As mentioned above, I did not have a life threatening event. My father passed away on May 14, 2019 @ 12:01 AM. He passed after a long battle with dementia and Parkinson's disease. His death was expected and I had flown down to California from my home in Oregon on Saturday to be with my family as he passed.  The last time that my father opened his eyes was when I walked into the room at hospice. My brother said, 'Dad, look who's here.' My dad opened his eyes and smiled softly then went back to sleep.  We spent the last few days of his life milling around the room, taking watches and sitting with him. I spent one of my shifts watching a hockey game with him and talking with him about sports. He was a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan.  After a few days his breathing began to shallow and the death rattle began. We knew it would be soon so we began to play some of his favorite music. We played some Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton and some David Allen Coe.  At close to midnight on the thirteenth we could tell it would be soon.  We each gathered close to him and put our hands on him. We told that his brother was coming to get him and that it was okay to go with him. He shifted in the bed slightly and my mom said, 'It's happening!' He took one last breath and exhaled as he passed away. As he passed I heard my mom say, 'Look at his face!' We all looked and for a second or two his face had changed to that of his brother Jimmy who had come to get him. We held him as the life passed from him and I noticed the song that was playing at the moment was, You Never Even Called By My Name by David Allen Coe. The nurse pronounced his death as 12:01 AM, 5/14/19.  Ironically he had managed to not pass on any significant date as it was the week of Mother's Day as well as three birthdays that week including mine on the 16th. We spent the rest of the time preparing him for the trip to the mortuary to be prepared for cremation. I went with my brother and drank a toast to him of a Coors light with salt, the only way he drank beer.

My near death Experience happened 25 hours later as I lay on the bed at my Mom's house struggling to write some words to post about my dad's passing. I wanted something short and sweet, but it just kept getting longer and longer. I thought I might get some inspiration by listening to the song that was playing as he passed. So, I put on my headsets and listened to, You Never Even Called By My Name by David Allen Coe. People speak of that moment when the dam breaks, when all of your emotions from the previous days, moths and even years come breaking through. As I listened to the lyrics I wondered how my dad knew that this particular song would speak to me so perfectly. The tears burst out and I cried like I haven't cried since I was a child and asked my dad, 'How did you know'? Then I rolled over and looked up at the ceiling. Through my tears I watched the ceiling disappear and I saw the most magnificent clouds of gold, blue and white. I was amazed to see that the ceiling fan above me had not disappeared but around it was now what I can only describe as swimming was a manta ray that I knew was my dad. As I watched this unfold before me and looked deeply into the clouds I was overwhelmed with the most amazing feeling of love and forgiveness. I was calmed by the feeling and knew that what I seeing was heaven or at least the front door to it. It was an awesome site and the feeling was indescribable. Love and forgiveness enveloped me and I knew that my dad was okay and that it was all okay.  It felt as though I was just 10 feet from heaven, it was just right there. I never felt compelled to go into the clouds, it was my dad giving me a peak behind the curtain and there really was a great and powerful 'Oz'. The scene faded quickly and the ceiling was just a ceiling again. I laid there in utter amazement at what had just happened. In that moment I knew that love and forgiveness is all that matters and that when we pass we go on to that awesome place that I was lucky enough to see and feel for just a few seconds. I long for that feeling, but I know that I was shown it for a reason, to spread that love and tell others that there is more and we need not be afraid of death and what happens after we leave this life.

At the time of your experience was there an associated life-threatening event?   No 

Was the experience difficult to express in words?  No    

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? The entire experience.

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness?      Normal consciousness and alertness   I was acutely aware of everything going on except the music I was listening to. It faded and then came back after.

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.   Vision was the same, but the colors are difficult to convey.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.   the music I was listening to on the headsets disappeared during the experience and returned after.

Did you see or hear any earthly events that were occurring during a time that your consciousness / awareness was apart from your physical / earthly body?   Uncertain   I was aware of the sound of the ceiling fan even though I was wearing headsets and listening to music.

What emotions did you feel during the experience?   Absolute love and forgiveness. There was also a sense of awe at the site of it.  

Did you pass into or through a tunnel?   No  

Did you see an unearthly light?   Yes   The clouds were surrounded and lit by the light. I was not blinded or overwhelmed by it.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice?   I encountered a definite being, or a voice clearly of mystical or unearthly origin.  I saw what I know was my dad in the form of a manta ray.  He didn't speak to me but only showed ne the scene and allowed me to be covered in the love and forgiveness.

Did you encounter or become aware of any beings who previously lived on earth who are described by name in religions (for example: Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, etc.)?   No  

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings?   Yes   I saw what I know was my dad in the form of a manta ray.  He didn't speak to me but only showed ne the scene and allowed me to be covered in the love and forgiveness.

