Experience Description

When I was twelve years old, after school one afternoon, some friends and I were playing a (now known to be) dangerous game that would result in the loss of consciousness. A child would spin around as long as they could, then take a huge breath and hold it while another child would ‘bear hug’ them very tightly. This usually resulted in the child losing consciousness.

My memory of this incident is from above, looking down from high above a nearby tree. The tree was very old and very tall, possibly fifty to sixty feet tall. It had been my turn to ‘try’ the game, so I had spun around and held my breath while a friend squeezed me.

My next memory is of being high above the group of children, higher than the tree, looking down on them. I could see one girl lying on the ground and the other children standing around her. There was no emotion connected to the experience. It felt totally natural to be in that state, and I did not recognize the child on the ground as being myself.

My next memory is of ‘waking up’ on the ground, feeling slightly sick to my stomach and very dizzy. The whole incident lasted only a couple of seconds before I awoke.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 1967

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Uncertain Childhood prank. Unconsciousness

How do you consider the content of your experience? Positive

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I did not have any intention of ‘looking at’ myself. It seemed to me as though I were a separate being from those on the ground and I had no emotional response to that. It felt completely natural.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? It seemed the same as always.

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes I could see the tree, the school, and the group of children.

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? No However, I have had numerous other experiences throughout my lifetime.

Did you see an unearthly light? No

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience? None.

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 The whole experience lasted only a couple seconds and I did not remember the OBE until quite recently.

God, Spiritual and Religion:


What was your religion prior to your experience? Moderate Catholic

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Uncertain I have always believed that we are not our bodies, even as a very young child. I have always had a ‘sense’ of the Divine. Since I did not remember the incident until recently, it made no impact on any beliefs I may have had at the time.

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 best part was the view from above—not something normally experienced.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Most people do not care to listen, or will only listen politely, then go on to other subjects. My mother, who had a NDE when I was about fourteen years old, would have believed the experiences I've had, but sadly she transitioned many years ago, before we had an opportunity to discuss them. Most of my experiences have happened in my adult years, although there were a few that occurred during my childhood, but again, were not remembered until I was an adult.

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