At 18 years old I had an experience that I will never forget. Call it a NDE or whatever you want, but it was fantastic. At the time, I was in a very destructive phase in my life, living in youth homes and having an uncertain future. I had mostly dark and hostile thoughts. One day a female staff member and I had been shopping and enroute to the car to go home. We were crossing a transitional place. It was a two-lane road refuge to another. We crossed the first road and then stopped for a red light together with a lot of other people in the refuge. Standing far ahead, a large van stopped in front of the transition and waved us forward. I looked toward the red light and got the perception that it was green for us. I went in front of the van, yet in the corner of my eye I saw a red car coming straight toward me and thought "Now I die!" But, I still had time to think that I had to go up against the cap in order to have the best chance. It felt like I hit the hood and windshield. Then something very strange happened. Suddenly I was in the middle of another dimension.

The surroundings were quite white and extremely bright. It was nothing but a thoroughly comprehensive experience of happiness, peace, and global harmony. I thought, "Wow how cool. It is really like this when you're dead." I saw the outlines of figures or people, I think, completely dressed in white, and with a tremendous flash of light shining in front of me. Also I felt they were all around me. Everyone felt so loving, so warm and welcoming. I heard a voice, or rather it emerges inside my mind. I also see a bright light in front of the people. I get a message or I think about it myself because no one is talking; it's telepathic. The message is quite clear and I feel like it is a calm, secure male voice saying, I need to choose. If I want to I can end my life right now, but I must know that I haven't fulfilled my task yet. I can choose to live on to find and do my job, but then I have to change my life and appreciate it. (I'm not sure if I had really heard this end, but it is understood and my strongest feelings.) Only I can choose. I realize that I have a task on earth to do with my life. Despite the existence that is so unbelievably attractive and I want to be there forever, I chose life and a second chance. Then everything disappeared and it felt like I was being sucked down.

The next thing I remember is hearing people shouting all around me and replying calmly to the girl with me, "Yes, I hear. Yes, everything is fine. It's okay. Don't cry." She was totally shocked and thought I had died. Apparently I had gone straight into the street against a red light, got hit from the side of the car and thrown upon the windshield, flew in the air a few feet, and then bounced on my head on the asphalt before landing on the sidewalk. Everything went quickly and took a few seconds, but I had experienced being in the other dimension for a long time. From the accident I had only a concussion, one knocked out tooth, and abrasions.

I was completely altered after the accident. I was another person, according to those who lived near me. I was happy, laughing, appreciated little things, joked, smiled a lot, became friends with everyone...so completely different than I was before! Some argue that it must be right in my skull after hitting my head. Of course, I was overjoyed that I lived afterward. I really appreciate life in a completely different way because I now know how fast everything can disappear. Mostly it's the amazing feeling that I had been on the other side. I know it's wonderful and it makes me full of happiness! I received a faith and even a conviction after this. Although it has been over 11 years since the accident, I can so feel the complete euphoria that existed and become calm and happy just to think about it. I know doctors believe that the brain creates these experiences when you go into shock and it may be a lack of oxygen. But, how is it that all (in principle) are experiencing the same thing--same light, the white-clad figures, the same voice and all? I read a story from a girl who had a NDE and I became shaky when I realized she had almost the exact same experience.