Brandy M NDE

Experience Description

On July 17th my waters broke, and together with my husband we went to the clinic designated by the university insurer, as I was near the end of the course in History of Art. This was in the city of Barcelona. When I got there, the duty midwife examined me. I did not cry out or express my pain in any way (I have never cried out from pain; I breathe deeply, a form of tension reduction which reduces the pain also, somewhat).

Anyway, as I did not make a sound the midwife said I was not in labor, that I certainly had not broken my waters, and most probably, I had wet myself without knowing it. I replied 'no', that my waters had broken and the fluid was transparent and not urine-colored. She paid no attention and sent me home. At home, the whole day of July 17, I spent shifting from sofa to chair to bed. We decided, the morning of the 18th, to go back to the clinic. At that time in Spain, July 18 was a holiday, 'The Uprising', a celebration that our fragile democracy had not yet eliminated from the calendar. On that day, bombs went off near the clinic. Finally, the gynecologist attended and after an exploratory examination opted for an urgent cesarean section.

I was exhausted; no strength was left in me even for breathing. My whole body hurt, especially the lumbar region. My legs were very swollen and the lower part of my vagina pained me. They transported me to surgery and did the cesarean. I was put under general anesthetic.

Suddenly, I saw myself outside my body floating around inside the operating-room. I saw my daughter. I saw the reflex-tests being done on her and the doctor listening to her heartbeat. The nurse made notes on a sheet of paper of all my daughter's physical responses, finally saying aloud: 'Normal reflexes and excellent lung-function.' I could see myself covered with a green-colored sheet with an opening in the middle; they were sewing the incision from the cesarean, which had had to be made vertically as I was at the point of dying. My heart had no strength. They were all running and putting on the surgical masks. I felt no pain and I was more concerned for my daughter whom they took out after washing her under a faucet and wrapping her up in white towels.

After that, I fell into a lethargy from which I was awoken by the voice of my aunt, who was like a mother to me when I arrived from Mexico. The had such a strong voice that I could hear he quite clearly. She had hoped for a boy, but I loved my child from right down inside, I didn't care about the sex of him/her. I knew it was a little girl, but could not speak, so could not tell her. What she said and which I found very unwelcome was, 'I would never have seen you as the mother of a daughter.' I was feeling happy, and just thinking about my daughter.

My husband took my hand, and as we already knew the name we would give her if it was a girl (I had chosen it years before!) he said to me 'Queralt (this means Quer - Stone and Alt - High in the Iberian and Latin. It is also the geographical name of a Virgin, patroness of a village in the Catalan pre-Pyrenees). He said, 'Queralt is great, it's lovely.' All this in the Catalan language which is very sweet and melodic, a language of musical vowel sounds. Queralt is a sacred place from time immemorial. When my husband to me to this place, as he was and is a lover of mountaineering, I was enchanted by the surroundings and said to him: 'I don't know if we will get married, but whether or not I marry you, if I ever have a daughter I am going to call her Queralt.'

Afterwards the gyn'cologist confirmed that I had been on the point of death and that the baby had the cord around her neck, which is why she stayed high and did not come down. When the midwife examined me and realized the baby was still high up, she decided I was not in labor. Now my daughter is an admirable researcher of the history of the Civil War and the mass graves of the Franco era. Like her father, a great historian. She weighed 3 kilos.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: La tarde y noche del 18 de julio de 1976

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? No Childbirth 'Life threatening event, but not clinical death' No everything should have gone well. The nine months were already gone. My waters broke at home: normal. The pregnancy was normal, problem-free.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Both pleasant AND distressing

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes Everything was of this earth and everything was exactly as happens in an urgent cesarean operation. As well as seeing the tubes, the mask, how the anesthetic was being administered, I saw a nurse passing operating instruments to the surgeon-gynecologist who was trying to solve the problem. I only had the experience within the room. I saw no event parallel to that. 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 Greatly superior to normal. I was floating outside my body and 'I' was suspended above it, without a doubt. I had no sensation of there being a ceiling.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? The moment when I saw my daughter.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Incredibly fast

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 with great precision, and I was able also to see everyone in the operating room, a surgeon-doctor-gynecologist, an anesthetist and three nurses. I saw my daughter, her little body when they placed it under a gush of water.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I heard with clarity the voices of everyone present and everything they were saying to each other. Their voices were anxious and sped up, as were their movements. I heard my daughter cry when she was put under the water-tap.

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? Uncertain I did not get to go into it, but there was a sort of entry, or exit, of light above me. I decided not to go there; I couldn't leave my daughter and husband.

