Experience description: 

While on vacation at my aunt's house in Tennessee, my aunt, her two children and I went to a neighbor's home to swim.  The women were visiting in lounge chairs at poolside, while we three children were playing in the pool.  I had just learned how to swim a little and when a plastic ball was thrown into the deep end of the pool, I thought I could retrieve it and swam into the deep end. 

Suddenly, I was totally out of strength, couldn't swim another stroke, and panicked.  I could not see how close I was to the edge of the pool because of the water in my eyes, nor could I scream for help.  I recall consciously raising my hand over my head, hoping someone would see me, which, in fact, did happen eventually.  However, before I was pulled out of the pool I had clarity about the trouble I was in and suddenly in my mind's eye I saw headlines from a very old newspaper with a story about my drowning.  Then I saw a scene that might have been set at or before the turn of the century.  A group of people in long black dresses and funeral attire were carrying my casket up a hill and across a rather level, weeded area for burial.  I knew it was my body in the casket.  My mother and father were part of the group of 15 or 20 people walking with the casket. I began to cry because I could see their grief and sadness and I felt sorry for them. 

It was at that point that I was pulled from the water.  I must have lost consciousness for at least a few minutes, but came to with no medical intervention, only frightened people standing over me.

I told my story immediately, but I as confused about it.  I still have some confusion about it, though I have often wondered if that experience evoked a memory of a drowning and burial in a previous life.  I can find no other explanation as to why I would have been thrust into that pioneer type setting when I was in the midst of drowning in this century.  I do believe the experience left the door open for me to later embrace the idea of reincarnation or eternal life in some form.

Any associated medications or substances with the potential to affect the experience?     No

Was the kind of experience difficult to express in words? No

At the time of this experience, was there an associated life threatening event?          Yes

Near drowning in private swimming pool.  Pulled out by neighbor.

What was your level of consciousness and alertness during the experience?           Semi-conscious perhaps.  I was aware of the trouble I was in, but was not totally conscious when I was pulled out of the pool.

            Was the experience dream like in any way?   Yes.  The scene of my casket being carried was like a dream or as if I was watching a movie as an observer.

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience?            Sadness and tears because I was dying and my parents would be sad.

Did you meet or see any other beings?           Yes, Friends and family at my funeral.

Did you experiment while out of the body or in another, altered state? No

Did you observe or hear anything regarding people or events during your experience that could be verified later? Yes, Everyone at the pool knew I was about to drown.

Did you notice how your 5 senses were working, and if so, how were they different?          Yes, I felt only emotion...first fear, then quickly curiosity about unfolding events on the screen and, finally, grief.

Did you have any sense of altered space or time?   Yes

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?       No

Were you involved in or aware of a decision regarding your return to the body?       No

Did you have any psychic, paranormal or other special gifts following the experience that you did not have prior to the experience?         No

Did you have any changes of attitudes or beliefs following the experience?   Yes, It opened my mind to different possibilities of the afterlife.

How has the experience affected your relationships? Daily life? Religious practices? Career choices?       I don't know if it has affected me, except in subtle ways. Sometime after that I knew all the answers weren't in church and that the universe and its secrets was much bigger than I had thought.

Has your life changed specifically as a result of your experience?         No

Have you shared this experience with others?         Yes

What emotions did you experience following your experience?  Sadness

What was the best and worst part of your experience?      I learned that dying is easy...at least drowning is easy.  The worst part has been not understanding the puzzle of it...why I was thrust back into another era.

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

Following the experience, have you had any other events in your life, medications or substances which reproduced any part of the experience?         Yes

During a spontaneous OBE many years later I experienced the same separation of body and experience.

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