I passed away in May 1986. I was sleeping - no dreams I can remember - and suddenly woke up and was instantly wide awake.

Laying on my side I faced the bedroom window, with curtains illuminated by a street light from the neighboring street, and my nightstand clock that read 3:42 AM. A few seconds later I turned my head and looked straight up at the spinning ceiling fan over the bed, feeling very dizzy while doing so. But not dizzy in a normal way; it was a "dislocated dizzy" (best I can describe it). I slowly turned towards the clock and "me" seemed to lag behind my physical motion by a second or so. It was not unpleasent. I did this a few more times and confirmed the disjointed effect between my mental and physical self was real and still present. I turned on my back and stared straight ahead. Deciding to test my intuition, "I" mentally moved forward - without moving a muscle, without thinking. It felt right; it felt like the thing to do. Almost instantly my hearing (normally a 24/7 roar because of severe tinnitus) "swooshed" down to a dull roar. My vision went dark but I continued to move forward. I felt the feeling in my fingers, toes, then legs and arms, disappear like a wave moving up my body. I could see a very dull visual bumpy tunnel, like I was moving through my brain, along with hearing a very dull and distant low rumble. I felt the wave move up my torso, my neck, and then my head, and lastly I felt my heart stop. I knew I was dying but was not worried or concerned, just intensely curious, like I had done this before. At that moment I became aware of the bedroom ceiling fan, closer now, but everything was ultra realistic. I had left my body and was "on my way." Moving higher and closer to the spinning blades on the fan, I was aware of the bedroom, clock, streetlight illumination, gently swaying window curtains, bathroom vanity, and my sleeping wife below. She was almost 9 months pregnant with my son. I immediately stopped my progress and realized I could not leave them and that I must return. Suddenly - like passing over the biggest mental pothole imaginable - I "slammed" back into my body. Within a second I felt my heart start... "thump... thump... thump thump thump"... and with that a wave sweeping downward as my body reconnected. I gulped my first breath. Then pure pain as blood started to flow and my body came alive again, like when a numb appendage regains feeling. Except this was my entire body. The pain was almost unbearable, but after about five minutes it tapered off and I was back to normal. I thought, "Wow. That was neat!", turned over, and went back to sleep.

The total out-of-body experience? Maybe 15 to 20 seconds max. I neither saw nor detected a deity of any kind but did feel I was being observed or watched over. What I experienced was as real as me sitting here and typing this. What I experienced was a PROCESS. It felt like it was simply part of reality, of our Universe, and a "gift" that proved that I would exist past death. I had been asking for proof or a sign since I was 10 years old and finally received an answer. During the NDE I was completely at peace, very very curious, no fear, and anxious to continue at that time. This has not happened again since. But I am ready when death comes.