Near death experiences are a phenomenon that thankfully not everybody really gets to experience. They're fascinating anomalies of science because they are impossible to explain and are different for each person.
The trauma surrounding the near-death-experience, though, stays present and strong well after the fact. It can be difficult to move on with one's life after the emotional scarring. Trigger warnings: violence, depression/suicide, blood, death.
u/lifeandtimes89 asked:
People who have had a near death experience, what did you experience?
Here were some of the answers.
It's The Calm
GiphyAlmost drowned as a kid. About 1 minute of sheer panic followed by an eerie sense of calm. I just remember thinking to myself "Well, I'm gonna die" while looking up at the lights/people above the water. Next thing I remember I was puking water out on the side of the pool.
A Choir Of Voices
I had a large tumor that eventually forced me to get a hysterectomy. It was discovered after (pardon the graphic description) large pieces of my innards began to come out. I was weak and losing a lot of blood and eventually lost consciousness. While out, I heard a chorus of voices, beckoning me to let go. It was very tempting, very pleasant. But I forced myself to "swim" back to reality and awaken in the emergency room. I could still hear the voices, faintly. I think the most interesting part was the absolute knowledge I had afterwards that I had to eat more vegetable soup. That homemade vegetable soup was what my body would be needing. So I made it a lot. It's been 22 years and I'm fairly healthy for my age, knock wood. That's as close as I've gotten to an NDE.
Dang Cats
I was asleep and was woken up to my neighbor pounding on the door. He told me there was a fire and I had to get out.
Let me tell you my emergency plan had one step on it: the cat carrier is always clean and available. My first cat went in the carrier fine, and sat in it while I retrieved his sister. I had to chase my second cat and she wouldn't go in. I finally get the cats wrangled (about three minutes) and I open my front door to pitch black. It felt like I had all of the oxygen sucked from my lungs. My eyes were burning, my throat was burning. If there was still electricity in the building it had cut out or the smoke was so thick and dark I couldn't see.
I felt my way down the hall to the stairs. I couldn't breathe anymore and I fell down. I knew there were firefighters outside because I could hear them and I tried to scream for help, but I couldn't even inhale. I realized that no help was coming at all and stood back up and somehow powered my way out of the building. There's a gap in my memory between falling and stumbling outside with the sweet embrace of fresh air.
I asked some random guy if he had any water and he gave me his half-drank bottle. I chugged it and called my family to pick me up at 2 AM. I got out with the clothes on my back and my cats. I vomited up black for days. I coughed and sneezed up more black stuff. I'm wheezing non stop but I made it out. I'm living in my aunt's basement but I have cried happy tears every day I have my kitties.
Apocalypse, Nowish
I was visiting Chernobyl on a small day trip from Kiev. Even though it was illegal the guide let us go inside one of the huge apartment complexes (around 20-25 floors). We all went to the roof top to get the full view of the area, and the guide told us we could check out some of the abandoned apartments on the way down if we wanted to. The majority of the group went inside the first apartment on the way down, but I thought I'd skip a few floors and go in one by myself. I went down to the 18th floor and inside an apartment. It was very dark inside and a lot of abandoned stuff on the floor. Old family photos and torn dolls, it was a bit creepy. I continued into another room, but it was too dark to see anything, so while walking I took out my phone and turned on the flashlight. As I turned it on I was just about to step into an open elevator shaft going 18 floors down. I was literally 1 step from what would have been my dead. I immediately stepped back and I felt an intense adrenaline rush. As scary as it was, I actually enjoyed the feeling, and I still get shivers down my spine just thinking about what happened.
The Farmer In The Ditch
One time while I was driving down an old curvy backroad I came real close to biting it. We were going up a hill in a small car, doing about 60-70 and when we came up over the top there was a semi truck in my lane passing a car. I had like 2 seconds to get out of his way or he would've hit me head on. Had to swerve into the ditch and slam on breaks, if I didn't react as fast as I did I probably wouldn't be here now. We were fine but I just about pooed myself when that happened. Felt unreal.
Awooooooo
15y/o brother actually died for half an hour, he has a weird named condition called Wolf White syndrome, he had woke up one morning complained of a headache and just dropped, his heart had stopped and his dad (my step dad) did cpr as best he could until the ambulance arrive.
He was put into a medically induced coma for a week then woken up, practically had no idea what happened, he's still being monitored and has regular check ups (since this happened In May) next week i believe he is going to London to see a specialist and then have a pacemaker fitted.
I asked him if he dreamt or experienced anything during his time out of it, and he said there was nothing, it was just dark.
