If you you've ever been in one,how have you handled a situation in which you thought you might die?

Are you asking about being in a life and death situation at the moment you’re in that situation, or rather contemplating facing death and having time to think it through?

The 2 times I got last rites I was too young to know I could die or the ramifications of what was happening to me…4 other times were life and death situations in slow motion where my life flashed before my eyes and was over in seconds and I obviously survived them.

There was that time in the plane on 9/11 where the pilot announced we were in a terrorist event and those 30 minutes in the air while we waited to land were 30 agonizing, horrifying terrifying minutes where I was pretty certain we were about to die and all said our goodbyes.

I was once misdiagnosed with a potentially deadly disease where I pretty much shut down mentally for 3 days until the mistake was ruled a mistake. That time really sucked as i was left with not knowing when, how and why this was happening to me. I don’t know where my mind would have taken me had that mistake turned into a reality. Because of that experience, I admire with great humility and respect for those who are in a terminal illness situation.

Many years ago, I was trying to break into a Guatamalan national park after dark. We had to walk around the perimeter of the fence a ways to where, we were told, there was a place you could climb over. There were four or five of us, I think.

Just as I was climbing over, a guard appeared with a rifle. He told us that we had to pay him the entry fee that was two dollars in those days—the same as the day fee. The others paid him, but when it was my turn, I told him I didn’t have any money on me. I don’t know if he thought I was bluffing or what, but he leveled his rifle at my chest and cocked it with an audible click.

Maybe I was utterly foolish, but I refused to believe he would shoot. Someone else in the group quickly came up with the money. Later, they all told me they were convinced I was in mortal danger. Maybe I was, or maybe that was my response to fear: disbelief.

@Adirondackwannabe -Yes,what were you thinking at the moment?
@Cruiser- ;)
@wundayatta -That is what I am talking about.The denial that some people exerience,or immediate acceptance of a situation.Very interesting.

@lucillelucillelucille I still refuse to believe I was in any danger, fwiw.

@wundayatta -That is a wild situation for sure.

At the very moment I’m in one of the situations where I knew it wasn’t going to be good my mind goes totally calm and focused. It’s like things are moving slow and I see things better and all my focus is on the threat. There is one strange thing: I can never remember any sounds whatsoever. I’ve had a tractor come up on two wheels on a slope, had a mafiso type get in my face with his hand inside his jacket, some car accidents, hit by a truck, etc. I’ve never had time to think it through, so I don’t know about that one.

@lucillelucillelucille After your comment above in almost every situation I experienced there was definitely a denial and refusal to accept what was happening to me. Specifically the time the rope broke and as I fell towards the frozen river below me I refused to believe anything bad was going to happen even as I felt the ice explode beneath me I thought this wasn’t real until I surfaced in the freezing cold water I knew I was is a very bad spot and how I did think I did not want to die that way!

The other time watching an oncoming car skidding out of control straight at me I was not perceiving the true potential for impending death coming directly at me and from the moment of impact my mind was consumed with the process of observing and comprehending something so incomprehensible happening all around me and it wasn’t until later that night that it hit me and I threw up.

There was the one time though as my body was slowly sinking to the bottom of the pool where I said to myself….“boy is my mom going to be pissed at me for this one!”

There are a few times when I thought I would be dead, I think what saved me in all those situations was the lack of thought about death and more how to get to the place I need to be. ( hospital of safe haven)

When I was nineteen I was knocked over by a car. Those idiotic morons actually mounted the pavement & hit me. My had smashed through the windscreen completely shattering it. I was then catapulted forward when they eventually hit the brakes. Now at the time of the impact I didn’t have time to think anything. Well except for retrieving my shoes from a nearby rooftop :¬) It was only in retrospect that I feared what might have been. I guess I was lucky to walk away with a bruised leg & a few stitches in the back of my head. Never did find those shoes :¬(

Bottom line – Don’t panic!

The only thing that panic does is cloud your mind and get in the way of doing what you need to do to save your @$$.

I have been in multiple potentially life threatening situations. I do not recall ever actually thinking “this is it”.

@Cruiser Having thirty minutes to think it over must have been the absolute worst. I’ve only had the ok, this is going to end one of two ways realizations for seconds or at worst a few minutes.

It’s hard for me to explain but,what I am trying to find out is if anyone processed their situation quickly rather than a reaction of denial.Or maybe denial than acceptance,but very quickly?
I ask this because I’ve had two recent situations where I experienced a calm acceptance almost immediately.A sort of recognition that things were beyond my control.

@Adirondackwannabe It was mind blowing to say the least and at the same time having my kids with me telling them everything was alright and we were safe makes me cry just thinking of those agonizing minutes!

@lucillelucillelucille For me it was an instant flash focus on the situation and a very intense vibrant focus on what’s happening. Denial never entered the picture. Everything about the situation was much more bright, more alive, just a really strange intensity.Sometimes the shakes after and a bad case of butterflies in the stomach.

@Adirondackwannabe -Understood. ;)

@Cruiser I can still lose a few tears when I think back to these situations. I’m getting the butterflies just remembering them now, l.

