Personal
Volunteer
Language
Translations
I was living in Iowa. It felt like my stomach had exploded. The next thing I knew when I woke up, I was in an ambulance. I was rushed into surgery. While I was in recovery, my parents said everything went OK. As I sat up a little to talk to them, everything burst wide open again. I was rushed into emergency surgery again. As I was being operated on, I remember looking down at the surgeons working on me. I tried to tell my parents everything was OK. After a few seconds or minutes, I felt a warm, glowing light; it felt so warm and so good. I met a person who said she would take care of me. I asked, 'Who are you?' Her reply was, 'I am your grandmother's mother.' I had never met this person. After a few seconds or minutes, I told her I was starting to get cold. Her reply was, 'You will need to go back now.' I did not want to go back. She said, 'You must; it is not time yet.' The next thing I remember was waking up in the recovery room with my parents.
Background Information:
Gender: Male
Date NDE Occurred: 1949 NDE Elements:
At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Illness. Surgery-related Life threatening event, but not clinical death. Burst appendix
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? Yes I noticed my parents were worried. 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? More consciousness and alertness than normal
At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? When I was watching the surgeons
Were your thoughts speeded up? No
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. very good
Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. good
Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Yes, but the facts have not been checked out
The experience included: Tunnel
Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes A warm bright light
The experience included: Presence of deceased persons
Did you see any beings in your experience? No
Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes A woman said she was my grandmother's mother.
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 Nothing on Earth could recreate the warmth and beauty of that light.
Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? No
What emotions did you feel during the experience? I wanted to stay in the warmth and then returning where I felt cold.
Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Incredible peace or pleasantness
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? No
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 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? No
What importance do you place on your religious/spiritual life after your experience? Slightly important to me
What is your religion now? No comment
Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was both consistent and not 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? No
Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? I heard a voice I could not identify I heard a voice I could not identify. A woman said she was my grandmother's mother.
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? No
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? Unknown
During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? No
Do you believe in the existence of God after your experience? Unknown Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:
During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? No
Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Unknown
During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? No
Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? I was uncertain if an afterlife exists
Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife probably exists No
Did you fear death prior to your experience? Unknown
Do you fear death after your experience? I do not fear death
Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Unknown
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 after your experience? Unknown
Did you gain information about how to live our lives? No
During your experience, did you gain information about life's difficulties, challenges and hardships? No
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? Moderate changes in my life Moderate changes in my life
Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Uncertain Uncertain After the NDE:
Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes It is very hard to explain this occurrence.
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? No
Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I quit telling people about it. Nobody would believe me, since I was so young at the time.
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 Without a doubt in my mind, this was as real as it gets.
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
I had burst my appendix and was rushed to a hospital; the surgery went fine. As I was recovering, I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. Apparently, the sutures in my stomach failed and burst open. I was in emergency surgery when my experience began. I distinctly remember floating over my body because I could look down and see the doctors working on me. I also remember going to the waiting room to try to tell my parents everything would be okay. At this point, I felt a feeling of warmth and great contentment. The warmer I became, the closer I was drawn to a glowing white warm light. I was very young at this time. As I floated higher and higher, I was met by an elderly woman whom I had never seen before. She told me she was here to take care of me. I asked, 'Who are you?' Her reply was, 'I am your grandmother's mother and I was sent to take care of you.' We spoke for a while. The warmth I had been feeling started to become cool. I said, 'It is getting colder.' She said 'That is a sign you are not ready to come yet, you must go back.' I felt like I did not want to go back and tried fighting the return. She said, 'You must return. I will see you later; I will always be waiting to take care of you.' That is all I remember until I woke in in my hospital bed.
Date NDE Occurred: 1947 NDE Elements:
At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Uncertain IllnessSurgery-related Illness, trauma or other condition not considered life threatening I had post-op hemorrhaging
Did you feel separated from your body? Uncertain 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? More consciousness and alertness than normal I could see and hear everything, it was like watching a TV show; even the hectic pace of the surgeon and staff.
At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? While I was floating above my body, everything was so clear.
Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Everything seemed normal, until I felt the pain in my stomach.
Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I remember talking to my dad, and felt pain and screamed.
Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? No
Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No
Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes I met my grandmother's mother who would take care of me.
Did you see an unearthly light? Yes The brightest warm soft white light you could imagine. I just know it was warm and bright.
The experience included: Strong emotional tone
What emotions did you feel during the experience? I felt calmness, then light and great warmth, then coolness.
Did you have a feeling of joy? incredible joy
Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about myself or others I found my reason for returning, even though I did not want to leave were I was at the time.
The experience included: Boundary
Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? No
What importance did you place on your religious/spiritual life prior to your experience? Not important to me
Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was entirely not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience I was very young when this occured
Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Uncertain I hope I became a better person and more thankful for it.
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 I met a woman who was my grandmother's mother.
During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes I know I was told I must go back.
Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are possibly meaningful and significant
Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? Unknown
Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Yes I can not explain it,
Did you fear death prior to your experience? I did not fear death
Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Not fearful in living my earthly life
Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant after your experience? Are meaningful and significant
Were you compassionate prior to your experience? Slightly compassionate toward others
What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Moderate changes in my life Moderate changes in my life, I am more aware of how great life is.
Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No No After the NDE:
Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes I thought no one would believe me, as I tried to explain I met my grandmother's mother they said I must have had a dream.
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 This is something I have lived with for60 some years and remember it as if it happened yesterday
Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? I wish there was a way to prove this happened exactly as I have stated.
Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Most people do not believe me as I was so young.
What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real I thought about it a lot.
What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real 60 years later I can say, without question, it was real; it is so vivid in my memory.
Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? This is all true to the best of my knowledge, I do not care what anyone else says, I know I lived through this in every detail.
©1998-2024 NDERF, Jody Long & Jeffrey Long, MD. All Rights Reserved.
