Experience Description

My brain surgeon had warned me that I had only minutes to live if the brain aneurysm went off before he operated and to get to the hospital as soon as possible and he would be called. He told me how I would feel if it went off. I called my man friend and asked if he could come take me to the emergency room as I was dying with only minutes to live as the brain aneurysm had burst. Lee, my man friend, is a thirty year retired paramedic. We are childhood friends.

He went into the hospital emergency room with me. He told me the details and we compared notes as follows. Lee said the minute they laid me out on the emergency room table my heart stopped. He timed it and my heart was gone for three minutes. My heartbeat came back and after two minutes, he said it stopped again for three more minutes. Each time more doctors came in and then, second time, the last time, they rolled up my arm sleeve and he thinks they gave me a shot in my arm and my heart came back almost right away. This was the retired paramedics account, my man friend, Lee. Here is what I will tell you, from my recall. The minute they laid me out on the table, I could not speak or move but I heard everything. The doctor was yelling for me to answer him. I could not even move a finger. I did not know that my heart was gone. I struggled to answer him but I could not nor could I move any part of my body to signal I heard him. After a short time, I left my body and I was looking down at my body. I would say I was about six feet up over my body. I thought to myself, 'I must be dead as I am looking at my dead body down there.' I was very calm and began to move very slowly upwards and it was more and more beautiful into an infinity of light and peace, happiness, I knew I was going to heaven or somewhere very beautiful. I did not want to come back at this point as it was the most happy I had ever been in my life. I felt so loved. I then became very alarmed, as I knew this is the end and I am dead so I yelled out, 'God please do not kill me I am only sixty-two years old and I do not want to die. Please God put me back into my body.' I did go back as you know.

I do not fear death at all now as I have complete faith my soul will leave my body right away after death and I will be happy in this other world. Sandra seventy-one years old, Washington DC Native and a resident near Washington DC, assisted living as the stokes I had before the brain operation, how they found the aneurysm with tests after the strokes, took away some short-term memory, this is where the stroke hit my brain. I could not work after the strokes as a result. I now only process one out of four new messages I receive the professionals tell me, one year of speech therapy too that taught me how to cope with the damage to my memory, I was taught compensation techniques, etc. that year of speech therapy. So this is my story and it is true.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: Feb 2001

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes My brain aneurysm had been detected after I had strokes. The brain operation had been scheduled but the aneurysm went off before the operation date. My brain surgeon warned me it was ready to blow and to get to the hospital fast if it did go off before Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function or brain function) My man friend who went into the emergency room with me was a retired thirty year paramedic, Washington DC Fire Department. He told me that as soon as I was laid onto the emergency room table my heart stopped for three minutes, it stopped again for another three minutes after coming back for two minutes in between.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Wonderful

The experience included: Out of body experience

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? More consciousness and alertness than normal As above.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? When I knew I was dead and wanted to come back to life. I was very alert and fought to live and begged God for my life to live again.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Incredibly fast

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning It was not of this earth, my soul was into a different realm.

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 saw the infinite beauty of existence but in a spiritual way not a human way.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Yes, and the facts have been checked out

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes I left the earthy existence and became a spirit, my soul left my body and it was a beautiful experience.

Did you see any beings in your experience? I actually saw them

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? No No one at all. I did not go that far as I begged God to take me back to my earthly body.

The experience included: Light

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 It was an infinite light becoming more and more beautiful and calm. It was going somewhere and I thought to heaven.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm I was out of this dimension into where the soul travels.

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Very happy, very spiritual and so happy to know my spirit indeed does leave my body at death. I just had unfinished business here on earth to finish.

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

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about the universe

Did scenes from your past come back to you? My past flashed before me, out of my control I was too busy with the out of body experience.

Did scenes from the future come to you? Scenes from the world's future The future event I know now is my soul will be forever, eternal and very blessed.

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 was your religion prior to your experience? Moderate

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I am more spiritual and pray more often now too.

What is your religion now? Moderate

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I am more spiritual and pray more often now too.

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? I actually saw them

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:


During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes I knew indeed the soul leaves the body right away as I had read and heard in church before. I knew our soul does live on in another realm. I was joyful but not ready yet to leave this earth so I fought to come back to be with my family etc.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes I know I am truly accountable how I treat others as my soul will suffer if I do not treat people the best possible I can.

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? Yes, my soul leaving my body was the most overwhelming experience with peace, happiness.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I shared this later after the brain operation. It kept coming back to me, being up over my body and the beauty of the soul leaving my body.

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 The event kept replaying itself. I compared notes with my retired thirty-year Washington DC firefighter man friend and all fit together. He really enjoyed hearing me fill in the blanks for him. My friends are very spiritual and believe in God and were elated to hear of my soul leaving my body right after my heart stopped.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real I know it was all 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? No except I am so excited to know we live forever in the spiritual, soul, world.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? You did just fine.