Experience Description

A friend and I were driving to Vermont one day. I was the driver. I have a history of chronic asthma and bronchitis. At the time, I was still a smoker. I had a chest cold as well. I was driving along a highway in rural Vermont, not much traffic when I lit up a cigarette. After a couple of puffs I started coughing hard, then harder, then I couldn't even take a breath in and passed out. I remember not feeling anything after that just a dream or visual experience. I remember moving rapidly through the trees and bright sunlight was shining through the trees, as I was moving toward something. Then I stopped. There was a big white house sitting under a brilliantly blue sky. There was a nice flower garden and white sheets blowing in the breeze on laundry lines. I remember looking into what I thought was a laundry basket on the ground but when I looked inside of it, I saw a baby. Then, I could hear someone screaming my name, 'Jenn! Jenn!!' It seemed so distant and I felt like I didn't want to answer it, just wanted to keep going wherever this vision was taking me. But, it got louder and I felt like I was catapulted or shot back, whatever, to reality. It was my friend's voice screaming urgently for me to pull over. She had put her leg over mine in the car to hit the brake and had the steering wheel. I pulled over. She said afterward that I was out for about a minute. It felt to me like at least an hour had gone by. I felt such a sense of calm the rest of the day. I don't know if it was a NDE but it was the weirdest thing I ever experienced. I quit smoking finally and I don't fear death as much now.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 7 2006

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? No Illness 'Illness, trauma or other condition not considered life threatening'

How do you consider the content of your experience? Wonderful

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 When I woke up.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? When I woke up.

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 Seemed much longer to me the time I was out than had actually passed.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Incredibly more vivid

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Colors were extremely vivid and clear like watching high definition TV and I don't see that well normally without glasses.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. My friend calling my named was distant at first then it got louder.

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? Yes A baby in a laundry basket, there was no communication.

The experience included: Light

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? Yes Brilliant sunlight through the trees.

The experience included: A landscape or city

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Just peace - not scared - just tranquil.

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

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? Yes I believe that there is an afterlife now more than I believed before.

What is your religion now? Moderate

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I believe that there is an afterlife now more than I believed before.

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

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? The garden was significant because I am an avid gardener.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Right away.

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 viewed it the same way after it happened as I do today.

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

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? I kind of feel that that was me in the laundry basket as a baby but my mother passed away and I can't ask her if she used to do that with me. I've heard other people's lives flash before their eyes, maybe it was the start of mine and I was abruptly 'awakened'. I stayed there looking at that scene for a while, it seemed to me. It was just beautiful.