Josefina M Mother's NDE

This was my mother's experience, which from that time onwards she told us about as something quite natural, and she remembers it clearly even now. During an emergency operation for a burst appendix, she suddenly found herself positioned as an outside observer in a corner of the operating room. From there she watched the entire process, hearing what was said, until the doctors said, "This lady is leaving us..." They started working on her body and she went away towards a brilliant light, by a path which was spinning, then she began to look through a book containing scenes of her life, from the time she was a child, but while she was looking at and reliving every page, the pages began to turn very rapidly and she started thinking about her three small children (ourselves, from one to five years old), how this would affect their lives, and then she felt herself being pulled back.

When she awoke in a recovery-room, she told the nurses what had happened to her and they said this was impossible, that she could not have heard nor seen what she saw in the operating-room. They called one of the doctors, who though that one of the nurses had told her what had gone on.

In those days nobody talked about these things and it always remained as an odd incident in our family.

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

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? When she was looking through the book of her life

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: When she was looking through the book of her life

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

Did you pass into or through a tunnel or enclosure? Uncertain, through something which seemed to spin

Did you see a light? Yes

Did you meet or see any other beings? No

Did you experience a review of past events in your life? Yes

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

Did you have any sense of altered space or time? No

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

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

Have you shared this experience with others? Yes. Straight away with doctors and nurses, later on (a few days later) with husband and children

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

How do you currently view the reality of your experience? Experience was definitely real

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? Uncertain. Although my mother was brought up in a devout catholic family, she is as a person very open and accepting of other religions, never falling into fanaticism, or trying to impose her own beliefs on others. She is insistent that it doesn't matter what name is given to God, he is the same for all and any religious observances, including those of the Catholics, are only rituals.

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? By now my mother is very old, has some senile dementia and has started telling us that sometimes her father, her aunt and her grandmother pay her visits, that these people are alive and very well. They look after her, speak with her and are waiting to be reunited with her, but she cannot leave yet because  my father still has need of her here.

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