next thing I'd 'wake up' to find myself lying at the side of the road, or half in the gutter. After 'coming to', I'd climb back to my feet. Usually I had to return home to shower and change clothes because I'd have mud and debris stuck to me. I used to always be embarrassed and hoped no-one had seen me. At other times I'd get a warning 'feeling' and try to go to some secluded spot: sometimes I made it in time to faint in private. At other times I'd 'come to' in the middle of a shopping mall, to find people staring at me. It was always embarrassing. My nose has been broken a few times as result of these attacks and invariably my head has taken the worst of the injuries, because when it happens I go down like a log.

But even these 'black-outs' have never felt so intensely black and total as the 'shut off' experience of a couple of weeks ago while I was falling asleep.

So I feel I do know what you mean in your description (in quotes above) of the shut-down you experienced.

It really scared me. I'd never been afraid of death before it happened. But the experience shook me up. The worst thing was, the 'shut down' felt as if it had been done deliberately: as if someone or something had shut me down. It didn't feel as if it came from 'within'. Didn't feel like a 'natural' thing.

As I say, it must have only been of a second or two's duration.

Unlike you, I didn't have a sense that I should move a part of my body. I don't know what caused it or what 'brought me back'.

I was terrified as soon as the 'shut down' lifted, leaving me able to think again. I began praying in earnest. I really felt I must have died for a few seconds.

Until that experience, I'd always imagined that dying would be similar to the sort of darkness I'm familiar with: being asleep or unconscious.

But this was a whole new variation of blackness: one I'd never known existed. I wouldn't have believed, until I experienced it, that such profound and total blackness, finality, emptiness, coldness, impersonal 'nothingness', was possible ! Or that it could cut-into what was already pretty black (night time, dark room, eyes closed, almost asleep).

I haven't told anyone in my 'real' life. I wouldn't want to frighten them.

I'd pushed it from my mind until I read your post.

Unlike you, I emerged from the experience having learned nothing, other than there's an entirely unsuspected 'blackness' of which I'm capable.

But I'm very happy to hear that your experience was positive and has enriched your life

Originally posted by stompk
Watch this video. It might open your eyes to the potential of the other side and how we live life. Make sure you watch the whole thing. It is life changing.

Do you mean any particular video on that site, as it seems to have several on it?

BTW lombozo, you really reminded me of one of The Simpsons episodes here

Every one of us IS going to die. Maybe in the next 10 seconds, maybe in 100 years, but we ARE going to die.

It reminded me of the bit where homer is saying to bart about death, and says "don't worry people die all the time. Why you could wake up dead tomorrow. Well, good night"

BTW, your 10 second prediction wasn't right, but heres to counting. 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20.... Come on Death, where are you? Oh you're busy elsewhere, bother.



[edit on 3-5-2007 by apex]

Yes very different. I wasnt afraid of death either. Never was afraid of death but I was sometimes afraid of how it would happen.
After this happened though, I was pretty shaken and although im still not scared for the most part but I am very anxious about it.
The feeling of loneliness that I felt after being resuscitated the first time was very overwhelming. It was a very strange experience, I remember when the paramedics were hauling me away I was very delusional and saw the EMT's as reapers in a way thats hard to explain, they weren't carrying a scythe or anything but I saw "death" in them, thats the last I remembered, I was told that I was yelling that if they took me away, I would never see them again.
I dont recall anything else until I woke up in ER.

Originally posted by lombozo
Hey Kronos,
Wow! Our experiences are very different. I didn't feel cold at all. Just complete and utter nothingness. I've never been afraid of death, even as a kid. I'm not looking forward to it by any means, but I am not afraid of it at all. There is no alternative whatsoever.

inner fears that we are often afraid to admit usually manifastate as dreams,my theory

Doc Velocity

Very interesting experience many of the things that you had refer too have very similarities of what I have experience myself through my life while having episodes of astral travels and some other very interesting experiences.

specially the spheres you saw I have encountered them and was explained at one time by some guide of some sort, that is our life force on in other words the way we actually will look like without a human body.

