Experience Description

Prior to my Near Death Experience, I was lying down in bed and feeling the symptoms of a virus in my achy muscles. Then I was really noticing the fever throughout my body. I did not have any access to any aspirin, and honestly, wasn't too concerned about that, as I was trusting God, in all of this. I remember my body had gotten so hot from the fever, that I could no longer lay my leg on top of the other, and had to sprawl them out from one another. Even though my body was feeling miserable, the whole time I had a peace and joy that filled me up inside.

A friend who was in the dorm at the time came into my room and asked me what I was doing lying down since it was so nice outside. I said, 'Come here, I want you to feel my head.' She came over and felt it saying, 'Marie, you are burning up, why aren't you in infirmary?' I said to her that I had to wait until tomorrow when they opened.

Later on that night, I remember myself in a dark place that was very peaceful. In that place, I felt so alive with so much clarity that I had never felt before. I remember I had many questions come to me and my spirit and I remember asking these questions without even moving my mouth. These questions were deep, deep questions about life that only, it seemed, my spirit was able to ask, and not my cardinal mind. I had no sense of time or space. I remember these questions springing up inside of me, and the answers coming back that I understood completely in a way like I never had before. I can't describe in words the intensity, the depth, of how I understood the answers coming back to me. Then as fast as they came, they were gone. It even got to the point to where before I was done asking my question it would already be answered completely.

Since there was no sense of time, it seemed as though the whole night I was asking questions and getting answers. Then a remarkable thing happened that made me realize I was not in my body. I felt myself coming back into my body. My body felt like my spirit was putting a heavy suit on. Actually, I wasn't too thrilled about the whole thing of going back into my body, because not only did my body feel very heavy, but I started feeling all the aches of the virus and the fever.

In the morning, I felt like God gave me a parable of what had happened. First, he told me that what I was experiencing with Him was Communion. I had never viewed communion like this. Communion to me, when I was growing up in a Catholic Church, was sitting before the Priest and confessing your sins.

The next thing he said was that what I was experiencing was three trails of communion. The first trail was the highest and most powerful: that was the path of spirit, where all is understood in communion between God and man. The next trail was that of the soul. He said that it's not as powerful, because of the soul with its beliefs from growing up, what parents were taught, and its experiences and hurts, that the soul is hindered and therefore filters a lot out in communing and being sensitive to His Presence. The third path is that of the body. That is the part of us who feel His presence upon, around and within ourselves.

When I did go to infirmary, I registered a 104 degree temperature, and was assigned to the infirmary for the next week and a half, with what they said was a foreign virus.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 1983

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Uncertain 'Illness, trauma or other condition not considered life threatening' I had a foreign virus.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Entirely pleasant

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? No 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 It was like nothing I had ever felt before. I felt connected to everything around me; I felt a clarity and alertness, an understanding that was surreal. I understood so intensely and beyond words, which my regular mind in my body, in comparison, was as a primitive mind, with its blocks and low intelligence. No words were ever spoken, as it was spirit to spirit and heart to heart communication. What I got from this encounter is that our spirit mind that is not blocked by time, space, and flesh, is wild and free, having the fullness of Christ. Because I believe that in this body, we only know in part, but in the spirit we know in full.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? When I was out of my body and communing with God's Spirit.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Incredibly fast

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No

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. I just remembered being in a peaceful dark place, which could have been me hovering in my room at night, I don't know.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. My hearing was coming through my spirit/heart, and not my ears.

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

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

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

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? No

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? I felt peace beyond this world, I felt fully accepted and loved, I felt very comfortable in who I was, as though communicating with someone I have known all my life.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Incredible peace or pleasantness

Did you have a feeling of joy? incredible joy

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? I felt united or one with the world

The experience included: Special knowledge or purpose

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about the universe As I felt connected to everything around me, I was able to ask deep questions about Life, and got those answers back 1000 fold in understandable revelations. Download after download of information that was fully understood to the utmost and then gone.

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? No

God, Spiritual and Religion:


What importance did you place on your religious/spiritual life prior to your experience? Moderately important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Protestant I was going to a Spirit - Filled Four Square Church at the time of this encounter. I at the time was "On Fire" for the Lord.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

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

What is your religion now? Christian- Protestant

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 The verse comes to me again about now we only know in part, but then we shall know in full. I was experiencing the fullness because I was outside my body. There is another scripture that says, Even before I speak a word, He knows it all together... That is what I experienced when my spirit wasn't even done asking the question in full, and yet I received in full the revelation of that question.

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 encountered a definite being, or a voice clearly of mystical or unearthly origin I felt an amazing presence, which was all too familiar to me. Whenever you meet your maker, your heart confirms it over and over. You know that you know.

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 Yes, I had an awareness that I did exist before this lifetime in Heaven as a spirit, and that once I left there (Heaven, my true Home), I would forget that life so I could truly learn and live this life.

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? Yes I did have an extraordinary awareness that I was connected to everything around me.

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 The awareness of Gods presence is undeniable. Your spirit shouts His existence when you are with Him, and everything in you confirms that He is your maker and heavenly Father. You come alive!

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 When I was asking and receiving innumerable revelations during my encounter.

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

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? Yes Just felt that this life on Earth is to learn from, that it is a testing ground... That there are certain heart conditions to be met on the Earth through our existence in it. I feel that God is weeding out, those that are truly pure in heart, that work f

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 I just felt an awareness that this amplified encounter I was encountering in my senses, was not the end, but only the beginning of an eternal existence.. That this primitive mind and body was very temporary.

Did you fear death prior to your experience? I moderately 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 probably 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? No

During your experience, did you gain information about life's difficulties, challenges and hardships? Yes I felt the primitiveness of this body we live in, compared to the spirit He has born us.

Were you compassionate prior to your experience? Slightly compassionate toward others

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Yes I felt an unmeasurable love from God that was so beautiful, so accepting, so whole, that that love filled every part that made me whole.The only other time I felt this incredible love like never before this incident, was when I gave my heart to Jesus and

Were you compassionate after your experience? Moderately compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Moderate changes in my life Moderate changes in my life. I felt like I got closer to God. I was more passionate about His presence, and in wanting to encounter Him.

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

After the NDE:


Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes Just the feelings and the way of thinking were way more amplified.

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 Since all my senses were 1000 times more amplified then when in my body, and the clarity of understanding, I would say yes, more accurately.

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? Yes, the full blown communion I encountered!

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Immediately after my encounter. I think it raised some believers in igniting their passion more towards the Lord. My family was amazed by my encounter.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes From my (now deceased) Dad, ever since I was a kid, he used to read Near Death Encounters from the Readers Digest.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real The reality of my experienced made me feel loved, and accepted. It was more realistic than anything in this earthly life.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real My spirit confirms by nudges of His presence, that it was very 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? Words can never take credit for this encounter, as words take way from what I encountered, because words can never match the encounter. This is because there is nothing to compare it to!