EXPERIENCE DESCRIPTION:
I
was playing tag with friends on the playground in second grade. The playground
had a cement surface. I was "it". My friend was going up the back of the slide
and I was going up the front of the slide- where you slide down. It was a tall
slide. My friend Jenn and I met at the top of the slide and I was so thrilled
and excited and so was she. I will never forget the look on her face and that is
when I was just gone...I guess I passed out and fell off from the slide. But I
was floating above the playground. Everything was dreamy here and in slow
motion. There was this girl with two blonde braids that were whipping about as
she turned over and over in the air falling off from the slides. I was purely
fascinated with this girl. I wasn't upset. I was feeling really good to be
floating above. I remember the pine trees and the falling girl. I realized that
the falling girl was me. I felt no worries, pain, or fear just detached,
slightly confused, and mostly just thrilled to be up in the air.
The
next thing I remember is getting slammed back into my body. It happened quickly
and it was a shock. There were people crowded around me and they scared me
because the light behind them was so bright that they were only silhouettes and
they looked like aliens might look- just scary shapes. I was crying horribly- I
didn't feel pain. I just remember being scared by the shapes of what turned out
to be people and blinded by the light behind them. I didn't like being back
inside of my body. I was very scared then. The playground attendant was also
very scared and seemed horribly worried about me. They took me to the nurse and
made me wait for my mom to come and get me. There was no blood but I was in
shock. My mother took me to the hospital. After x-rays they determined that I
had a pressure fracture in my skull and my arm. My mother said she never saw me
so pale or so scared in my life as when she picked me up- I was not a child that
scared easily.
The thing that stands out most in my mind about the accident itself was that I
was out of my body BEFORE I hit the ground. I was floating above the playground
WATCHING myself fall off that slide. I always felt like if this had happened it
should have happened when I hit the ground, but what do I know? I've never ever
forgotten this event.
At
the time of your experience was there an associated life-threatening event?
Uncertain I was playing tag with friends on the playground in second grade. The
playground had a cement surface. I was "it". My friend was going up the back of
the slide and I was going up the front of the slide- where you slide down. It
was a tall slide. At the top I passed out and fell off the slide and received a
pressure fracture in my skull and arm.
Was
the experience difficult to express in words?
No
At
what time during the experience were you at your highest level of
consciousness and alertness?
When I got slammed back into my body. The light was so bright, the people were
so dark, and I was so scared. Right before I left my body I was very aware of my
surroundings as well- I never forgot the look on the girl's face when I
surprised her at the top of the slide. I will never forget the way I looked
falling from a distance. The entire event was a high level of consciousness but
getting slammed back into my body was the most aware that I was during the
event.
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 The smallest details stood out to me.
The way the light hit things. The way my braids were juxtaposed to my head. The
look on my friend's face and the feel of the slide's sides before I "passed
out". The feeling of buoyancy when I was up in the air. The shock and fear when
I was slammed back into my body.
Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that
you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.
The
light was different. Time seemed to be slowed down during the experience.
Immediately before I floated out of my body I seemed to be highly aware of
everything.
Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that
you had immediately prior to the time of the experience.
I
have a hard time remembering this but it seemed as if my hearing was through a
filter during the experience. It was a playground and kids were playing and
screaming (in a good way), but it seemed distant to me. Before the experience
things were normal.
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?
Yes I saw that my body was falling off the slide, turning over and over in the
air. I know that it was real because other people saw me fall off the slide. I
left my body at the top of the slide and re-entered it on the ground.
What emotions did you feel during the experience?
I
was confused at what was happening but purely calm, slightly detached, mostly I
felt really really good to be floating up in the air.
Did
you pass into or through a tunnel?
No
Did
you see an unearthly light?
Uncertain It is possible that the light behind the people after I got slammed
back into my body could have been unearthly as it was so bright it seemed to
obscure everything. I am not certain, however.
Did
you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable
voice?
