Experience Description:

The anesthesiologist wanted to block my left arm so that I may stay awake while the doctors performed surgery to attached my severed pinky and repair the tendons. Minutes after I was injected with the anesthesia, I went into a seizure and had a cardiac arrest. I found myself standing on an air of darkness. I can see myself, but everything around me was foggy and dark. All I could hear was more than a thousand voices talking to me at the same time. The words were not clear to me, but for some odd reason I knew what the voices were saying. All I could understand was 'Do you want to live?' I would go back and forth between the voices, and flashbacks in reviews of my life. It was a very frightening experience. I also saw a bright light white light as if someone is shining a flashlight in my eyes as if not to be viewed. I believe at that point, as if I knew what the voices were saying; I also knew that the light was the image of God or maybe that was what I wanted to believe. At that moment, I saw the light the voices became louder and stronger with the same question 'Do you want to live?' I wanted to answer 'YES', but I couldn't answer it. I knew I had to yell out 'YES' but could not utter a word. My speech ability was taken away from me. Until a voice from the operation room yelled out 'YES' causing me to come back to reality. I found myself in the same room. I suppose at that time they had revived me brought me back and someone was happy to see me back and yelled out 'YES'. That one word I couldn't say was what I wanted to say, but yelled out by a nurse brought me back.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 06/20/1986

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Surgery-related Severed Left pinky surgery to re-attached tendons. Other Seizure from medication.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Frightening

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes 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? Normal consciousness and alertness

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Hearing the voices.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Incredibly fast

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening all at once

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Incredibly more so

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. There was no color. Just darkness and a bright white blinding light at the end of the experience.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Heard voices but knew what they were asking me.

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? Neither

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Uncertain Heard voices but didn't see anyone.

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? A light clearly of mystical or other-worldly origin

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Neither

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Very frighten. If death is what I've experienced, then I preferred to live as long as I can. Do not want to go through that experience again.

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? Past flashed before me, out of my control Relived childhood life review in the refugee camp in Thailand back in 1975.

Did scenes from the future come to you? Neither

Did you come to a border or point of no return? A conscious decision to 'return' to life

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Moderate

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Moderate

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? Unidentifiable voice

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? Neither

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

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I shared it with the doctors and nurses that asked me, did I experiencing anything. I told them I saw God and they proceed to mentioned that I was hallucinating. So I never shared it with anyone, but remains constantly on my mind.

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 probably real

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