Harriet K NDE

Experience Description

I clearly remember watching the angiogram as it was taking place - a person was holding my hand, there was a large square machine above me, and several people at the foot of the bed on the right-hand side. I was still comatose, and I was watching it from the left upper corner of the room. When I described it to my father several years later, he went white - I had exactly described the angiogram: the description of the machinery was accurate, the people at the foot of the bed were doctors, and my father was the one holding my hand.

The angiogram was intended to pinpoint the abscess - I had been in a coma for four weeks, and an electroencephalogram the night before had shown a somewhat fuzzy outline of the abscess. My parents had been told that without surgery, I would either die or be left a vegetable - if the abscess opened, it would open quickly and overwhelm my system. But overnight, the abscess literally disappeared - when the results of the angiogram came back, the abscess was gone. Needless to say, I survived, and I went on to graduate from law school.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 'July, 1970'

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 was comatose and suffering from a brain abscess, and was undergoing an angiogram prior to surgery.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Mixed

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes 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? Normal consciousness and alertness As above.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? At the time I was watching the procedure from the corner of the room.

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

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Incredibly more vivid

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I don't recall any speech, only the images.

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? No

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

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? No

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm I was seeing the procedure from the upper corner of the room.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I felt detached from the whole thing, perhaps even a little curious as to what they were doing.

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

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

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? Scenes from the world's future

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

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? I encountered a definite being, or a voice clearly of mystical or unearthly origin

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

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? No

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I first told my father about it at age fifteen, eight years after it occurred. I assumed he had known about it.

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 was only seven, and did not see it as unusual.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real I saw it too clearly, even when I would not have been able to, and when I would have had no idea what it was, for it not to be real.

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

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? Nothing.