NationStates Jolt Archive

So, I had a near-death experience yesterday. I was at Queensland Raceway in my little Renault, going around a corner in 4th gear (probably 100km/h or so, maybe more) and found myself running out of grip first and then talent second.

All of a sudden I'm pointing the wrong way, sliding into a gravel trap, the tire digs into the ground, the car flips, rolls twice and comes back to a standstill. The passenger side hit the ground at some point, triggering the side airbag there. If it had been my side, I probably wouldn't have walked away with not so much as a bit of whiplash.

There was no life flashing before my eyes, I wasn't scared and really there was no time to contemplate anything. All I know was that I figured I'd be fine because lots of people spin and nothing ever happens. Then I noticed the car taking off and I got really angry because of all the people there it had to be me who loses his car.

Now later I'm just sad that it's dead and I've lost so much money on it. I'm basically starting from scratch now and looking at what I can afford is really, really depressing.

Anyways, lest this turns into a blog, have you ever had a near-death experience? Were any of the clichés appropriate for you?

Sorry to hear about your car. I don't think it's unusual to not be scared in these situations, although I'm not sure why. I have a friend who races and he says the couple of big crashes he's had all he's been able to think about as they occurred was how much it would cost to fix.

I had a (minor) similar experience late last night - I was driving home at about 1 o'clock, in the most torrential rain I've ever driven in. Visibility was appalling, and as I passed a lorry it went through a puddle, depositing what can only be described as a small lake onto my windscreen. I was completely blinded for about 2 seconds, doing 60mph in appalling conditions with a huge lorry on one side and the central reservation on the other. But, I wasn't frightened - I just wondered, quite calmly, what on earth I should do about it.

You need to be careful! :fluffle:

Sorry about your car. Glad you're all right.

I haven't had a near-death experience myself, but I think The Near-Death Experience would make a great name for a band.

We aren't going to de-mystify death tonight. But we can joke about it, right?

Death only happens to other people. It's never happened to me, you, or anyone we know.

Having thought about it some more, I think "near-death experiences" can be broken into two distinct kinds:


When your realize afterwards how close you came to death. This is humiliating, you feel incompetent, a bad guardian of your own life.

When you realize before, how imminent death is. This is more like pure fear. Perhaps the expression "your life flashing before your eyes" applies here, or perhaps "time stands still." Perhaps you do nothing to stop it, are just transfixed watching yourself get lucky, or perhaps you make an extraordinary decision. This is elating, you feel more alive as a result.


Anecdotes I will leave to others. I rode with Ivan Milat ....

I've been near death (cardiac and respiratory arrest for about 15 seconds), but alas, I was unconscious at the time, so it wasn't much of an experience.

glad you're okay. sucks to lose your car though. never had a near-death experience myself, although i did think i was going to die when i went bunjee-jumping. i once had intense hallucination of being rushed through a hospital on a gurney suffering a heart attack or stroke or something.

Having had a brush with this guy called Jim Creaper(or something ;) ) when a car driver decided he could'nt be arsed to look where he was going and hit me head on at 40 mph while was doing 30 mph the other way..

The last thing that goes through you mind is not your life flashing before your eyes or any silly romantic nonsense like that , what actually happens is that you get as far as saying "OHHH SH"

El-Presidente Boris

PS if you survive you add the "IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" afterwards

Having had a brush with this guy called Jim Creaper(or something ;) ) when a car driver decided he could'nt be arsed to look where he was going and hit me head on at 40 mph while was doing 30 mph the other way..

Type 2, above. You see it coming.

The last thing that goes through you mind is not your life flashing before your eyes or any silly romantic nonsense like that

It's a lyrical expression, but I've had something like it. Not a vision or some fast-forward replay ... but a very clear apprehension of what a life is. Like grabbing your most prized possessions from a burning house. Having to leave most of it, there's only so much you can think in a few seconds.

Usually it's more like what you got. Fear and denial.

So, I had a near-death experience yesterday. I was at Queensland Raceway in my little Renault, going around a corner in 4th gear (probably 100km/h or so, maybe more) and found myself running out of grip first and then talent second.

