# Ever been dead?



## AZ Jim (Aug 2, 2015)

I was once dead a very short time during heart surgery in Las Vegas.  I don't recall anything about it so don't get your hopes up about bright lights and heavenly escorts, or on the brighter side the devil with his obligatory pitchfork.  In fact, I wouldn't have known I died had the surgeon not told me later.


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## Shalimar (Aug 2, 2015)

Yep, heart stopped briefly due to anaphylactic shock after routine sedation. Luckily I was in hospital at the time. I don't remember anything either.


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## AZ Jim (Aug 2, 2015)

Shalimar said:


> Yep, heart stopped briefly due to anaphylactic shock after routine sedation. Luckily I was in hospital at the time. I don't remember anything either.



So that's two of us who are the walking dead.


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## QuickSilver (Aug 2, 2015)

AZ Jim said:


> I was once dead a very short time during heart surgery in Las Vegas.  I don't recall anything about it so don't get your hopes up about bright lights and heavenly escorts, or on the brighter side the devil with his obligatory pitchfork.  In fact, I wouldn't have known I died had the surgeon not told me later.



I doubt you were actually "dead" jim..   As a cardiac nurse... I know that people who are undergoing heart surgery are placed on a heart lung machine and the heart is stopped...  SOOOO  I guess in practice you were dead.. but the machine took over your circulation..  The heart needs to be stopped so the surgeon can work on it..  THEN... when he is done.. he takes the patient off the machine and uses spoon shaped paddles to restart the normal heart rhythm..   I was lucky enough to be able to watch an open heart procedure... It's really amazing.


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## Underock1 (Aug 2, 2015)

Not being argumentative here. Your post prompted me to look up the medical definition of death. We need _irreversible _cessation of all bodily functions. I'm guessing that probably wasn't the case.:rockon:


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## Lon (Aug 2, 2015)

I was dead drunk one time. Does that count?


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## AZ Jim (Aug 2, 2015)

Underock1 said:


> Not being argumentative here. Your post prompted me to look up the medical definition of death. We need _irreversible _cessation of all bodily functions. I'm guessing that probably wasn't the case.:rockon:



Yeah, I understand but it does seem to be a very technical point.  Take a drowning victim, underwater for 8 minutes (maybe a bit more), no vitals, brought back to sinus rhythm with full respiration, heartbeat. I still maintain he was dead until the lifesaving began.  Not irreversible maybe but still very dead.


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## QuickSilver (Aug 2, 2015)

AZ Jim said:


> Yeah, I understand but it does seem to be a very technical point.  Take a drowning victim, underwater for 8 minutes (maybe a bit more), no vitals, brought back to sinus rhythm with full respiration, heartbeat. I still maintain he was dead until the lifesaving began.  Not irreversible maybe but still very dead.



But jim... you never lost circulation.. the heart lung machine was taking the place of your cardiopulmonary system.. You just didn't have a heart beat.. BUT the respirator was breathing for you so you were being oxygenated the entire time.


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## Josiah (Aug 2, 2015)

I thought cessation of brain function was the deciding factor and none of the cardiac anomalies discussed or even the drowning have seriously impaired brain function.


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## AZ Jim (Aug 2, 2015)

I don't want any FACTS to the contrary to confuse me, I was DEAD dammit...Just kidding of course.  Also, if I wasn't dead why did I have a tag tired to my big toe?


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## Lara (Aug 2, 2015)

My son was 2 yrs old when he had a near death experience like you often hear about. He didn't verbalize it until he was 4 yrs. old. He had miocarditis, a virus that landed on the heart, which can simply be remedied with an anti-biotic but back then the local hospital was clueless. He was near death when he was flown by helicopter to Children's Hospital in DC. They misplaced the test results, implanted a pacemaker, and then found the test results 2 weeks later. His heart started and stopped multiple times during the whole event, lost fluids, etc.

At age 4, we took a trip to Tucson Arizona. He pointed to the top of the mountain and said to my sister, "I've been up there with God". I asked him what God looked like. He said, "I don't know because he was standing next to me but I know he was bright and white and we were looking down from the top of the mountain". What did you see down below? "Nothing but darkness". I asked him to draw a picture but I couldn't make anything of it. I like to think the darkness he saw was because he was coming back to life and there was nothing more there to experience.

When he started school he came home and told me "I know what it's like not to exist". This really surprised me because he was only about 7 yrs old and here he was talking about his existence. I asked questions of course. He said "I can make myself not exist at anytime or anywhere and I can even do it now but I don't want to because I don't like it." He never talked about it again but it did subside eventually. He's 29 now. He has some issues linked the the trauma experienced at such a young age.