Park Time
After fainting one time I clearly saw my self jogging during a sunset. There were green hills around me and a tree in the distance. It looked like a park but I was jogging towards the sun which was extremely bright ! To the point that I couldn't see ahead of me. Thing is this place doesn't exist because were I'm from it's a desert area so theres not many green areas. When I woke up I was in the hospital with a bunch of nurses around me asking if I knew my name, how old I was, etc. After I regained consciousness I realized I was jogging towards the light. I told my mom and close friends and they freaked out. It hasn't happened since then.
That Was One Annoyed Friend
I don't actually remember this happening, but I have been told by family that it did indeed happen.
I was a baby, maybe 1 1/2 years old or 2 years old. My parents are not home, and my granny is watching me and my brother (who is 3 years older than me). My brother has a friend over for a visit, who we will call David.
My granny was not that old at the time probably in her early 60s, but she was very kind of "hands off" when watching us. Meaning she watched TV and let us play.
The house we lived in at the time was split into different rooms, none of that open space, kitchen/living room thing. So granny was in the living room and us kids where in the kitchen. And guess I was being annoying or something or at least annoyed David. So when my brother had to go to the toilet, our granny took him out there and did their business.
Meanwhile, I was left unsupervised with David. No one really knows what happened, because I don't remember, So this part is how my granny has told it. Her and my brother come out of the toilet and David and I are not there. My granny thinks nothing of it yet, and just calls for us, we don't respond. She then walks around the house looking for us, with my brother close behind her. She finds me and David in the laundry room, David is on top of me, strangling me. According to my granny she flung David off me, and I was blue and unconscious. She did CPR on me. (She says everything else happened in kind of a blur, but she called my parents, and told them to get a hold of David's parents to come pick him up, because he did 'something') My parents and David's parents show up at around the same time, I'm conscious again. And my dad is PISSED when he hears what happened.
From what I've been told my dad gave David's parents a verbal beating and we never saw them again. I was also taken to the hospital to get checked up, David didn't do any real damage because I wasn't unconscious for long enough and he wasn't strong enough to actually kill me.
Close To The End
in 2016 my appendix burst. I didnt know that it did, I was suffering really bad stomach pain. The pain started about 3 days before it got bad. I thought I was just getting sick. Well fast forward 3 days and I'm in actual hell suffering from nausea and insane stomach pain.
My bf was at work so I called him and he called an ambulance to pick me up. The ambulance never came. So my mom (who is a nurse) picked me up and took me to the doctor. At this point my skin was yellow. The doctor gave me some nausea medication. I went back home and when my bf finally got back from work he rushed me to the hospital. Mind you at this point we still didn't know it was a burst appendix. I was sitting in the waiting room for way to long, so my bf takes me to another hospital where they promptly took me in. One of the doctors or what ever said they wished I had come sooner. And at this point I'm laying on the hospital bed, Really drugged up because of the pain. It didn't hit me until I had surgery and was at home, that him saying he wished I came in sooner meant that I was in pretty bad shape. Scary stuff. My appendix was black.
It's A Mold Thing
GiphyWhen I was I think 4, I would complain a lot that something was sore, so my mom would give me some Advil. I had an allergic reaction to that Advil, like I couldn't breathe, and as far as I know, that was the first time my mom ever had to call 911. We still didn't know what I was allergic to yet, because my reactions were slightly delayed, so, what do you know, I ask for more Advil the very next day. Wtf 4 year old me. My mom gives it to me, same reaction,. called 911 again. So for 8 years, everyone thought I was deathly allergic to Advil, Aspirin, those types of medicines. Turns out, I'm not allergic to Advil at all.
The bottle of Advil my mom had been given me was one she bought, and didn't throw away when they recalled all the Advil bottles. Turns out, I'm ACTUALLY deathly allergic to mold. The Advil was moldy. That's why it was recalled. Keep in mind that these were not the only reactions I had that I told you about here. I think there was actually 4 or 5 reactions in total. Guys, when something gets recalled, throw it away.
Experiencing death is a fascinating and frightening idea.
Who doesn't want to know what is waiting for us on the other side?
But so many of us want to know and then come back and live a little longer.
It would be so great to be sure there is something else.
But the whole dying part is not that great, so we'll have to rely on other people's accounts.
Redditor AlaskaStiletto wanted to hear from everyone who has returned to life, so they asked:
"Redditors who have 'died' and come back to life, what did you see?"