All of a sudden I'm pointing the wrong way, sliding into a gravel trap, the tire digs into the ground, the car flips, rolls twice and comes back to a standstill. The passenger side hit the ground at some point, triggering the side airbag there. If it had been my side, I probably wouldn't have walked away with not so much as a bit of whiplash.

There was no life flashing before my eyes, I wasn't scared and really there was no time to contemplate anything. All I know was that I figured I'd be fine because lots of people spin and nothing ever happens. Then I noticed the car taking off and I got really angry because of all the people there it had to be me who loses his car.

Now later I'm just sad that it's dead and I've lost so much money on it. I'm basically starting from scratch now and looking at what I can afford is really, really depressing.

Anyways, lest this turns into a blog, have you ever had a near-death experience? Were any of the clichés appropriate for you?

I´m sorry your Renault´s in bad condition. I´m glad you seem to be ok.

To answer your question, no. I have never had a near death experience. But I can imagine how it feels and that it must change your perspective on everything.

I haven't had a near-death experience myself, but I think The Near-Death Experience would make a great name for a band.
You're not the first... if you go to http://www.discogs.com and search for Near Death Experience in their database, you'll find five acts and one record label with that name.

I´m sorry your Renault´s in bad condition.
um...
...it's dead...

The usual expression is "a write-off" ... meaning that the insurance company pays the full value because fixing the car would cost more ... except I guess normal road insurance doesn't cover racing.

I don't like cars much, but I wouldn't wish an accident on anyone. And destruction isn't much good either.

I´m glad you seem to be ok.

Seconded.
I should have said so before raving on about death.

I've had several near-death experiences. I can't recall that I experienced my life flashing before my eyes during any of them. My thoughts ranged from, "Hm, I'm going to die, aren't I?" to "Well shit, this is inconvenient."

You're not the first... if you go to http://www.discogs.com and search for Near Death Experience in their database, you'll find five acts and one record label with that name.

"Post-death experience" gets no hits though.

Good name for an Christian Minimalist Ambient band, I'm thinking ...

I've had several near-death experiences. I can't recall that I experienced my life flashing before my eyes during any of them. My thoughts ranged from, "Hm, I'm going to die, aren't I?" to "Well shit, this is inconvenient."

Worthy thoughts indeed. You never got "Um, did I change my underpants recently?" ...?

Worthy thoughts indeed. You never got "Um, did I change my underpants recently?" ...?

Not yet. Perhaps I'll use that one next time.

I don't think it's unusual to not be scared in these situations, although I'm not sure why.


Adrenaline. Also, how used you are to handling adrenaline highs and the crash afterwards.


My thoughts ranged from, "Hm, I'm going to die, aren't I?" to "Well shit, this is inconvenient."


Seconded. When I fell off a cliff my first thought was to get out from under the fucking rock that had peeled off the cliff-face. The second was: "Ah, so this is what freefall is like" and the third was: "I'm only ten feet over this river, I should be OK if I don't splat on the riverbed."

Yes. Splat on the riverbed. I'll never be happy that the word "splat" entered my mind before hitting water.

I had a -dream- of a near-death experience. I think my thought was a resigned "Well, bugger, I'm going to die."

You're not the first... if you go to http://www.discogs.com and search for Near Death Experience in their database, you'll find five acts and one record label with that name.Those bastards.

I've had several near-death experiences. I can't recall that I experienced my life flashing before my eyes during any of them. My thoughts ranged from, "Hm, I'm going to die, aren't I?" to "Well shit, this is inconvenient."Wow, what the hell do you get up to that's so dangerous?

I've had several near-death experiences. I can't recall that I experienced my life flashing before my eyes during any of them. My thoughts ranged from, "Hm, I'm going to die, aren't I?" to "Well shit, this is inconvenient."

I got shot in the vest one time with a shotgun where the person had overpacked his shells. It carried a lot of force, and, even though it struck my vest, it took me down.

I had a similar thought. It was more along the lines of "Ah, so this is how it ends. I was curious."

