Maria J NDE

EXPERIENCE DESCRIPTION:

For the rest of my life I shall remember the birth of my daughter. It is already 26 years ago but for me the experience I had is unique and remains fresh in my memory.

I went into labour and until the last stage it was a normal birth, with contractions until total dilation, and all without any kind of medication, since at that time and in the place I gave birth there was no doctor in attendance if everything went normally, you just had a midwife and an auxiliary, in this case a nun.

In the birth ward everything got complicated as my daughter did not engage her head and could not come through the birth canal. In the end they opened me without anaesthesia, and my daughter was born with tearing to the uterus. They padded me up and took me to my room. Once I was there I began to feel bad and I noticed a kind of warm dampness trickling down my legs. I felt weak and little by little I was fading. I managed to tell my husband that I was bleeding out and asked him to call my mother. I felt inside that I was dying and that is when I felt afraid. My husband pulled back the sheets and the whole lower part of my body was covered with blood. He called the nurse, and according to what he told me later they were very slow to assist me. I lost more than two liters of blood and while this was happening the moment arrived when I believe I gave up.

I was no longer afraid, and I began to notice that my body had no weight, it was as if I was stuck to the ceiling of the room. From above I could see the bed, my inert body and the crib with my daughter in it; I felt no pain at all, then the moment of darkness came, with no sense of time, but I know that I was fine, peaceful, with no cares, feeling warm. I know there was a small and brilliant light far far away, though I could sense it behind me rather than see it with my eyes. But I knew it was there. I don't know how it happened, but suddenly, and little by little, I began to hear distant voices, I realized they were talking about me, that someone in the distance was calling me by name. I did not want to come back but I knew that I was, because I began to take note of my body again, I was in an operating-theatre and a doctor was saying something to me which I did not understand. I could not speak but I could hear and feel everything around me. The hardest thing was trying to speak, I wanted to communicate but no words came. Then bit by bit I came back to myself, I could speak, and after a week, when I was discharged from the hospital, I spoke with my husband about everything that had happened to me.
 

Was the kind of experience difficult to express in words? Yes. For me it is easy, but I don't know if people understand exactly the meaning of the feelings I experienced.

At the time of this experience, was there an associated life threatening event? No

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? When I realized that my body was separated from me.

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal every day consciousness and alertness? Normal consciousness and alertness. When I realized that my body was separated from me.

Did your vision differ in any way from your normal, everyday vision (in any aspect, such as clarity, field of vision, colors, brightness, depth perception degree of solidness/transparency of objects, etc.)? No

Did your hearing differ in any way from your normal, everyday hearing (in any aspect, such as clarity, ability to recognize source of sound, pitch, loudness, etc.)?  No

Did you experience a separation of your consciousness from your body? Yes

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Wellbeing, peace, tranquillity, pleasant warmth.

Did you pass into or through a tunnel or enclosure? No

Did you see a light? Yes, but I always felt it behind my back.

Did you meet or see any other beings? No

Did you experience a review of past events in your life? No

Did you observe or hear anything regarding people or events during your experience that could be verified later? No

Did you see or visit any beautiful or otherwise distinctive locations, levels or dimensions? No

Did you have any sense of altered space or time? No. Time cannot be appreciated.

Did you have a sense of knowing special knowledge, universal order and/or purpose? No

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? No

Did you become aware of future events? Yes. From that moment I have been able to foresee things in normal everyday life, which do then happen. I am aware of them well in advance, as if this were the most normal thing imaginable.

Did you have any psychic, paranormal or other special gifts following the experience you did not have prior to the experience? Yes. Predicting things about facts or people that I do not know.

Have you shared this experience with others? Yes. With my husband and relatives. I have always felt reservations about other people believing me.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? No

How did you view the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real. It was unique and I am glad that I had it. You see life differently and no longer fear death, you change as a person and think about things more.

Were there one or several parts of the experience especially meaningful or significant to you? Since the event I no longer fear dying. Death is part of life from the moment we enter the earthly world. Leaving here should not represent a trauma. I believe people are afraid not so much of death as of how one may die.

How do you currently view the reality of your experience? Experience was definitely real. For 26 years it has been the best experience I have had, I have lived it and shared it with others. It was neither traumatic nor painful, it was an enrichment of other aspects of my present life.

Have your relationships changed specifically as a result of your experience? No

Have your religious beliefs/practices changed specifically as a result of your experience? Yes. Religion is not real, it is just a way of keeping people deceived, unless one has an experience of this kind one cannot understand through words alone.

Following the experience, have you had any other events in your life, medications or substances which reproduced any part of the experience? No

Is there anything else you would like to add concerning the experience? No

Did the questions asked and information you provided so far accurately and comprehensively describe your experience? Yes

Are there any other questions we could ask to help you communicate your experience?