Did you see any beings in your experience? No

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

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? An unusually bright light

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes A light circling above me.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Some unfamiliar and strange place I think that levitating out of the body is in itself to be in a supernatural world.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Fear of leaving my daughter without a mom. I had to come back for love of my daughter and my husband.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? No

Did you have a feeling of joy? incredible joy

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? No

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about myself or others I was so concerned for my daughter that it is all I was thinking. Out of my body, but without paying attention to the Light which was above me.

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? I came to a barrier that I was not permitted to cross; or was sent back against my will I could not leave, as the angel told me when I was 4 years old. I still had his words very present to me. 'Brandy, it is not yet Time,' and so I came back to my body.

God, Spiritual and Religion:

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

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Catholic Me considero cristiana no católica, pienso que hay diferencias.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

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

What is your religion now? Other or several faiths Me considero cristiana-judía. No lo separo.

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was entirely consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience Mi creencia en la existencia del Todo cuántico del Universo me viene de la edad de 4 años. Me certificó mi propia experiencia anterior, me ayudó a no desesperarme y ver lo sucedido con serenidad. Esos sí, con preocupación hacia mi hija.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes It reaffirmed for me that we are all part of a Whole, which is ethical, harmonious, musical and enveloping. I had them from 4 years old; the Angel appeared in front of me. It reinforced what I experienced at 4 years old. God exists because He is inside us. We bear him within and he always lets us choose, though his message may not be welcome to us.

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

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 Creo que viví en tiempos Egípcios que pienso eran los mismos de los Atlantes o Aztecas.

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? Yes Hay un pensamiento universal. Jung ya lo pronosticó. El pensamiento universal es lo mísmo que el Todo en el Todo.

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

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes Me corroboró lo que viví a los 4 años. dios existe por que dios está en nuestro interior. Lo llevamos dentro y nos deja escoger siempre, aunque sus mensajes no los queramos escuchar.

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? Yes I had already had an experience at 4 years old and it did not bother me to return to life with serenity and enormous joy at being near the people I love, and with no fear of death.

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

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? No E ésta experiencia la vida en la Tierra era mi hija

Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? An afterlife definitely exists

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Yes Es sí por que ya tuve la experiencia de cuando tenia 4 años y no me costó volver a la vida con serenidad y una inmensa alegria por poder estar al lado de las personas a las que amo y sin miedo a la muerte

Did you fear death prior to your experience? I did not fear 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 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? Yes De hecho la he contestado en la anterior pregunta. Descubrí el amor que se entrega cuando se ejerce de médico o enfermera.

During your experience, did you gain information about life's difficulties, challenges and hardships? Yes Era triste y me sabia mal que los médicos y el equipo sufrieran y sufrían, eso es específico y su dolor llenaba la sala.

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

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Yes El amor a la vida de todos los que estábamos allí. La generosidad y la lucha por sobrevivir no era sólo la de mi vida, sino la vida interior de los mísmos médicos y equipo. Pienso que a todo médico que tiene vocación, le duele que se le escape la vida de

Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? No changes in my life No changes in my life.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes Yes We change every day, if we pay attention to changes.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes It is always difficult to put these things in words, define the exact circumstances of a parallel life moment.

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 Mis dos experiencias extraterrenales son y han sido muy precisas y recordadas con mucho detalla. Ah! y en colores. Solo tenia miedo de morir no por morir, sino por dejar a mi hija y marido solos.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes I had it and still have it. Today my son sent me a message saying that he really liked a particular interview. I had been thinking of my son when he sent me the message.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? They all are and I have had that thing called: 'What a coincidence.' I am someone who believes coincidences do not exist; they happen, and we just need to pay attention to the meaning of them. My belief in the quantum 'All' of the Universe dates from when I was 4 years old. It validated my previous experience, helped me not to despair and to see what unfolded with serenity. Of course, I had concern for my daughter. My two extra-terrestrial experiences are and have been very precise and recalled in great detail. Ah, and in what colors! I was only afraid of death not for itself but for the thought of leaving my daughter and husband by themselves.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes With my husband, now ex-husband.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes I encountered a previous NDE at age four.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real Luminous reality, joyful and full of light.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real I had it and it was real.

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

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? Situations happen to me which are linked one to another, without wanting or seeking it. There is a universal thinking. Jung already predicted this. Universal thought is the same as the 'All in All'. I was sad and it seemed bad to me that the doctors and their team should suffer, this was specific and their pain filled the room. The love of life of everyone who was present there. The generosity and the fight for survival were not just to do with my own life, but also the interior life of the doctors and the team themselves. I think every doctor who has a vocation is pained at the thought of losing the life of a patient. I discovered the love, which is offered in the practice of doctoring or nursing.