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A soldiers tale with Pneumonia
Identifier
001122
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
This report was given by a ‘very puzzled American soldier’ about his own experience after fainting at the onset of an attack of pneumonia. He had been about to catch a train to go for his medical training
A description of the experience
From ‘Attitudes to Death in the light of dreams and other out of body experiences’ – Rosalind Heywood
‘What happened next’ says his report ‘I understand no more than I ask you to’
What did appear to him to happen was that he leapt out of bed to dress and then saw what seemed to be himself lying on the bed and wearing his fraternity ring. At that, terrified, he fled from the room. No one took any notice of him and eventually he felt he must get back to his body. When, with some difficulty, he found it, a sheet had been drawn over the face, but he recognised the ring on his hand.
‘This is what we human beings call death’ he thought ‘this splitting up of self’
At that he experienced the room as ‘flooded with the most total compassion I have ever felt. It was a presence so comforting, so joyous and all satisfying that I wanted to lose myself for ever in the wonder of it’
Then he went on a far journey, packed with experience – and then he woke up in bed.
Later on his doctor told him that he had apparently died but that a shot of adrenalin had brought him back to life.