Anne-Cécile NDE

Experience Description

I had an automobile accident while I was driving alone.

The car aquaplaned on the wet road surface, the wheels seizing when I braked, and I hit a roundabout. The car went off sideways and wrapped itself around a post, bent like a horseshoe. I lost consciousness.

I left my body. I was drawn, sucked, through a passage, like a tunnel, towards an intense white light. The space was not wide, but it was like a roadway. I was following along it towards the light. Suddenly I had a thought about my boyfriend, with whom I was in love. Immediately, I found myself back in my body in my car. I felt overwhelmed by the sudden onrush of noise and activity going on around me. The firemen were shouting and talking loudly to me. They were cutting the car open to get me out. Then they were putting me on a rigid stretcher. For a moment, I had a rush of memories, and acceleration of thoughts. (I no longer recall whether this was just before I came round inside the car, or when I was on my way towards the light.) All I could say to the firemen was my sister's telephone number, nothing more.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: juin

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident 'Life threatening event, but not clinical death' Vehicle accident, loss of consciousness, gasoline escaping while the engine was still running, and I was trapped in the car

How do you consider the content of your experience? Mixed

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I clearly left my body and existed outside it

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness? More consciousness and alertness than normal

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? When I came back

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning Yes, both.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Incredibly more vivid

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. My field of vision was reduced, there was a lot of light.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. There was a passing moment where it was muffled, there was no sound. On my return (waking up) there was a lot of noise, as the firemen were there, cutting me out of the car.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Yes, and the facts have been checked out

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes A tunnel with light, which drew me on.

Did you see any beings in your experience? I actually saw them

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? No

The experience included: Light

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? A light clearly of mystical or other-worldly origin

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes The light was strong and drew me towards it like a magnet.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? No

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I was leaving, I had no particular emotions. It was the thought of my boyfriend (whom I was in love with) which brought me back.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Incredible peace or pleasantness

Did you have a feeling of joy? incredible joy

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? I felt united or one with the world

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about the universe

Did scenes from your past come back to you? My past flashed before me, out of my control My thoughts sped up. There were many very strong images of people who are important in my life. What I have kept from the experience is a belief that it was possible to choose whether to live or to die. Another event shook this belief a short time afterwards. My 20-year-old cousin was killed when a car ran her over. I could not understand it.

Did scenes from the future come to you? Scenes from the world's future

Did you come to a border or point of no return? I came to a barrier that I was not permitted to cross; or was sent back against my will

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Moderate

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes Yes, I found a new belief: choice.

What is your religion now? Moderate

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes Yes, I found a new belief: choice.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? I encountered a definite being, or a voice clearly of mystical or unearthly origin

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? I actually saw them

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Uncertain I had the belief that I was able to decide.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes Certain relationships have become more important since this experience.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes More sensitive

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I have spoken about it, but not in order to make a big deal of it. I don't think it has influenced anyone. On the other hand, when there was an attempt on my life, I think that had more impact on me than on those around me, as the experience was more dramatic and traumatic for me. The effect was enormous.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? No

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Yes Yes: cannabis, meeting my master, orgasm, psychoanalysis, and another traumatic event (a terrorist attack).

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? I had another experience which I did not think to relate to an NDE, but reading the questionnaire, I realize that it could be related. I suffered a terrorist attack in India, along with a girlfriend of mine. At the moment of the explosion, everything stopped. There was no more sound, no images, just a Nothingness. The instant following this, I experienced a terror such as I had never felt before. Bear in mind that we had not seen this coming. Suddenly, with no warning, a taxi blew up next to the bus, which we were getting onto. Everything was then dust. After the cries, the realization of what had happened, a whole ongoing jumble of things, there was a particular moment that I remember so clearly. Just after we had gotten into a taxi to go back to our hotel before going on to the hospital, I felt a surge of total happiness, a merging of myself with the world: an experience of palpable oneness. This moment is etched into me as a moment of pure happiness. It was strange.