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## AZ Jim (Aug 2, 2015)

Lara said:


> My son was 2 yrs old when he had a near death experience like you often hear about. He didn't verbalize it until he was 4 yrs. old. He had miocarditis, a virus that landed on the heart, which can simply be remedied with an anti-biotic but back then the local hospital was clueless. He was near death when he was flown by helicopter to Children's Hospital in DC. They misplaced the test results, implanted a pacemaker, and then found the test results 2 weeks later. His heart started and stopped multiple times during the whole event, lost fluids, etc.
> 
> At age 4, we took a trip to Tucson Arizona. He pointed to the top of the mountain and said to my sister, "I've been up there with God". I asked him what God looked like. He said, "I don't know because he was standing next to me but I know he was bright and white and we were looking down from the top of the mountain". What did you see down below? "Nothing but darkness". I asked him to draw a picture but I couldn't make anything of it. I like to think the darkness he saw was because he was coming back to life and there was nothing more there to experience.
> 
> When he started school he came home and told me "I know what it's like not to exist". This really surprised me because he was only about 7 yrs old and here he was talking about his existence. I asked questions of course. He said "I can make myself not exist at anytime or anywhere and I can even do it now but I don't want to because I don't like it." He never talked about it again but it did subside eventually. He's 29 now. He has some issues linked the the trauma experienced at such a young age.





The mind is able to do things we have no understanding of I am sure.  Who knows what all is going on in that super super computer in our heads.


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## Debby (Aug 2, 2015)

That's so interesting Lara.  I've done lots of reading about the issue of near death experience and one thing I've read is that when kids have them, they pretty much mirror adult experiences even though they don't really start from any basis of knowledge because they are so young, i.e. have never read books, discussed it, heard it mentioned, etc.  The only difference is in how they explain what they experienced because they don't have as big a vocabulary as adults.

Fascinating and thanks for sharing that.


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## SeaBreeze (Aug 2, 2015)

Thanks for telling the story of your son Lara, that is very unusual and interesting.  I hope his issues aren't too serious, and he's doing okay now.


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## SifuPhil (Aug 2, 2015)

Lon said:


> I was dead drunk one time. Does that count?



If it does I've been reincarnated dozens of times ...


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## Shalimar (Aug 2, 2015)

HaHaHaHaHa.


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## ndynt (Aug 2, 2015)

Thought I was during surgery...when i was in my late teens.  The ether wore off...I opened my eyes and saw the operating room's bright light above me and crucifix facing me.  I said, "Oh My God...I died."   They immediately slapped the ether mask on me and I was out again.  Doctor laughed with me about it a few days later.


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## hollydolly (Aug 2, 2015)

Yep I was born dead...both my twin and I were born at 28 weeks...both dead.!!

 The Doctors managed to  somehow miraculously revive me but they couldn't save my brother. As I was born 2 months early and only 2 pounds in weight I was kept in an incubator for weeks before being taken home. Of course I have no recollection of it whatsoever as one wouldn't naturally,, but then I'm sure if I could be hypnotised to recall the moment of birth I wouldn't be able to do that either ...


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## Ruthanne (Aug 17, 2015)

I have been physically dead with the brain still working.  It probably sounds odd but my brain started my body working again.  Don't know why I am posting this.


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## Shalimar (Aug 17, 2015)

Annie, I am glad you shared this with us, it is amazing.


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## Ralphy1 (Aug 17, 2015)

"Take the cash and let the credit go!"  Better enjoy life while you got it and not bank on some future life...


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## Ameriscot (Aug 17, 2015)

Lara, very interesting story about your son.  I think kids know the truth until they are told it's just their imagination. 

Phil, I'm open to reincarnation being a possibility.  My older sister tells me that when I was 4 and 5 I often said 'when I used to be a boy'.


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## imp (Aug 17, 2015)

When I die, I shall be dead. Not profound at all.    imp


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## AZ Jim (Aug 17, 2015)

imp said:


> When I die, I shall be dead. Not profound at all.    imp



So I take it you won't be seeing Houdini?


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## Debby (Aug 18, 2015)

Ameriscot said:


> Lara, very interesting story about your son.  I think kids know the truth until they are told it's just their imagination.
> 
> Phil, I'm open to reincarnation being a possibility.  My older sister tells me that when I was 4 and 5 I often said 'when I used to be a boy'.




Do you sometimes find yourself struggling against the compulsion to break something or are you drawn to flashing lights and loud crashing noises and tools in the hardware store (no I don't mean the staff there) are objects of veneration?  If you answer yes to any of those, than I think your sister is on to something.


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## Linda (Aug 19, 2015)

Annie said:


> I have been physically dead with the brain still working.  It probably sounds odd but my brain started my body working again.  Don't know why I am posting this.



Thanks for sharing Annie, I find it really interesting.  I enjoyed reading others stories on here too.  

 I have never had a near death experience myself.  I thought I was going to one time.  I was sleeping on cushions on my daughter's floor and I woke up and couldn't breath.  I couldn't get a breath into my lungs.  I finally got to the point where everything was really black and I saw some stars twinkling.  Then I said to myself, I'll just go with it, this is how I'm going to die and then I decided to make one last try and forced my body to try and jump into a sitting position and took another gasp for air and this time it worked.    I was so scared I stayed awake for hours.  I didn't have any NDE like I've read about though.


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