Experience Description

After several days of extremely high fever (104+) my body was shutting down. I had scarlet fever. At one point, I was lying in bed, burning from the inside, my skin painful to the touch.

I suddenly felt all of the pain slip away, just a floating, calm, sense of awareness. My thoughts were no longer sluggish. There was a level of calmness and clarity that I had never experienced before. I felt so peaceful, so relieved. There was no fear at all. I remember thinking, 'So this is what it feels like to die'. I felt like I had a choice. I could sink back into my body, or I could gently float away into the peace. The only thing that brought me back was thinking that I would be leaving my young son without a mother. I reluctantly chose to live.

I am no longer afraid of death. It is the most peaceful and natural thing in the world.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: January 2012

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Illness 'Life threatening event, but not clinical death' I had scarlet fever. My temperature had reached so high my organs were shutting down.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Entirely pleasant

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? No I lost awareness of my body

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 realized I was dying, when the pain went away: I was aware of everything, the thoughts of other people around me, the future, the past, the entire universe, it seemed.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Incredibly fast

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning Time around me seemed slow, but I didn't feel like I was a part of it.

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 vision was unimportant. Everything was the same soothing, silvery color.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I could hear clearly at first, and then it sounded like I was in a tunnel.

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? Uncertain I felt like I had dissolved into particles, but there was a sensation of passing through something.

Did you see any beings in your experience? No

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

The experience included: Void

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 Everything was a soft silvery light. Not bright, just emanating from everywhere.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Some unfamiliar and strange place Just a place of peaceful light.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Calm. Peaceful. Safe. Perfectly in harmony with everything.

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

The experience included: Special knowledge or purpose

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about the universe Everything made sense for those few minutes. Everything was connected and I could fathom those connections with perfect clarity.

Did scenes from your past come back to you? No

Did scenes from the future come to you? No

The experience included: Boundary

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? Uncertain The only boundary I encountered was the 'choice' that I had to either go back to my body or float away.

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 I didn't want to leave my son motherless. Otherwise, I would have been fine to go.

God, Spiritual and Religion:


What importance did you place on your religious/spiritual life prior to your experience? Not important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Buddhist

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What importance do you place on your religious/spiritual life after your experience? Moderately important to me

What is your religion now? Buddhist

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was both consistent and not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience I wasn't really sure I believed in anything prior to my experience, but I know there is something beyond this life.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? No

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? I heard a voice I could not identify It seemed like communication, but not voices.

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? No

Did you encounter or become aware of any beings who previously lived on earth who are described by name in religions (for example: Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, etc.)? No

During your experience, did you gain information about premortal existence? Yes So hard to put it into words! Every molecule, every particle was a part of the same thing. Really, I can't describe it in human words!

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? Yes I knew beyond doubt that everything and everyone are part of the same energy.

Did you believe in the existence of God prior to your experience? God probably existsÂ

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Uncertain Everything felt connected, I suppose there was a spirit governing everything, but it felt more like being absorbed into god.

Do you believe in the existence of God after your experience? God definitely exists

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:


During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? No

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are not meaningful and significant

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? No

Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? An afterlife probably existsÂ

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Yes I knew that the soul was eternal, regardless of it's form.

Did you fear death prior to your experience? I moderately feared death

Do you fear death after your experience? I do not fear death

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Moderately fearful in living my earthly life

Were you fearful living your life after your experience? Slightly fearful in living my earthly life

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are not meaningful and significant

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant after your experience? Are meaningful and significant

Did you gain information about how to live our lives? No

During your experience, did you gain information about life's difficulties, challenges and hardships? No

Were you compassionate prior to your experience? Moderately compassionate toward others

During your experience, did you gain information about love? No

Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Moderate changes in my life Moderate changes in my life. I am more at peace with myself.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No No

After the NDE:


Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

How accurately do you remember the experience in comparison to other life events that occurred around the time of the experience? I remember the experience more accurately than other life events that occurred around the time of the experience It was more intense than anything I have ever experienced.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? No

Have you ever shared this experience with others? No

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes I had heard the Christian stories of heaven and the light, but didn't really take it seriously.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real It was such a defining moment; I don't think I could ever doubt that it happened.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real Again, it was life altering.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? No