Joy B's NDE

Experience description: 

      On January 27, 1997, while in my local hospital (Clarendon Memorial) with CHF, I suffered a cardiac arrest.  After five minutes of  resuscitation, I was brought back to life.  I was then shipped by helicopter to the Medical University of South Carolina.  During the resuscitation, a blood clot went to my left hand, closing the circulation.  Gangrene set-in.  On January 28th, (the next day), the doctors attempted to find the blood clot by performing an arteriogram.  I went back into cardiac arrest.  (They think I was allergenic to the dye used in the procedure.)  This arrest was more serious. 

While in arrest, I could see myself floating in a gigantic bubble of light.  I could see doctors and nurses all around the table, and my body was laying on the table. The room was very dimly lighted.  The next memory I have is that of a man talking to me.  I KNEW it was God.  I could not see His face because the light was so bright that encompassed Him.  His voice was like none I had ever heard before - so calm.  I had a great sense of peace.  I was not scared.  He talked to me.  He said that I was in heaven but that He was giving me a choice - to either stay or return.  He said, however that my work on earth was unfinished for Him, and that I was needed more on earth than in heaven.  When He said that, I told Him I would return.  At that point, He touched my left hand. 

My next memory is floating downward and seeing a father holding a young child in his arms.  A woman was standing beside them, but moved with some nurses to another room.  The woman I sensed was the mother of the child.  She was crying.  The man, who I believe was the father, was holding the boy and gingerly talking to him.  The room was dim.  The nurses seem to be consoling the woman.  For some reason, she was taking something off - like a gown.  The next thing I remember seeing was the little boy floating upward in the same kind of bubble I was in.  He was happy and was actually enjoying playing in the bubble.  I remember seeing him smile.  Then, it seems like I was fighting to get back into my body, and I was frantic.  All I could think about was getting "back" to reality, to my family. 

I was then in a coma for twelve days.  When I woke-up, I had no memory of what had happened to me for weeks prior to my arrest, but, yet, I remembered what I just told you.  I asked my parents (who had been with me through this entire ordeal) - two days after being placed in my room from ICU/CCU, "what happened to the little boy?"  My mother asked me what little boy I was talking about.  I told her what I just told you.  She began to cry.  It seems that my family had met another family at the hospital.  They had a little boy there who was dying.  My sister found out that sometime during all this with me, he died.  As I explained what the child looked like and his age, it fit exactly what they had been told about the little boy who died.  I have questions:  Was the little boy I saw leaving earth, the same one my family knew about?  How could I even know anything about this - I was in a coma?  How could I remember what happened to me during this experience, but I couldn't remember what had happened prior to all this? 

Oh, by the way - my gangrene hand.  The doctor who was taking care of that aspect, wanted to amputate it.  The other doctors said I was going to die within hours, so why cut-off my hand.  The hours became days and they had to re-access my hand.  It seems that "on its own" the blockage was gone.  Each day found healing in it without even one dose of any form of antibiotics.  The doctor even took pictures - he was so astounded.  He said that in all of his medical career and he was even now a professor at the Medical University, he had never seen such a thing.  He later upon a return visit told me that I was the sickest patient he had ever seen who lived to tell the story.  In my heart I believe and I tell others, it was because GOD touched my hand in my near-death experience.

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

Was the experience difficult to express in words?  Yes

      What was it about the experience that makes it hard to communicate?  It all seems so real but yet strange in normal human understanding.  I felt some may think I was crazy.

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

      Describe:  I was in full cardiac arrest and later went into a coma.  I suffered two cardiac arrests - one day apart.

What was your level of consciousness and alertness during the experience?  unconscious

Was the experience dream like in any way?  No

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

Describe your appearance or form apart from your body:  I didn't really focus on my body as if looking at it as I floated.  I could see my physical body on the table  below.  It was if my body was a spirit.

What emotions did you feel during the experience?  I felt a great peace.  It was if I was where I belonged.  I was not afraid.  I felt a longing to stay.  Then I felt sadness of a sort seeing the little boy and the man and woman.  Then when I saw him smiling, I felt peace again.

Did you hear any unusual sounds or noises?  I heard music.

Did you pass into or through a tunnel or enclosure?  Uncertain

      Describe:  I have no recollection of that.

Did you see a light?  Yes

      Describe:  I most definitely saw "the light".  It was the presence of God.  It was a most beautiful light, so warm and soothing.

Did you meet or see any other beings?  Yes

      Describe:  I saw the little boy.  Some where in my memory, I see shadows standing near God, but I never saw faces.  I did take them to be human beings.

Did you observe or hear anything regarding people or events during your experience that could be verified later?  Yes

      Describe:  My experience with my mother. 

Did you see or visit any beautiful or otherwise distinctive locations, levels or dimensions?  Yes

      Describe:  I know I was in heaven.

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

      Describe:  It seems like I have lapses from one event to another with time.

Did you have a sense of knowing special knowledge, universal order and/or purpose?  Yes

      Describe:  I know from what God told me that I am on earth for a divine purpose for Him.  I feel that when this purpose is fulfilled, I will know it.

Were you involved in or aware of a decision to return to the body?  Yes

      Describe:  God gave me the decision as to whether to return.

Did you have any psychic, paranormal or other special gifts following the experience you did not have prior to the experience?  Yes

      Describe:  It seems like I "sense" thinks when I'm in the presence of some individual.  It is like a discernment.  I have predicted things  that seem to happen.

Did you have any changes of attitudes or beliefs following the experience?  Yes

      Describe:  I use to fear death but now I do not.  I also have a much stronger belief in God. 

Have you shared this experience with others?  Yes

      Describe:  I have given my testimony in many churches.  Many, many people believe.  Of course, there are some who don't, but in my circle, they believe.

What emotions did you experience following your experience?  I was happy to be back with those I love, but confused as to what I encountered.  How does one relate to others such an experience?!

What was the best and worst part of your experience?  The best was seeing God and the worse was having to return to my body.

Is there anything else you would like to add concerning the experience?  It was very real to me regardless of what some may think in our society.  It is so real that if you held a gun to my head and said you would spare my life if I would say this is all a lie, you would have to shoot me!

Has your life changed specifically as a result of your experience?  Yes

      Describe:  I never miss a chance to tell others what I experienced.

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

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

      Explain:  This is hard to tell others about in earthly, human thinking.  It is so deep.

Please offer any suggestions you have to improve the www.nderf.org questionnaire?  Not really.  I would like to add that in writing my account, I had trouble with my computer.  I could not see the completed description of my experience.  If there are spelling errors, please forgive me.