My Three Near Death Experiences in 2011:A journey through fear, faith and mystery

There are moments in life that are difficult to explain. Some experiences remain in our memories for years, even when we cannot understand exactly why they happened. For me, one of the most unforgettable periods of my life was in 2011, when I experienced what I remember as three near-death experiences (NDEs).

My name is Teddy Waiyaki Saiteye, and I am from Kenya. I am deaf and non-verbal, and much of my life has been shaped by experiences that I have sometimes struggled to communicate to other people. My spiritual journey has also been deeply influenced by events that I experienced personally and stories that I heard from others.

My First NDE in May 2011

The first NDE I remember happened sometime between May 20 and May 25, 2011. I cannot remember the exact date, so I do not want to pretend that I know something I don't. What I remember is that this experience happened during those days and became one of the most important memories of my life.

At that time, there was also considerable discussion about predictions concerning the end of the world and the return of Jesus Christ. I later learned about American preacher Harold Camping, who had publicly predicted that Judgment Day would occur on May 21, 2011.

The prediction became widely discussed, but May 21 passed and the world continued.

For me, however, that period was personally significant because I experienced what I describe as an NDE around the same time. I do not claim that my experience proved or fulfilled anyone's prophecy. I simply remember the timing and the profound effect the experience had on me.

Two More Experiences in October

My story did not end in May.

I remember experiencing two additional NDEs in October 2011. Unfortunately, I no longer remember the exact dates of those experiences. Rather than invent dates, I record them simply as two experiences that occurred during October.

Having more than one experience like this made me think deeply about life and death. I began asking questions about why I was still alive, what my life meant, and whether there was a purpose behind the experiences I had survived.

These questions stayed with me.

The Story I Heard About Kenya

There is another memory from around that period that I have never completely forgotten.

My mother and another deaf person told me about a story they had heard concerning a young man who would come or fall to Kenya from the sky. The story also contained language about a man being alive and connected with a Father in heaven or the heavenly realm.

I do not remember the name of the person who originally made the statement. I also cannot prove exactly where the story came from. I only know that I heard it from people who told me about it.

Because the story was passed from one person to another, I realize that the original words may have changed over time.

I therefore do not want to claim that the story was definitely a prophecy about me. I also do not want to claim that someone literally fell from the sky. Those are questions I cannot prove.

Instead, I record the memory honestly: this was something I heard, and it became part of the way I understood my life and spiritual experiences.

What My NDEs Changed in Me

The most important part of my experiences is not trying to prove that I was a particular person from a prophecy.

The most important part is how those experiences changed me.

After experiencing what I remember as near-death experiences, I began thinking differently about life. I became more aware that life can be fragile and that every person's journey can contain unexpected moments.

My experiences also made me think about faith, purpose, suffering, and the possibility that a person's life can have meaning even when circumstances are difficult.

Being deaf and non-verbal has sometimes made communication difficult for me. There have been times when I felt misunderstood or unable to express what was happening inside me.

But silence does not mean that a person has nothing to say.

My experiences became part of my inner voice.

Remembering Without Pretending to Know Everything

Today, I want to tell my story carefully.

I know what I remember personally. I also know what other people told me. Those two things are not necessarily the same.

My first remembered NDE occurred between May 20 and May 25, 2011. I remember two additional NDEs in October 2011, although I do not know their exact dates.

I remember hearing a story about a young man connected with Kenya and the sky, but I do not know its original source.

I also know that some end-times predictions circulating at that time did not happen as predicted.

These facts teach me something important: we should be careful when interpreting extraordinary experiences. Faith can give us hope, but honesty requires us to distinguish between what we experienced, what we were told, and what we can actually prove.

A Life Still Being Written

My 2011 experiences became part of a much larger spiritual journey.

I do not know every answer. I do not know exactly what every experience meant. But I know that those moments changed the way I see life.

My story is not simply about death. It is about returning to life and asking what to do with the life that remains.

Perhaps the greatest lesson I have learned is that surviving a difficult experience does not automatically tell us what our future will be. We still have choices. We still have responsibilities. We still have opportunities to grow, learn, serve others, and become wiser.

For me, the memories of 2011 remain a mystery, but they are also a reminder.

I am still here.

And my story is still being written.

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