Sensations
Happy Good Vibes GIF by Major League SoccerGiphy"My dad's heart stopped when he had a heart attack and he had to be brought back to life. He kept the paper copy of the heart monitor which shows he flatlined. He said he felt an overwhelming sensation of peace, like nothing he had felt before."
PeachesnPain
Recovery
"I had surgical complications in 2010 that caused a great deal of blood loss. As a result, I had extremely low blood pressure and could barely stay awake. I remember feeling like I was surrounded by loved ones who had passed. They were in a circle around me and I knew they were there to guide me onwards. I told them I was not ready to go because my kids needed me and I came back."
"My nurse later said she was afraid she’d find me dead every time she came into the room."
"It took months, and blood transfusions, but I recovered."
good_golly99
Take Me Back
"Overwhelming peace and happiness. A bright airy and floating feeling. I live a very stressful life. Imagine finding out the person you have had a crush on reveals they have the same feelings for you and then you win the lotto later that day - that was the feeling I had."
"I never feared death afterward and am relieved when I hear of people dying after suffering from an illness."
rayrayrayray
Free
The Light Minnie GIF by (G)I-DLEGiphy"I had a heart surgery with near-death experience, for me at least (well the possibility that those effects are caused by morphine is also there) I just saw black and nothing else but it was warm and I had such inner peace, its weird as I sometimes still think about it and wish this feeling of being so light and free again."
TooReDTooHigh
This is why I hate surgery.
You just never know.
Shocked
Giphy"More of a near-death experience. I was electrocuted. I felt like I was in a deep hole looking straight up in the sky. My life flashed before me. Felt sad for my family, but I had a deep sense of peace."
Admirable_Buyer6528
The SOB
"Nursing in the ICU, we’ve had people try to die on us many times during the years, some successfully. One guy stood out to me. His heart stopped. We called a code, are working on him, and suddenly he comes to. We hadn’t vented him yet, so he was able to talk, and he started screaming, 'Don’t let them take me, don’t let them take me, they are coming,' he was scared and yelling."
"Then he yelled a little more, as we tried to calm him down, he screamed, 'No, No,' and gestured towards the end of the bed, and died again. We didn’t get him back. It was seriously creepy. We called his son to tell him the news, and the son said basically, 'Good, he was an SOB.'”
1-cupcake-at-a-time
Colors
"My sister died and said it was extremely peaceful. She said it was very loud like a train station and lots of talking and she was stuck in this area that was like a curtain with lots of beautiful colors (colors that you don’t see in real life according to her) a man told her 'He was sorry, but she had to go back as it wasn’t her time.'"
Hannah_LL7
"I had a really similar experience except I was in an endless garden with flowers that were colors I had never seen before. It was quiet and peaceful and a woman in a dress looked at me, shook her head, and just said 'Not yet.' As I was coming back, it was extremely loud, like everyone in the world was trying to talk all at once. It was all very disorienting but it changed my perspective on life!"
huntokarrr
The Fog
"I was in a gray fog with a girl who looked a lot like a young version of my grandmother (who was still alive) but dressed like a pioneer in the 1800s she didn't say anything but kept pulling me towards an opening in the wall. I kept refusing to go because I was so tired."
"I finally got tired of her nagging and went and that's when I came to. I had bled out during a c-section and my heart could not beat without blood. They had to deliver the baby and sew up the bleeders. refill me with blood before they could restart my heart so, like, at least 12 minutes gone."
Fluffy-Hotel-5184
Through the Walls
"My spouse was dead for a couple of minutes one miserable night. She maintains that she saw nothing, but only heard people talking about her like through a wall. The only thing she remembers for absolute certain was begging an ER nurse that she didn't want to die."
"She's quite alive and well today."
Hot-Refrigerator6583
Well let's all be happy to be alive.
It seems to be all we have.
Trying to lose weight is a struggle understood by many people regardless of size.
The goal of reaching a healthy weight may seem unattainable, but with diet and exercise, it can pay off through persistence and discipline.
Seeing the pounds gradually drop off can also be a great motivator and incentivize people to stay the course.
Those who've achieved their respective weight goals shared their experiences when Redditor apprenti8455 asked:
"People who lost a lot of weight, what surprises you the most now?"
Redditors didn't see these coming.
Shiver Me Timbers
"I’m always cold now!"
– Telrom_1
"I had a coworker lose over 130 pounds five or six years ago. I’ve never seen him without a jacket on since."
– r7ndom
"140 lbs lost here starting just before COVID, I feel like that little old lady that's always cold, damn this top comment was on point lmao."