When the car Hit me in the face in the mddle of the road all I could think of is “My dads gonna kill me for playing in the street”

When I slid down the drainpipe from the school roof and ripped my hand and wrist open, my only thought was how bad my dad was going to beat me,!

When I set off a small explosion (trying to see what the made the noise in the paint can) and set a nearby field ablaze, As I sat in the middle of the blaze trying to put the fire out, all I could think of was “how much trouble I’m going to be in” (late 70’s 8 years old so don’t label me a terrorist please)

The first time I fell out of a tree (approx 30–40 ft), When I landed, I could not breathe and when I heard the sirens all I could think of is “my dad gonna kill me” and I got up and ran away.

The second time I fell out of a tree I was actually shot out of it (approx 25 ft), My only thought as I was falling was to throw the chainsaw away from all the people below so I did not hurt them. Got up and said “I’m ok now take me to the hospital!”

so the thought of death never really came to me.

Sounds to me @lucillelucillelucille that you got your DMT shot early. Thats cool, some people pay good money for that.

I have heard that some who have a near death experience, rather than panic or be fearful of what’s happening to them, have maybe an out of body moment. Kind of like an unconscious acceptance of what will be will be. Of course this all happens in the blink of an eye, maybe it’s receptors in your brain or instinct taking over. Hell it might even be religion kicking in. Be afraid, be very afraid :¬)

@thekoukoureport -DMT?

@lucillelucillelucille In each and every situation it was milliseconds at most where I had every angle assessed. That is that fascinating part to recall that I had seconds at best between the time I knew something bad was occuring to when the bad actually happened but I remember processing it seemed years of data in that first second I realized things were no longer hunky dory! Even sitting in the doctors office when he said “I think you have….” boom!! I remember the crushing blow I felt and the feeling of OMG my life is over as I know it before he even finished the last syllable those words as they slowly rolled off his lips.

I was telling lucille I wouldn’t have minded missing a few of the experiences, but having survived, it’s kind of a nice memory to have. I think it’s the most alive I’ve ever been.

Well I am told that DMT is a chemical thats released in your body right before death, providing an almost euphoric feeling before you die. It is also a chemical thats in all living things.

Hell, I still think I’m going to live forev

@Cruiser -Seconds where you process the whole thing!That’s what I’m taking about! It is an amazing thing and really very comforting after I had given it some thought. ;)

@thekoukoureport -Thank you.I will be doing alittle reading :)

I have to correct myself. There was some denial after everything was under control. I laughed everything off for a while after it was over. No big deal, etc. It took some time to put things in perspective.

@CyanoticWasp -Hey! Not before you return the bazooka you borrowed!! ;)

@lucillelucillelucille Which is also why I want to die drowning….it was very peaceful as you say. ;)

We didn’t screw up by describing this too much did we? I hope someone doesn’t put themselves at risk to experience the sensation.

@Cruiser-I want to die fighting a bear or maybe choking on some German chocolate cherry cake.It’s so hard to choose ;)
@Adirondackwannabe -Personal responsibility.
If I had the power to influence people that easily,my plan for world domination would be so much further along ;)

@lucillelucillelucille Thanks.:)

@Adirondackwannabe -:)

I personally have never been in this postion. I have watched my father die slowly also fast in front of me. This was last year. He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It took him 6 months to die. Towards the end. His eyes clouded over and I was moving to fast for him. He switched his night into days. He stopped eating. He started worrying about his soul and whether he was going to be accepted into heaven. Rabbi comforted him We finally got him on a Anxiety pill. I had emergency kit in my fridge, full of drugs for that final moment. He started to not be my dad but someone else. disconnected from the world . I hope when I die it would be fast and not slow personally. I just had to share that with you even though. It was not me

@Frenchfry.I am sorry about your dad.

Almost dying the first time, I was drowning. All I was thinking about was how to get to the surface of the water. And would anybody come save me. Why wasn’t anybody coming for me. Then I remembered that I made them think I knew how to swim. I had lied to them so know they thought i would surface by myself. I regretted lying and that was the end of me ever lying again. I prayed asking for forgiveness and then someone finally realized I wasn’t surfacing so came in for me. I don’t lie anymore. A couple hours later I almost got run over by multiple cars and just got mad at the drivers.

I have no opinion about dying other than I hope I have a lot more years to go before I go.

There have been a few instances where I could have died, might even have wanted to but I didn’t think I would, except once. There is a time I thought I really would die and it was the when everything I’ve ever wanted could have been mine so it sucked really bad. I was alone and injured, hallucinating my dead father was there with me but also knowing he was a hallucination. It was horrible, I was so heartbroken at the thought of dying stranded out in nature like an old animal.

I drove headfist into traffic once. It was at night and that road sucks at night because of the weird way they designed the road. I didn’t have time to freak out. I missed all the head on traffice and got to my destination. Scared me to death afterwards though.

Felt very pissed, because I would have missed the episode of House that featured the rat Steve McQueen.