Karen H Probable NDE

EXPERIENCE DESCRIPTION:

As stated, I was on the operating table, but when they tried to give me the anesthetic, via a dark face mask, and told me to breathe, but I began choking and coughing, and lifting my hands to try to get the mask off, because I could not seem to breathe at all. I struggled so much that the doctor lifted the mask off my face and let me recover a bit before continuing. But before that, the doctor, I believe, said, 'Did you-' and asked some question of anesthesiologist, who was next to me on the other side by my head, and the anesthesiologist then said, 'Oh,' and turned around to the machine and turned a dial or did something to adjust it. The surgeon then gave him a frowning and stern admonitory glance, and the anesthesiologist sort of hunched and nodded, as if to say he'd solved the problem and would watch it carefully from then on, at which the doctor paused a moment and then went back to the procedure, putting the face mask back on me again. This made me wonder afterwards when I knew more about such things, if he had not in fact properly adjusted the mixture, and if I had not struggled, I might have ended up a vegetable foe the rest of my life, as sometimes happens if the mixture of oxygen in the anesthetic is not right. In any case, the first experience had scared me, of course, and I was afraid and resisted when the mask came back down, but this time, when the doctor said 'Breathe,' I did, but experienced only an instant of total darkness before I shot up out of my body and seemed to be over the room, looking on as they worked on me- I watched for a minute, wondering and thinking it was interesting, but then, a lady in a black dress came up to me, and I instantly recognized her as my great-grandmother, whom I had known before she died when I was about two and a half, I believe. 'Oh, Gaga,' I said, 'I'm so happy to see you- I haven't seen you in such a long time!' She took my hand and smiled at me, and we may have talked for a bit, but then she said, 'Well, since you're here for a little while, would you like to see some things?' I replied excitedly, 'Oh yes, that would be nice!' And we went off together hand in hand. I do not remember a lot of what I saw, but I know that I met a tall blondish man and another, dark-haired lady in a blue dress, who met us in what appeared to be a hallway of some large building which I don't remember entering, really. but the man said in reply to a question by my 'Gaga,' which was what everyone had called her, something like, 'Well, maybe we could show her... ' and said something I don't remember, but I was introduced to the lady next to him, and Gaga said to go with her. At first, I didn't want to leave, but she said she'd see me later.

   So the woman and I went into a nearby door, and I looked in. It seemed to be some sort of workroom or classroom, because there were banks of raked desk areas with seats behind them where many children of both sexes and varying ages from near mine to several years older were tapping at consoles which to have square raised buttons that lit up in different colors as they worked on them, mainly in colors of bright red, yellow, green and other colors that would light up as they tapped them, as if they were colored plastic with lights under them. They also seemed to be watching some sort of display further up on the slanted part above the keyboards as they worked. I knew about old-fashioned typewriters of that time from having been allowed to use one in the office of the store where my father worked, but these were different and very pretty and fancy to my way of thinking, and I said, 'Oh, what are those?' and someone ,I think the man, said, 'Oh those are--- (I don't know if he used the word 'computers' or 'like computers' but he used some word and then said, 'You'll see those later in your life.' Someone, maybe the woman, asked if maybe I could work one, but I believe he may have said something to her with the intimation that it should be better if I didn't, but it seemed to me that we went other places and saw other interesting things, but I don't remember them. All I do remember is that eventually, Gaga took me back again to the operating room above where they were working on me. She then said that I would have to go back, and I protested, saying, 'Oh, Gaga, can't I stay with you? It's so nice here!' At this she appeared a bit flustered, and said, 'Oh no, you have to go back. You've just been here on a little visit.' I began to try to persuade her to let me stay, but she said, seeming a little anxious, 'Oh no, you have to go back now, you may have been here too long already.' I was ready to argue further, but at that moment, I felt and heard a large swooping, sucking noise, and swoosh! I was going down into my body again. I partly awakened as I was being wheeled out of the room, which was when I believe I heard the doctor's comment, and I attempted to raise my left arm and thought, 'Oh, no, not this again!' because my arm seemed to weigh a ton, and my entire body seemed as heavy as lead, in contrast to the wonderful lightness and airiness of my recent existence out of it. This was very discouraging, but I was back again, without doubt, and would have to bear with the dragging weight and slowness of the thing I was once again encased in. It was like having been instantly transformed from a bird into a great. lumbering bear, and obviously, there was nothing I would be able to do about it for a very long time!

At the time of your experience was there an associated life-threatening event?   Yes  As above, I experienced the event in connection with a problem with the anesthesia during a surgical procedure which was supposed to be routine, and I know of the assumed danger to my life only through my experience at the time and through the comment I overheard the doctor make. I do not know if he ever told my parents or anyone outside the operating room of the possible danger that had existed, but I got the impression he hadn't- I never knew, as I say.

Was the experience difficult to express in words?  Yes    

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness?    If you mean out of body consciousness, when I first met my great grandmother.

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness?      Normal consciousness and alertness   It was as if I were a bird, but without any effort of beating my wings, etc. I could travel anywhere merely by thinking, and though I said we 'walked off' our movement was completely effortless, like floating, and moving and communicating  was all very blissful and easy. I don't remember not speaking, for it seemed as if I were using my mouth as usual, but maybe I didn't even have to do that. Everything was lovely and simple, without thought.

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.   Things seemed normal, but as in a child's vision everything light was bright and comfortable, I didn't notice a big difference.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.   I could hear everything as if it were normal, but could hear whatever I wanted to hear.

Did you see or hear any earthly events that were occurring during a time that your consciousness / awareness was apart from your physical / earthly body?   No  

What emotions did you feel during the experience?   I was very happy to see my great grandmother again, and interested in everything I saw. I believe I saw more, but have told all I remember.  

Did you pass into or through a tunnel?   Uncertain   It may have been that I passed through some thing like a 'tunnel' when I