Quite interesting.

Originally posted by lombozo
The details of how I "died" are not important. The reason I'm posting here is because something DID happen. When the "moment" happened, suddenly an all encompassing blackness occurred.

Yeah, the picture goes black for awhile before the dream ends. You can't see that part.

Originally posted by lombozo
I don't really remember many of my dreams, in fact I remember practically none of them, but this is one that has left an indellible mark on my brain. It may indeed be the strangest thing that has ever happened to me.

That's because these 'dreams' aren't your typical dreams. They don't even feel the same.

Originally posted by lombozo
Look, I'm pretty much the class clown, and I'm pretty grounded. I have no complaints in my life, but I feel an inner peace that I haven't felt before.
What the heck happened?

Looks like some psychics, or aliens, or time travellers (its probably all 3, but whatever) are trying to make you think something magical happened.

Originally posted by apc
A massive dose of '___' released by a brain that thinks it is dying.

But '___' is released by the pineal gland in the lower, more reptillian part of the human brain, not the higher brain. Yes, the higher brain can be tricked into believing anything, but the lower brain — which is in charge of the really basic metabolic processes — can't be fooled. As far as the lower brain is concerned, you're either physically dying or you're not, you're either horny or you're not, you're either breathing or digesting food or fighting for territory or you're not.

In my case, my higher brain had been fooled into believing that I was dying, even though I was not physically dying. So why would the lower brain respond by dumping '___' into the system when it knew that my physical body was just fine?

— Doc Velocity

Originally posted by Doc Velocity

Originally posted by apc
A massive dose of '___' released by a brain that thinks it is dying.

But '___' is released by the pineal gland in the lower, more reptillian part of the human brain, not the higher brain. Yes, the higher brain can be tricked into believing anything, but the lower brain — which is in charge of the really basic metabolic processes — can't be fooled. As far as the lower brain is concerned, you're either physically dying or you're not, you're either horny or you're not, you're either breathing or digesting food or fighting for territory or you're not.

In my case, my higher brain had been fooled into believing that I was dying, even though I was not physically dying. So why would the lower brain respond by dumping '___' into the system when it knew that my physical body was just fine?

— Doc Velocity

Very good question, and i think the answer lies in much of our misunderstanding (or lack of understanding) of the human mind. My personal opinion is that the upper (higher) functions of the brain can believe in something strongly enough to "fool" the entire body and mind.

I dont know how much credence i put into the hole concept of consciously creating our own reality, but i certainly dont dismiss the idea.

Nor do i believe that everything you experiance was the result of JUST '___', but i certainly think it was aided by it.

It was over ten years ago. I dreamed I was asleep when a burglar walked up to me and shot me in the chest. I sat there for a minute and died. I woke up as I was talking to some guy at the Golden gates about weither I was worthy to enter. I moved from those apartments. Maybe I mediumed the future, or maybe my subconscious was just letting out its inner demons. I'm still here.

Ive had similar dream experiences like the original post.

I describe mine as being aware that I am about to die... I can feel myself slipping away and entering a void of nothingness. Everything goes black and I cease to exist, yet I exist... in my.... mind?

Its kind of like.... when you sleep, you remember nothing of that time. You are shut down. When you are awake you realize that you are alive, but when you sleep, nothing exists.


I imagine death is like falling asleep...... you know that moment when you think "ill never fall asleep" and your thoughts are racing, you are still thinking... but at one moment (that you don't remember) you cease to function, entering nothingness.

I'm rambling and need coffee.

That may very well be what death is like. I guess I'm going to find out someday.

Hahaha Apex, that line in The Simpsons was really great. I have always been a HUGE fan of The Simpsons, I cant believe the series started in the late 80s
Sorry, offtopic. just had to comment on that line by Homer though, LMAO.

