Linda S NDE

Experience Description

I went to the hospital for an emergency tonsillectomy. The nurses walked me down a long hallway to the operating room, at which time I feared I was going to die. They placed me on a table with four straps that held me down. The table looked like an ironing board. All of a sudden, a black mask was put on my face: ether. After that, I was in complete darkness for a while. Then, I wanted to see my mother, who was in the waiting room. I floated through a glass window and tugged at her arm. She couldn't hear or feel me. Shortly after, I found myself looking at a beautiful golden sun, hearing a deep voice telling me, I didn't have to go back. Frantically, I had to go back. I wanted to be in a body, I didn't want to be a spirit. The voice said to me, 'If you go back, you will have a difficult life. Are you willing to suffer?' I said yes and here I am. I asked my mother about the experience when I was about 9 years of age. She admitted, a tug at her arm was felt, and the surgery was taking too long.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 1942

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Surgery-related. While under general anesthesia. Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function or brain function) The doctor brought me back by massaging my heart externally.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Both pleasant AND distressing

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? No 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

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? When reaching the light.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No

Were your senses more vivid than usual? No

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I don't remember I was too young.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. During the experience the voice was a deep surround sound.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? No

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No It felt I was just in a dark room without a sound.

Did you see any beings in your experience? No

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

The experience included: Darkness

The experience included: Unearthly light

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? An unusually bright light

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes I floated to the giant sun.

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Scared and I came back happy.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Relief or calmness

Did you have a feeling of joy? No

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? No

The experience included: Special knowledge or purpose

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about myself or others I didn't want to be a spirit anymore. I wanted a body to experience earthly life.

Did scenes from your past come back to you? No

Did scenes from the future come to you? No

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 It seemed the voice wanted me to stay. Regardless of how difficult it was going to be for me, I chose to return.

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What importance did you place on your religious/spiritual life prior to your experience? Unknown

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Catholic

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I don't practice the religion I was born into: Catholic.

What importance do you place on your religious/spiritual life after your experience? Greatly important to me

What is your religion now? Christian- Other Christian A BORN AGAIN CHRISTIAN

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was entirely consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes We never die: we shed our earthly bodies to become spirit bodies.

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? No

Did you encounter or become aware of any beings who previously lived on earth who are described by name in religions (for example: Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, etc.)? No

During your experience, did you gain information about premortal existence? Yes I FELT I WAS A SPIRIT IN MANY LIFETIMES & WANTED TO EXPERIENCE HAVING A HUMAN BODY.

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? No

Did you believe in the existence of God prior to your experience? God definitely exists

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes I KNEW THE VOICE WAS THE SUPREME BEING.

Do you believe in the existence of God after your experience? God definitely exists

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes Was I willing to suffer?

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are meaningful and significant

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? Yes I KNEW WHAT IT WAS TO SUFFER.

Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? An afterlife definitely exists

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Yes YES, THE VOICE TOLD ME OF AN EARTHLY LIFE.I DIDN'T WANT TO DIE.

Did you fear death prior to your experience? I greatly feared death

Do you fear death after your experience? I slightly fear death

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Not fearful in living my earthly life

Were you fearful living your life after your experience? Not fearful in living my earthly life

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are meaningful and significant

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant after your experience? Are meaningful and significant

Did you gain information about how to live our lives? Yes

During your experience, did you gain information about life's difficulties, challenges and hardships? Yes I KNEW THE MEANING OF DIFFICULTIES, CHALLENGES, & HARDSHIPS.

Were you compassionate prior to your experience? Unknown

During your experience, did you gain information about love? No

Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Large changes in my life Large changes in my life.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

How accurately do you remember the experience in comparison to other life events that occurred around the time of the experience? I remember the experience more accurately than other life events that occurred around the time of the experience

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes I am a very spiritual person with intuitive abilities.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? My life has been mentally, not physically, difficult for the entire 70 years.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes At age 9, my mother was very surprised that I remembered the incident. She never told me about it. She was not influenced by my experience.

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 always daydreaming. Part of me was here and the other part of me was off the planet.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real I believe in life after death and in reincarnation. I know I've been here before, but can't remember.

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