At a concert about 12 years ago - NIN and APC - a few songs into NIN's set there were some people down in the pit pushing people hard... well, people push back... pretty quick the whole mass was moving 20-30 feet in one direction, then back in the other. People were packed so tight you couldn't move your arms or legs - totally at the mercy of the movement of crowd, which was rapidly getting out of control. I was right down in the middle of all this, mind. At some point I was no longer touching the ground, that's how jam-packed it was. Inevitably the crowd started losing its collective balance... once you started losing your balance, there wasn't much you could do - your legs are literally pinned and besides that, the ground below your center of balance, where you'd normally stick your foot to catch yourself, is completely filled up with bodies/limbs of the people around/behind you. People started grabbing the person in front of them to keep from falling... which of course only pulled them down faster. Total clusterfuck. I remember the guy next to me, obviously in a state of panic, screaming how he was going to die. Strangely, my only thought at the time was how I could help him. Of course, I was in exactly the same predicament.
So this huge mass of people is losing its collective balance, in slow motion, people are screaming, panicking. I'm right in there, in the thick of it, and slowly but surely... going under. Bodies falling on top of me, hands grabbing, pulling me down from behind. Dark shapes - bodies and body parts - filled up my field of vision until they blocked out the light completely. The air was thick, warm, moist. I was being crushed - simply drawing a breath was taking its toll on my rapidly diminishing strength. I remember thinking how distinctly hellish this seemed (imagine this happening while NIN is pulsating around you). I was at the bottom now; pressed right up against the concrete, the full weight of countless bodies above me, every breath a labor. The sounds of the concert and the crowd dulled to a muted chaos around me. I had one arm I'd managed to keep above me, up through the tangled mass of limbs. The only part of me not rendered immobile by the sheer crushing weight. I used my free hand to try to get the attention of those above me - tapping them, letting them know, hey, there's someone down here, probably being crushed to death.
Around about this time I was thinking maybe this is how I was going to die... and I guess I was okay with that. And then I said, or thought, to myself, simply, "please help me through this." There was really nothing I could do, so I just relaxed and focused on what little breathing I could manage. I left it up to fate/the universe/chance/FSM and let whatever was going to happen, happen. And then there was a sense of fading to blackness. It didn't seem frightening to me, more like falling asleep, or gently passing out. The sounds and sensations started to become more and more distant.
I don't think I ever quite completely lost consciousness, though I was definitely close. After another minute or two, the crowd rapidly started clearing off. I think the band had actually stopped playing at this point. It seems like I vaguely remember Trent saying something about not wanting anyone to get hurt/killed. I found myself lying on the ground in a small clearing of people in the crowd looking up at some girl, who was shouting at me if I was okay. I was dazed and exhausted, but she managed to help me stand up. She was asking me if I needed to get out of there (the pit); didn't take more than a moment of reflection to nod to her that yes, that would probably be a good idea. I could barely stand at that point. Unfortunately for me, the band decided to start right back up and the girl was quickly helpless to do much for me in the sudden crush and chaos of re-energized mosh pit. Ah well, she tried to help. I never got a chance to thank her - always wished I could've.
So winding this up - I still needed to get out of there. Looked around and there was a fairly large guy behind me: I tapped him on the chest, and pointed up. Dutifully, he backed up, clamped his hands together and bent down, allowing me to get a boost up on top of the crowd. Rode the crowd to the front (I was already pretty close), and got pulled off by the event staff into the security area in front of the stage. Quick exit to the right, stumbled out on to the grass, collapsed, and vomited shortly thereafter. Eventually made my way around to the back and watched the remainder of the show from a nice, safe, mellow place.
Came out relatively unscathed, all things considered. A few bruises, some burst capillaries in my face, a rib that hurt for a few weeks after.
So that's the story. I'm not sure I could have gotten too much closer to death while remembering anything more or... not coming back. For me, in this situation, it was a surprisingly easy, calm thing. A simple fading out of consciousness. I'm sure it could've been a lot worse if it had been prolonged or painful (I was in more discomfort than pain, even while being crushed and barely able to breathe), or if I had been struggling or afraid. But no NDE or anything like that. Changed my life? Nah, not really. Except I haven't felt the desire to venture into a mosh pit since.
This was at The Gorge in Washington state BTW, a gorgeous outdoor venue I highly recommend going to if you ever have the chance. Just make sure to bring proper clothing/sleeping gear if you plan on spending the night there - it gets pretty cold.
tl;dr: crushed under a pile of people at a concert, started 'fading out,' could've very easily died in another couple of minutes.
