EXPERIENCE DESCRIPTION:
My now husband was driving down a country road and did not see that there
was a dead end on the road, that dropped about 7 or 8 feet down, and then there
was about a 4 foot wall of dirt. We
were in a convertible and he drove fairly fast at that time, so when he saw it
he braked but was afraid of flipping the soft top convertible, so we still hit
the embankment at about 45 miles per hour.
I was not wearing a seat belt as this was in 1970 and we didn't have
them, so I was thrown into the rear view mirror and then the windshield, broke
them, and my head came back through into the car again.
I also hit the dash with my chest and abdomen very forcibly.
The next thing I remember was that they had dragged me out onto the ground and I
was very wet, I thought with rain, but it was blood.
Another passenger in the car said my boyfriend kept saying, "Please don't
die" and I kept telling him just remember I love you, because I didn't want him
to feel guilty when I died.
A passenger ran 3 or 4 miles into a small town and tried to call an ambulance,
and also called his friend, a high school coach, who brought him back to the
scene. The coach checked my vitals,
and said I wouldn't make it if we waited for an ambulance, and they put me in
his car and drove me 30 miles to the nearest emergency room.
My only memory of the ride is my boyfriend saying, "Please don't die" as
we sped to the hospital half way there.
I don't remember anything else until I saw myself below, on
the ER table, with people working on me.
I was always interested in medicine, so I said, "Oh, a blood transfusion, who is
getting that?" And a voice said, "You", I didn't see a face, but my questions
were answered, and I wasn't at all concerned about the bloody person on the
table being me. I was thinking what a
weight had been taken off my shoulders, and how I had never felt so good or
peaceful, when I realized they were trying to put me back INTO the body on the
table, and I tried to fight them off.
Then suddenly I was back.
At the time of your experience was there an
associated life-threatening event?
Yes
I assume you mean was something medically
wrong, and yes, I was bleeding to death.
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 was hovering over the ER table.
How
did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience
compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness?
Normal consciousness and
alertness
Please compare your vision during the experience to
your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the
experience.
I couldn't see who was talking to me, but I could see what
was going on in the room.
Please compare your hearing during the experience to
your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the
experience.
All I know is when I asked I
heard answers.
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 don't remember hearing them, but I could
see them working over me from up by the ceiling.
What
emotions did you feel during the experience?
I was happy and peaceful and didn't want to return to my body.
Did
you pass into or through a tunnel?
No
Did
you see an unearthly light?
No
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
There was someone with me, but I don't know who,
they were answering me. This was 42 years
ago, so I don't remember all the exchanges.
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?
Yes
I just know someone I didn't see was
answering me, I don't know who it was, or if it was male or female or even if it
was someone I knew. I just know someone
was there.
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?
No
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?
I came to a
barrier that I was not permitted to cross; or was "sent back" against my will
I don't know if this applies, the medical staff
brought me back against my will. I didn't
really see any border.
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”)?
Yes
The fact that I was looking down at own
body told me that we do not cease to exist after death.
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?
Yes
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
Only that life can be taken in an instant
and we should value our loved ones more than most people do.
I'm not sure that this question applies to me.
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 had quit going to mass and in the Catholic
church at that time that was a pretty bad thing, so I was surprised that I
appeared to be in heaven.
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
In the 42 years it has started to be less
vivid.
Discuss any changes that might have occurred in your life
after your experience:
The one
strange thing is that 3 different times, I had a very strong premonition that a
close relative was going to die, and they all 3 did in the next few days.
I told my sister in law that for some reason I knew I would never see her
again, I told several other people this that week.
She was 47 years old, and died of alcohol poisoning a few days later.
My brother had his third heart surgery at 47 and when he phoned to tell
me he was having it, I just KNEW he would die from it and he did.
My 63 yr. old step father who was healthy and busy was talking to me and
I suddenly had a horrible feeling he was going to die, and asked him how long
his mother lived. A few days later he had
a stoke and died suddenly. I think I see
these things because of my nde.
My experience directly resulted in:
Moderate changes in my life
Did you have any changes in your values or beliefs after the experience that
occurred as a result of the experience?
Yes
I valued people more.
Are
there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or
significant to you?
It is
reassuring to know that friends and relatives who have died can still have a
happy experience in the after life.
Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other
special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience?
Yes
The one strange thing is that 3 different
times, I had a very strong premonition that a close relative was going to die,
and they all 3 did in the next few days.
I told my sister in law that for some reason I knew I would never see her again,
I told several other people this that week.
She was 47 years old, and died of alcohol poisoning a few days later.
My brother had his third heart surgery at 47 and when he phoned to tell
me he was having it, I just KNEW he would die from it and he did. I hadn't
thought that the other 2 times. My 63 yr.
old step father who was healthy and busy was talking to me and I suddenly had a
horrible feeling he was going to die, and asked him how long his mother lived.
A few days later he had a stoke and died suddenly.
I think I see these things because of my nde.
I also think that my grandfather came to me as a little boy, after he
died, and just stood by my bed glowing in the dark.
The sister in law who I had the premonition about, may also have come to
me, as shortly after she died, I saw a white being in the evening walk through
my living room. It did not look like a
ghost, it looked like a person with a sheet over them, it looked solid, and this
time I had not been sleeping like when I saw the little boy.
Are there one or several parts of your experience
that are especially meaningful or significant to you?
It is reassuring to know that
friends and relatives who have died can still have a happy experience in the
after life.
Have you ever shared this experience with others?
Yes
I remembered it a few days after it when I
was home from hospital and had a night mare, and woke my mom up because I was
screaming. She came in and I said, "I
thought I died in the accident!" She
said, the dr. told her I had no pulse or blood pressure when they brought me in,
and it was a miracle I was alive. It came
back to me, and I told a few people years before I saw a book come out about it.
Some are very interested and others mean and rude.
I have had people who lost a loved one and heard about my experience tell
me it reassured them.
Did
you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience?
No
This was in 1970, years LATER I saw a book that
described my experience pretty well.
What
did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks)
after it happened:
Experience was
definitely real
It made me not feel bad for people who
died, but for their family.
What
do you believe about the reality of your experience at the current time:
Experience was definitely real
It just happened, period.
Have your relationships changed
specifically as a result of your experience?
Yes
I have been
happily married 40 years because we treat each other like there may be no
tomorrow. I highly value my children and
grand children.
Have your religious
beliefs/spiritual practices changed specifically as a result of your experience?
Yes
You don't have
to belong to a church to be a good person or have an after life.
At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the
experience?
No
Did the questions asked and information that you
provided accurately and comprehensively describe your experience?
Yes