– mr_remy
Drawing Concern
"I lost 100 pounds over a year and a half but since I’m old(70’s) it seems few people comment on it because (I think) they think I’m wasting away from some terminal illness."
– dee-fondy
"Congrats on the weight loss! It’s honestly a real accomplishment 🙂"
"Working in oncology, I can never comment on someone’s weight loss unless I specifically know it was on purpose, regardless of their age. I think it kind of ruffles feathers at times, but like I don’t want to congratulate someone for having cancer or something. It’s a weird place to be in."
– LizardofDeath
Unleashing Insults
"I remember when I lost the first big chunk of weight (around 50 lbs) it was like it gave some people license to talk sh*t about the 'old' me. Old coworkers, friends, made a lot of not just negative, but harsh comments about what I used to look like. One person I met after the big loss saw a picture of me prior and said, 'Wow, we wouldn’t even be friends!'”
"It wasn’t extremely common, but I was a little alarmed by some of the attention. My weight has been up and down since then, but every time I gain a little it gets me a little down thinking about those things people said."
– alanamablamaspama
Not Everything Goes After Losing Weight
"The loose skin is a bit unexpected."
– KeltarCentauri
"I haven’t experienced it myself, but surgery to remove skin takes a long time to recover. Longer than bariatric surgery and usually isn’t covered by insurance unless you have both."
– KatMagic1977
"It definitely does take a long time to recover. My Dad dropped a little over 200 pounds a few years back and decided to go through with skin removal surgery to deal with the excess. His procedure was extensive, as in he had skin taken from just about every part of his body excluding his head, and he went through hell for weeks in recovery, and he was bedridden for a lot of it."
– Jaew96
These Redditors shared their pleasantly surprising experiences.
Shopping
"I can buy clothes in any store I want."
– WaySavvyD
"When I lost weight I was dying to go find cute, smaller clothes and I really struggled. As someone who had always been restricted to one or two stores that catered to plus-sized clothing, a full mall of shops with items in my size was daunting. Too many options and not enough knowledge of brands that were good vs cheap. I usually went home pretty frustrated."
– ganache98012
No More Symptoms
"Lost about 80 pounds in the past year and a half, biggest thing that I’ve noticed that I haven’t seen mentioned on here yet is my acid reflux and heartburn are basically gone. I used to be popping tums every couple hours and now they just sit in the medicine cabinet collecting dust."
– colleennicole93
Expanding Capabilities
"I'm all for not judging people by their appearance and I recognise that there are unhealthy, unachievable beauty standards, but one thing that is undeniable is that I can just do stuff now. Just stamina and flexibility alone are worth it, appearance is tertiary at best."
– Ramblonius
People Change Their Tune
"How much nicer people are to you."
"My feet weren't 'wide' they were 'fat.'"
– LiZZygsu
"Have to agree. Lost 220 lbs, people make eye contact and hold open doors and stuff"
"And on the foot thing, I also lost a full shoe size numerically and also wear regular width now 😅"
– awholedamngarden
It's gonna take some getting used to.
Bones Everywhere
"Having bones. Collarbones, wrist bones, knee bones, hip bones, ribs. I have so many bones sticking out everywhere and it’s weird as hell."
– Princess-Pancake-97
"I noticed the shadow of my ribs the other day and it threw me, there’s a whole skeleton in here."
– bekastrange
Knee Pillow
"Right?! And they’re so … pointy! Now I get why people sleep with pillows between their legs - the knee bones laying on top of each other (side sleeper here) is weird and jarring."
– snic2030
"I lost only 40 pounds within the last year or so. I’m struggling to relate to most of these comments as I feel like I just 'slimmed down' rather than dropped a ton. But wow, the pillow between the knees at night. YES! I can relate to this. I think a lot of my weight was in my thighs. I never needed to do this up until recently."
– Strongbad23
More Mobility
"I’ve lost 100 lbs since 2020. It’s a collection of little things that surprise me. For at least 10 years I couldn’t put on socks, or tie my shoes. I couldn’t bend over and pick something up. I couldn’t climb a ladder to fix something. Simple things like that I can do now that fascinate me."
"Edit: Some additional little things are sitting in a chair with arms, sitting in a booth in a restaurant, being able to shop in a normal store AND not needing to buy the biggest size there, being able to easily wipe my butt, and looking down and being able to see my penis."
– dma1965
People making significant changes, whether for mental or physical health, can surely find a newfound perspective on life.
But they can also discover different issues they never saw coming.
That being said, overcoming any challenge in life is laudable, especially if it leads to gaining confidence and ditching insecurities.