When I was much younger, I nearly drowned. At the ocean, after a major storm, and a huge wave came and took me with a strong force. The tide was carrying me out.
Drowning is one of the most agonizing feelings ever. You feel this desperate need for air, and a wave of panic rushes through you when you try to suck in for oxygen and it doesn't come. That fear can't be compared to, say, dunking your head in the sink full of water, because you can just pull yourself back up.
My mind became a cloud in which all I could think about was trying to breathe. Strangely enough, my body went all hot from trying to fight the current so hard but to no avail. I tried to open my eyes to saw but nothing. Eventually there was nothing but blackness and numbness.
It's just as pistolandlariat said: You don't really see your "life flying before your eyes". You don't really think about anything except for the panic and terror and the struggling need for air. That's pretty much all you can think about
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Hmm, well, I don't know if it's the same for everyone, but it seemed very peaceful for me. I could feel the burning in my lungs, but the longer it went on, the less I felt it, if that makes any sense. It's like the pain faded into the background, like my brain detached itself from the sensation, and it was just...peaceful. Underwater sounds, and I could hear my heart beating, and I could see the sun through the water (I was looking up towards the surface). I knew I was going to drown if I didn't get rescued, but I didn't feel scared or panicked, just...like I was quietly waiting. I dunno for what, but it's the closest I can get to describing that feeling.
That's how my aunt described it as well. This strange peacefulness, and that she'd just stared up at the sun through the water. Strange how that isn't so uncommon.
Hmmm. I guess it depends on the situation. Due to the fact that there was a storm and thus, the sun was behind a thick veil of gray clouds, it was pretty bleak already in my experience. Not to mention if you're being batted around by ocean waves...tends to make drowning far less peaceful.
I lost my footing in a simulated rapid at a swimming pool once and went under. I can't swim and could see no way of getting upright again. I don't think I can have totally panicked because I had the presence of mind to wave my hand above the water and this rather hunky young lifeguard jumped in and got me out (to this day my husband thinks I was faking the whole thing for that purpose). I was probably never as close to death as I thought, but the only thing I recall thinking underwater was "what a stupid way to die". It seemed to last a lot longer than it probably did, and afterwards I felt pretty ewuphroic. I certainly didn't see any gods.
Ok, so I haven't nearly drowned, but I've spent a long time underwater without air (I swam competitively for 12 years). We used to do this drill- thing where you see how far you can swim underwater - I used to be able to do 50 yards, probably almost a minute of constant swimming, and this might be helpful if your character is getting themselves out rather than being rescued
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Also, here and here.
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Drowning is one of the most agonizing feelings ever. You feel this desperate need for air, and a wave of panic rushes through you when you try to suck in for oxygen and it doesn't come. That fear can't be compared to, say, dunking your head in the sink full of water, because you can just pull yourself back up.
My mind became a cloud in which all I could think about was trying to breathe. Strangely enough, my body went all hot from trying to fight the current so hard but to no avail. I tried to open my eyes to saw but nothing. Eventually there was nothing but blackness and numbness.
It's just as pistolandlariat said: You don't really see your "life flying before your eyes". You don't really think about anything except for the panic and terror and the struggling need for air. That's pretty much all you can think about ( ... )
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