Experience Description

I was having my second child in the labor ward. I was calm and my husband was there. I had to go for an emergency C-section. There was a lot of panic in the room as my baby was getting stressed. Everything that could have gone wrong did. There were head surgeons and consultants. They opened me up and after a while and I could feel my chest tightening like a vise. Everyone in the room was panicking. I had the head of surgeons at my head talking to me as I told him my chest was tightening. I was trying to answer his questions about the pain; the pain in my chest was unbearable.

Then I could see my father. I thought I must be really out of it as I can see my father, but then there was no pain and I didn't feel like I was being operated on, it was like I was just resting in the sun, my father walking quickly over and back behind the doctors but not looking at me. He was so vivid, like I could touch him. He looked 20 years younger and the peace was beautiful.

After 4 hours in surgery, I woke. I lost a lot of blood and my heart had stopped. I was weak and ill for a while but otherwise in good shape from giving birth to a beautiful boy. At first I felt ashamed telling people I saw my father, that they may think I was a bit crazy. But my family and closest friend believed me. If the conversation comes up, I will tell people now. I was ill for two years after and then I met someone who had greatly believed in what I said. I have a great belief now and I am at peace. The peace and calmness that has come with my experience is so reassuring. It's hard to explain the calmness that has come into my life.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 19 September 2011

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Uncertain Surgery-related. Childbirth. Heart attack. Life threatening event, but not clinical death. I was going for an emergency C-section.

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

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes but the facts have not been checked out 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? Normal consciousness and alertness I am very alert normally, so it's hard for me to answer.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? I'm not sure: Thinking back, probably when I saw dad. I was very aware what was going on around me. Doctors, nurses, and surgeons all racing around.

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Time seemed to go faster or slower than usual

Were your senses more vivid than usual? No

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I could see very clearly.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. My hearing was slightly different. The people operating on me and others around were not as clear, I could barely hear them.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Yes, but the facts have not been checked out

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

The experience included: Presence of deceased persons

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

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes I saw my father. I was watching him but he was 20 years younger and he was going over and back behind all the doctors, surgeons, and nurses.

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? No

Did you see an unearthly light? No

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Overwhelming happiness

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Relief or calmness

Did you have a feeling of joy? Happiness

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

Did scenes from your past come back to you? No

Did scenes from the future come to you? No

Did you come to a border or point of no return? No

God, Spiritual and Religion:


What importance did you place on your religious/spiritual life prior to your experience? Slightly important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Catholic

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I believe there is a God and I pray nearly every night but God is always thought of throughout the day.

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

What is your religion now? Christian- Catholic

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

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I have great peace now and my beliefs are very strong and I nearly feel a connection. I pray to my guardian angel and my father and my father’s mother. The biggest thing is the peace I have. Life so far has been very good to me.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? No

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

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? No

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? No

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

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? No

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

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists No

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

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

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Not fearful in living my earthly life

Were you fearful living your life after your experience? Not fearful in living my earthly life

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are possibly 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? Large changes in my life. I just seem to have great peace and belief. Large changes in my life. I just seem to have great peace and belief.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Uncertain My relationship with my mother has changed but maybe it’s because she nearly lost me.

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 as accurately as other life events that occurred around the time of the experience I remember the experience as accurately as other life events that occurred around the time of the experience

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

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? Calmness came over me. It was like I wasn't being operated on; I nearly felt that I was not the person being operated on; I felt no pain when I saw my father, just calmness and stillness. It was a beautiful situation at a very stressful time.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I told my immediate family; my mother and a very close Friend. My mother believed that my father was watching over me. She has great faith.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes My sister had a massive asthma attack and she had to be resuscitated, our doctor thought she had lost her. When she woke up, she told us she had seen a light and that my mother’s mother was standing there and smiling at her. She described what she was wearing and she was standing which was unusual as she was always in a wheel chair. It did not affect my NDE.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real I wasn't well for a long time. The trauma was terrible but I felt so much peace and calmness. I could feel peace all around me for a long time after the experience. I find it hard to gather the words to explain.

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? No