Patricia B NDE

EXPERIENCE DESCRIPTION:

At the age of 18 during the summer in the middle of the afternoon, my friend and I were on the beach at Fire Island, NY. He noticed there were waves breaking a distance away from the shoreline. He thought it was because there was a sand bar out there and suggested we swim out to the sand bar for fun. We started swimming straight out into the ocean together and the water got rougher and rougher. It got the point when there were continual waves breaking, the water was way deep over our heads. Each time a wave came I held my breath and plummeted down under the wave briefly to avoid the turmoil of the wave and being tossed around by the wave. When it passed I came back up for air. I, at times held on tightly to my friend, but he begged me not to in fear I would drown him...One time when I went under and came up he was gone. As I panicked and struggled to breathe and survive, a wave came.

I went under and the next thing I knew I was up above the water looking down at all the people along the shoreline watching in fear. I saw up above in a distance I can't describe groups of people standing in the light. The light was very bright. It was very calm, peaceful, quiet, comforting. It felt like they were beckoning me and I begged them not to take me yet. My whole life flashed before me. I told them my loved ones needed me, would miss me too much, and wouldn’t understand and that I wasn't ready to go yet with them. There seemed to be other groups of majestic people in the infinite distance, in a vast perspective, floating together in groups, not necessarily familiar, in different layers, in the distance. in the light. I felt at ease, understood, loved and comforted, peaceful, but driven to go back to my body and survive. Very quickly, I was back in my body which was filled with an indescribable energy/adrenaline.

 I just catapulted up in the water and began to swim as hard as I possibly could. I began to hear voices of people encouraging me on, voices of others in a life boat who had already been rescued during the rough seas of the eclipse...I made it to the life boat, was pulled up coughing salt water and brought to shore...I was weak, coughing up a lot of water...not taken to the hospital (others were being air lifted by helicopter to local hospitals who had already been reused from the ocean. My parents greeted me with anger and disappointment, instead of love and joy....anger that I had entered the ocean during such a tumultuous time. I was very distraught and wondered why I came back from the light. I was very non-communicative for days or weeks...I walked around in a daze wondering what had really happened out there and never talked about it to anyone.

Was the kind of experience difficult to express in words? Yes     .....having never experience this...I doubted myself it really happened...there wasn't anybody to talk to about it...It seemed to happen so fast...It was surreal

At the time of this experience, was there an associated life threatening event?          Yes     I entered the ocean during a lunar eclipse which within a short period of time caused the waves to break far from shore. The waves got high and the ocean got very rough.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness?    During the out of body experience, I was at the highest level of alertness during the time when my life flashed before me, my conversing with the other beings and when I returned to my body.

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal every day consciousness and alertness?    More consciousness and alertness than normal

If your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience was different from your normal every day consciousness and alertness, please explain:            During the out of body experience, I was at the highest level of alertness during the time when my life flashed before me, my conversing with the other beings and when I returned to my body.

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.)?  Yes     Field of vision was a broadness/vastness beyond I've ever experienced. The light was bright but comforting. The perspective was infinite. The colors were all of similar hues as apposed to varied. The people were as if you could reach through them.

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.)?
            Yes     There wasn't an ability to identify the source of the sound....where specifically it was coming from. There was more silence and calm than sound.

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience?            Emotions--fear, comfort, reluctance, love, release, joy, fast speed of everything, awe, certainty.

Did you pass into or through a tunnel or enclosure?          No       Not so much a tunnel...as a long looking up through an infinite space towards light and people.

Did you see a light?           Yes     I definitely saw the light and this was the most profound and comforting part of the experience. It was vast, comforting. surrounding, bright. Since then I developed a fascination with the light glistening on the water, believing it is the light I experienced. I have written a book about The Ways of Water and taken photographs of this everywhere I go.

Did you meet or see any other beings?           Yes     I saw about 5 or 6 people standing in a group....very still. They were not specifically familiar...but I felt very comfortable, understood, welcomed by them. There appeared to be others around farther away....like in levels or layers.