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
Did
you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings?
No
Did
you become aware of past events in your life during your experience?
No
Did
you seem to enter some other, unearthly world?
No
Did
time seem to speed up or slow down?
Time
seemed to go faster or slower than usual
Time
seemed to slow down while I was out of my body.
Did
you suddenly seem to understand everything?
No
Did
you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure?
No
Did
you come to a border or point of no return?
No
Did
scenes from the future come to you?
No
During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness
suggesting that there either is (or is not) continued existence after earthly
life (“life after death”)?
No
During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness
that God or a supreme being either does (or does not) exist?
No
During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness
that you either did (or did not) exist prior to this lifetime?
No
During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness
that a mystical universal connection or unity/oneness either does (or does not)
exist?
No
During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness
regarding earthly life’s meaning or purpose?
No
During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness
regarding earthly life’s difficulties, challenges, or hardships?
No
During your experience, did you encounter any specific information / awareness
regarding love?
Uncertain While I was out of my body I felt a pervading sense of peace and
love.
During your experience, did you encounter any other specific information /
awareness that you have not shared in other questions that is relevant to living
our earthly lives?
No
Did
you have a sense of knowing special knowledge or purpose?
No
What occurred during your experience included:
Content that was both consistent and not consistent with the beliefs you had at
the time of your experience I don't really think any of these choices were
good for me. I think I was too little to really understand fully any
significance beyond feelings and images.
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 as accurately as other life events that occurred around
the time of the experience
My experience directly resulted in:
Unknown
Did you have any changes in your values or beliefs after the experience that
occurred as a result of the experience?
Uncertain I am uncertain because I was so young. I believe that life is
precious. I do not know why that happened to me as I did not receive any
specific instructions that I can remember beyond peace and love.
Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful
or significant to you?
The
entire thing is significant.
Do
you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience
that you did not have before the experience?
Uncertain I can sometime pick up on energy from people and am almost always
right with my "gut feelings" and perceptions of others. Occasionally I know
things without being told- once I touched my photography teacher's hand by
accident in college and knew he was cheating on his wife, which he was. I cannot
control any of this.
Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful
or significant to you?
The
entire thing is significant.
Have you ever shared this experience with others?
Yes
I don't remember but I have not shared it often because it is so personal.
People think I am strange when I tell them about it so I keep it to myself
mostly. After watching the documentary movie "Afterlife" I felt compelled to
share my story with you here. I was amazed to hear the stories on there- they
were so much like my own (minus the religious figures) that I felt like I had
relived the experience that I mostly have forgotten about. My children were
really excited when I told them this had happened to me.
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 I know it was real because I lived through it.
What do you believe about the reality of your experience at the current time:
Experience was definitely real I know it was real because I lived through it.
I will never forget that day, not ever.
Have your relationships changed specifically as a result of your experience?
Uncertain
I
don't know but I know I have always felt kind of different than others. I am
lonely and long for something that I cannot find here on earth.
Have your religious beliefs/spiritual practices changed specifically as a result
of your experience?
No
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?
I
was a child when this happened. The fact that my memories were so much like the
other stories I heard on the movie made me feel amazed. I never knew that others
had such similar experiences. It doesn't dominate my life but I have always
wondered why this happened.
Did
the questions asked and information that you provided accurately and
comprehensively describe your experience?
Yes
Please offer any suggestions that you may have to improve this questionnaire.
Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your
experience?
What could a national organization with an interest in near death experience
(NDE) do that would be of interest to you?
Having had a NDE I feel that just being able to share this was of great
interest. I would like to understand more about what happened. I wonder if there
are other things that took place that I do not remember because I was so young
at the time that this happened.
Please offer any suggestions that you may have to improve this questionnaire.
Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your
experience?
The only thing I could say is that some of the questions were tough- but I think
that is because of my age at the time of the NDE and not the questions
themselves. Thank you.
