Goldie J NDE

Experience Description

I was in a hospital delivery room; I was surrounded by doctors and nurses. Someone in the same room was screaming; I was disturbed by it. I know this because I heard a nurse remark to that effect. Before I went to the delivery room, I was thrashing around; I heard a nurse say, 'She's suffering, but, she doesn't know it.' I was tied down in the delivery room; I don't know why except I was in such distress and so confused, although I was alert. I think they gave me something at that time to calm me because I seem to remember remarking about the nurse's nails, in a calm manner. But that does not make sense; she would have had gloves on? I began to feel some panic, which was increasing. As I looked up at all the doctors, I said to them, 'I can't breathe; don't you understand me? I can't breathe!' I remember them all just looking at me, doing nothing, just staring.

Then, I felt myself slipping away into a black, warm tunnel; I was going backwards not forwards. It was like falling back into a nice, cushiony warm place. It was comfortable and an Ahhh! Feeling, like all my problems and pain were forever gone. I have fainted before but it did not feel like this. This was a good feeling.

The next thing I remember, I was in another room and my primary doctor was standing over me saying, 'You stopped breathing; you nearly died. We had to bring you back.' I just said to her, 'Well, I didn't die, did I?' The next day one of the other doctors came into my room and said: 'Do you remember the delivery room?' and I told him I did not; I didn't want to talk about what had happened. I felt I could not talk about it. He said it was good I couldn't remember. He asked if I was going to breast feed; I said no, I didn't want to. He said that was good because I had a rough time and it would be too exhausting for me.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: March 25, 1964

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Childbirth Clinical death I was told I stopped breathing Stopped breathing.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Mixed

Did you feel separated from your body? Uncertain I don't think I had a separation that I remember but I felt as though I was slipping away.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Alert, anxious and conscious until the tunnel and then I was totally relaxed and comfortable.

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning I seemed to be in a different type of reality, without time.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. The tunnel was muffled and soft black.

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes A soft black and warm tunnel; not a suffocating enclosure but a soft warmth effusion of peace.

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

The experience included: Void

The experience included: Darkness

Did you see an unearthly light? No

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

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Relief, happiness.

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? No

Did scenes from your past come back to you? My past flashed before me, out of my control

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 was your religion prior to your experience? Conservative/fundamentalist Roman Catholic

What is your religion now? Liberal None

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I think that death is a good thing; a release of all the misery and pain on this earth.

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? No

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? Best part was being released from pain and suffering; worst part was waking up.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Some say drugs caused this reaction. Some choose to see it as sinister (no bright light). Some stare in disbelief. Some just stare.

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? I have no fear of death; I tell people it will be okay.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? It's okay!