Did you experience a review of past events in your life?    Yes     I saw very quickly my short 18 years flash before me...knowing thinking I had so much more work to do on earth...I couldn't bear to leave my loved ones and have them grief over me. I have only become aware recently of the value of that experience. I didn't think about it or understand it for most of my life.

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?            Yes     I visited a level...one of what appeared to be many other limitless levels within infinite space. It was foggy, brightly light, high up.

Did you have any sense of altered space or time?   Yes     Altered space. time....The space was vast and infinite, misty, comforting, beautiful, many different levels...I long to visit again. Time was insignificant.

Did you have a sense of knowing special knowledge, universal order and/or purpose?     No       I didn't have a sense then of having special knowledge. However, at 56 I have finally acknowledged gifts of intuition, grace and purpose which I have had for a long time. I am drawing from and trusting that knowledge now. I could not talk about the experience before recently therefore could not acknowledge where I got it from.

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? Yes     At the moment of the NDE I felt if I continued towards the light there was no turning back. I was very aware of this boundary and made a decision to turn back away from the light and face my dilemma with a new found strength and endurance I was given during my experience.

Did you become aware of future events?       No
            I did not have a realization of future events. I only felt and received confirmation during my NDE that I was still needed and there was still service and help and love to be given here on earth.

Did you have any psychic, paranormal or other special gifts following the experience you did not have prior to the experience?     Uncertain      Since I was only 18 when the NDE happened and I couldn't talk to anyone or get any support around it I was unable to consciously be aware of psychic gifts I might have. Today at 56 I truly believe I do have psychic gifts that help myself and others.

Have you shared this experience with others?         Yes     I only began to share my NDE within the last year. I was in a Buddhist Temple praying and the whole experience came to me and became real and began to make sense. I had just finished writing a book titled The Ways of Water. I realized at this moment in time why I had always had a fascination with water, particularly the way the light shines, shimmers, dances on the water. I believe it is the a reflection of the light I experienced during my NDE. I have been taking pictures of it my whole life. I am mesmerized by it. I finally realized why when I was able to finally share my NDE with a loved one for the first time in my life. It has created tremendous healing for me and answered many questions about me and my life. His reaction was very understanding and supportive. He was not influenced by my experience.

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    The days following were very difficult for me. I was walking around in a daze as if I could be seen physically by others but I didn't feel present. I didn't want to talk to anyone because I didn't feel anyone would understand what I had been through and what I was going through after. I knew something very profound had happened out there in the ocean and up above...I knew I only survived because of the help of the powers that came to me during my NDE.

Were there one or several parts of the experience especially meaningful or significant to you?            The most meaningful was the comfort and love I felt from those I saw and somehow conversed with. They respected my desire not to die yet and gave me the strength to return and survive and be rescued. Unfortunately there are many times in life I wonder why I made the choice to return here as it seemed so much more peaceful, silent and still there. I always long for that silence and peace and tend to seek that out in my life.

How do you currently view the reality of your experience:            Experience was definitely real            The most meaningful was the comfort and love I felt from those I saw and somehow conversed with. They respected my desire not to die yet and gave me the strength to return and survive and be rescued. Unfortunately there are many times in life I wonder why I made the choice to return here as it seemed so much more peaceful, silent and still there. I always long for that silence and peace and tend to seek that out in my life.

Have your relationships changed specifically as a result of your experience?           Yes     They changed at the time because I became very withdrawn from the trauma of nearly drowning and not having anyone to talk to about it. They've changed today because I'm not afraid to die and I have belief in life thereafter. I know it could happen at any time so I put tremendous value on each day of my life.

Have your religious beliefs/practices changed specifically as a result of your experience?            No           

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?        I would love to connect with others who have had this experience. I would like support writing about it and sharing with others the comfort and realness of life after death and the comfort and peace surrounding death.

Did the questions asked and information you provided so far accurately and comprehensively describe your experience?         Yes     I have responded to the questions with the most understanding and honesty capable of putting into words.