A near-death experience, from what I know, isn't a conscious realization that you're about to die. Thats not where the cliches start coming into play. The typical near-death experience occurs after you lose consciousness and your pulse stops and as your brain begins to shut down, it releases a whole lot of dimethyltryptamine (DMT). The typical near-death experience is basically a really strong psychedelic trip caused by a neurotransmitter in your brain.

I've never had a near death experiance, but the few times I have htought about death in my life, I've gotten extremely queasy, and felt really faint after thinking about it too long, we can try to therorize all we want about what is on the other side, but I don't think anyone truly knows.

"Post-death experience" gets no hits though.

Good name for a Christian Minimalist Ambient band, I'm thinking...
But how do you put the evangelistic message in instrumental minimalistic electronic music?

I once almost drowned because my friends couldn't hear me yell "AIR!" When we were dunking each other.:D

I don't really think I've been close to near-death experiences. I have however, had some really bad trips/drinking experiences where I felt like I might have messed up bad. Each time I tended to get religious(asking not to die, forgiveness, etc.) and eventually pass out somewhere. Each time I've woken up and got on with the day. no harm, no foul I suppose.

The closest thing I've had to a near-death experience was being forced to watch a 'Survivor' marathon. :(

The closest thing I've had to a near-death experience was being forced to watch a 'Survivor' marathon. :(

I'm surprised you didn't shoot yourself halfway through the second episode. I would have. My life would have been flashing before my eyes halfway through the credits of the first episode.

So, I had a near-death experience yesterday. I was at Queensland Raceway in my little Renault, going around a corner in 4th gear (probably 100km/h or so, maybe more) and found myself running out of grip first and then talent second.

All of a sudden I'm pointing the wrong way, sliding into a gravel trap, the tire digs into the ground, the car flips, rolls twice and comes back to a standstill. The passenger side hit the ground at some point, triggering the side airbag there. If it had been my side, I probably wouldn't have walked away with not so much as a bit of whiplash.

There was no life flashing before my eyes, I wasn't scared and really there was no time to contemplate anything. All I know was that I figured I'd be fine because lots of people spin and nothing ever happens. Then I noticed the car taking off and I got really angry because of all the people there it had to be me who loses his car.

Now later I'm just sad that it's dead and I've lost so much money on it. I'm basically starting from scratch now and looking at what I can afford is really, really depressing.

Anyways, lest this turns into a blog, have you ever had a near-death experience? Were any of the clichés appropriate for you?

I had a sort-of near death experience. When I went out kayaking for the first time, I was very nervous about flipping. My great fear was that if I flipped, I would be too paralyzed by fear and surprise to react and drown under water. So, I came to this small waterfall with lots of rapids underneath it. At some point as I went down the waterfall, I realized I was flipping. The next thing I know, my whole world went green as I was looking out upside down underwater. I reached forward, grabbed the tab of my wetskirt and ejected myself. The weird thing was, like what happened to you, that I didn't feel anything. No emotions, no fear, no shock, nothing. I wasn't even thinking. When I went to grab my wetskirt, it felt like I was on autopilot. No emotions or thoughts, I just grabbed that wetskirt without even thinking about it. It was the weirdest feeling ever. Of course, once I got back to the surface, my fear returned, as I banged my way down through the rapids, hitting about every rock in the river....

I'm surprised you didn't shoot yourself halfway through the second episode. I would have. My life would have been flashing before my eyes halfway through the credits of the first episode.

I subsisted by tormenting the bastard that made me watch it until bruised, battered and splattered with condiments, he changed the channel to something decent. :)

Another victory for diplomacy, so to speak.

I had a -dream- of a near-death experience. I think my thought was a resigned "Well, bugger, I'm going to die."
I had worse than that. I dreamed that I was dead. And I was angry because I could not pee.

Seen plenty of dead people, and made some of them that way.

Can't speak for their experience, but right before they died, I bet they were thinking more about how "it was a fucking bad idea to shoot at the Americans today" than anything else. Or, "fucking ow that fucking hurts no amount of virgins is worth..."