I do sometimes wonder though. Like someone mentioned above about sleeping.
I wonder if, when we die, we are aware were dead and have dreams. Or what if as soon as we die, we wake up and realize that were being diapered and reaching out for moms tit for some grub

It reminded me of the bit where homer is saying to bart about death, and says "don't worry people die all the time. Why you could wake up dead tomorrow. Well, good night"

[edit on 3-5-2007 by Kr0n0s]

You guys gotta see my ghost photos. I was a sceptic until I took these. Now I am a believer!

www.abovetopsecret.com...


[edit on (5/4/07) by AllSeeingI]

[edit on (5/4/07) by AllSeeingI]

I have died in a dream before, I was shot in the head, everything went black and I heard a thud of my body hitting the floor, 2 or 3 seconds went by then I wake up, I have never had that before or after, I always normally wake up before I hit the floor or die what ever else happens...

I know this is going to sound crazy. Hell, I've always been a "little off", but even I am questioning my own sanity. Ever since this bizarre dream I feel almost like there is a presence (for lack of a better term) about me. Very strange feeling. I'm certainly no psychic, never have been, never will be. Frankly I've never believed in a true psychic. We all have occasions where we have deja-vu, but someone who claims to be a psychic loses alot of validity with me. If you can predict the future, then why didn't you tell us about 9/11, or warn those poor kids at Virginia Tech?
Anyway there were 2 instances since my dream where I managed to be in front of a TV watching something other than Elmo, or Bear in the big blue house. Both of these occasions were news programs. Both times they had live drawings of the local lottery. Typical ping pong balls popping up in a machine type of drawing. The announcer always says:

"Tonights drawing is witnessd by yet another person who is older than dirt." And they pan in on whoever tonights witness is and you almost always get that deer in the headlights look...........
Anyway both times I said the number of each ball before it came up. My wife actually grabbed the remote saying "OK, I know you recorded this, stop it". I didn't record it, it was live. Lately when the phone rings, I will say it's so and so, and it almost always is.
Yes, I've tried to play the lottery - nope no freakin' luck. Not even close. What is happening to me?

All times ive ever experimented with psychoactive chemicals (be it '___' or other) therre always is a the feeling of a presence, sometimes the feeling is so strong, it last for several days after a trip. Eventually i just ignor it and it goes away. Did i actually bring something spiritual back with me? who knows, but the experiance with this presence is enough to unsettle me in my most comforting surroundings.

If your really worried, maybe you just need to groud yourself. Be it through meditation, a long walk in the park, hell even a glass of wiskey and some dancing. whatever makes you feel grounded again is what i recomend.

As for your premonitions, maybe your dream woke up a dormant part of your brain and its just exercising itself.

I dreamed i'd died once... I fell of a roof and died... then in a translucent from stood on a broken tile which lifted me up into a (rather comforting) blackness. I found out the next day that Someone i knew had fallen off a ledge at a Trivium concert and had been "dead" for X number of minutes... kinda freaked me out

Originally posted by InSpiteOf
If your really worried, maybe you just need to groud yourself. Be it through meditation, a long walk in the park, hell even a glass of wiskey and some dancing. whatever makes you feel grounded again is what i recomend.

As for your premonitions, maybe your dream woke up a dormant part of your brain and its just exercising itself.

No, I'm hardly worried. I'm just perplexed. Whatever I'm feeling right now is actually very cool - like all is well with the world.

hi
i am amazed so many people have had death dreams-i have had two, one at about thirteen and one about 21. its amazing i remember them vividly. the second one though left me totally drained after it. i dreamt i was in a car crash and was out of my body, presumably in the afterlife. then i met my father (who is alive) and spoke to him about the accident. he was really dissapointed that i had died i joked that "at least i smashed my car up good" but in actual fact i had not. i woke some time after with the most depressing and draining feeling. even thinking about casts a weird mood over me no and that happened 6 years ago!
has anyone else felt this? what do you think it means?