Did you become aware of past events in your life during your experience?   No  

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world?   A clearly mystical or unearthly realm
I did not enter the realm as I have described previously. I was only shown and allowed to feel it.

Did time seem to speed up or slow down?   No

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything?   Everything about myself or others
I understood at that moment that even though I had asked my dad before he died to forgive me for anything I had said or done over the years, that there was no reason to be sorry. All is forgiven and all is love. He showed me that.

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure?   Uncertain
It was above me and I could not reach it in my earthly form even if I had tried.

Did you come to a border or point of no return?   No

Did scenes from the future come to you?  No 

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness suggesting that there either is (or is not) continued existence after earthly life (“life after death”)?   Yes   I can only say that I now definitively know that there is life after death. I have seen it.

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness that God or a supreme being either does (or does not) exist?   Yes   The love and forgiveness that I felt was not that of my dad, but that of God.  I know it was God.

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness that you either did (or did not) exist prior to this lifetime?   No  

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness that a mystical universal connection or unity/oneness either does (or does not) exist?   Yes   I saw and felt a heavenly realm that was shown to me by my deceased dad. He was there and showed me what lies beyond where I was.

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding earthly life’s meaning or purpose?   Yes   Life is all about love and forgiveness, that was the experience I came away with. Love and forgive as much as you can. Spread the joy of love and forgiveness to as many people as you can.

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding earthly life’s difficulties, challenges, or hardships?   No  

During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness regarding love?   Yes   I think that every response before this attests to this. Love and forgiveness is everything. The feeling of love was so intense, I could tell someone over and over again and never convey the power of the love that I felt. At the end of the movie Ghost, Sam says to Molly, 'The love inside, you take it with you.'

During your experience, did you encounter any other specific information / awareness that you have not shared in other questions that is relevant to living our earthly lives?   No  

Did you have a sense of knowing special knowledge or purpose?   Yes   I knew then that God exists and that we all are a part of him. I was no longer afraid of death (just the way it may happen).

What occurred during your experience included:   Content that was both consistent and not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience   As an agnostic theist I believed in a God but was unable to even try to describe it or if there was an afterlife or how to describe that.

How accurately do you remember the experience in comparison to other life events that occurred around the time of the experience?   I remember the experience more accurately than other life events that occurred around the time of the experience   It was THE most amazing experience of life. I remember it with great detail.

Discuss any changes that might have occurred in your life after your experience:   I went from being an agnostic to a spiritual believer. I went from not being able to fathom a guess as to what lay beyond, but believing that something did lay beyond to having a strong belief of what goes on after we pass.

My experience directly resulted in:   Large changes in my life

Did you have any changes in your values or beliefs after the experience that occurred as a result of the experience?   Yes   I now work to forgive those that have wronged me in my life and tell others when possible about my experience.  I also now volunteer with hospice to help those that need it to pass to the other side as best I can.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience?   No  

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you?     Seeing my dad as a manta ray swimming around the fan. I now wear a necklace of a manta ray and I am designing my next tattoo as a manta ray as a dedication and a thank you to my dad.

Have you ever shared this experience with others?   Yes  I immediately shared the experience with family. They were amazed and my sister shared with me that she had an experience with a hummingbird flying up to her and just hovering near her face. I just shared this story last week with an old friend I was visiting whom I had not seen for seven years. He is very religious so I was worried how he would take it, but he was happy that I shared it with him and he could see how important the experience was to me.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience?   Yes   I have always been interested in NDE since I was a child. I had read books and watched TV like in Search Of.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened:   Experience was definitely real   I immediately knew that what had happened to me was real. I have never doubted it for a second.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience at the current time:   Experience was definitely real   The feeling that I had at the time still resonates within me.  I can see it in my mind's eye and I can feel the residuals of it.

Have your relationships changed specifically as a result of your experience?   Yes   I am or try to be more forgiving of others.

Have your religious beliefs/spiritual practices changed specifically as a result of your experience?   Yes   I really don't believe in religion anymore. I respect those that do, but I don't need it anymore.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience?   No  

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience?   I want to tell about the day we went back to spread my dad's ashes. About twenty minutes before we were going to leave we received a phone call. Since it was my mom's house I let the phone ring and the machine pick it up (Yes my mom still has a machine) a voice came on asking if Fred Conner still lived there. I picked it up and asked who it was. It was a childhood friend of my dad who had gotten the phone number from the high school reunion committee. I told him about my dad and then we spoke for about 15 minutes as he told me stories about there childhood. At the service I had to tell everyone what happened and said that my dad is always around doing this stuff. Even though I know my NDE was real, this experience made it even more real.

Did the questions asked and information that you provided accurately and comprehensively describe your experience?   Yes   Everything I needed to say was asked here.  Thank you.