Experience Description:

There was no wall in the intensive care unit. All I saw was blue people and trees and I wanted to get over to the other side, to the ladies in bright white who were laughing and throwing snow, and one of the ladies was my grandma Bessie. The blue trees and people would not let me through. I was always floating above the bed. No matter how hard I tried to go across the trees I couldn't.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 12-3-2000

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 Renal failure, congestive heart failure and respiratory failure, on ventilator in the intensive care unit.

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? Less consciousness and alertness than normal Only conscious of the experience.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Wasn't conscious of what was going on in real life for five days.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Neither

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening all at once Floating, blue trees and people.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Neither

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. The bright light blue and the bright white dresses the old ladies wore.

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

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

Did you see any beings in your experience? Saw them

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes Beyond the blue trees and people. One was my grandma, just laughing.

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? Neither

Did you see an unearthly light? Uncertain Bright white of the dresses of the ladies.

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Anger to not being able to cross over the trees.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Neither

Did you have a feeling of joy? Neither

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? Neither

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 barrier I was not permitted to cross; or 'sent back' to life involuntarily

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Conservative/fundamentalist

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Conservative/fundamentalist

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? 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? That dying is a pleasant thing and I am not scared.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Right away, they were supportive

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 It is real.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real It is real.

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