Connie L NDE

Experience Description:

I was a young mother of three small children and was in the hospital for a 'D and C' (scraping of the uterus) under general anesthetic. I suddenly woke and heard the doctor and anesthetist talking about the Lumen Christy High School football game. I was not able to open my eyes or move anything on my body and realized I was not able to breathe. I could feel the endoscope tube in my throat was blocking my airway. The anesthetist was not paying attention to me or what he was doing; still busy talking about the football game. I struggled, struggled trying to move anything to speak, and could not. I realized that I was going to die, I didn't want to die, I had a husband and three children that needed me. All of a sudden, a very calm feeling came over me and I was surrounded by a white light, very cloud like. I felt myself floating and weightless it was a great feeling and I wanted to stay there. I desperately tried to move up and down, sideways, anything and I heard him still talking about the football game and saying, she is blue, then yelling at me to breathe. I don't remember ever breathing and the next thing I knew I woke up in recovery able to move and talk. When the anesthetist came back in recovery to check on me I told him what he had done, of course he said he would never block anyone's airway.

What I got out of this experience was I am not afraid of dying I think of the peace.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: approximately 1962

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Surgery-related Life threatening event, but not clinical death Airway was being blocked by the anesthetist.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Mixed

Did you feel separated from your body? Uncertain 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 The minute I could hear.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? The minute I could hear.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Neither

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Incredibly more so

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I could only hear at the time I was not able to see or open my eyes.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Neither

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Uncertain I saw a tunnel passageway and the cloud material I was moving in that direction.

Did you see any beings in your experience? Neither

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

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? Uncertain I didn't see a light source but the light was everywhere.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Unfamiliar, strange place

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Love and acceptance.

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? United, one with the world

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

Did scenes from your past come back to you? Neither

Did scenes from the future come to you? Neither

Did you come to a border or point of no return? A conscious decision to 'return' to life

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Liberal

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Liberal

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? Neither

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? Neither

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion

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

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

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? Uncertain I am not afraid to die.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I still share it today anytime it comes up in conversations.

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 I still know it is real.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real The same way I did immediately after it happened.

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