Lynn R's Possible NDE

It was toward the end of the second year of college in 1972. I was a single parent who was going through a messy divorce and putting myself through school to be a counselor. I had three children, ages three, four and five, was carrying a full course load, running a boarding house and had a job as a group home parent on the weekend. By the time March came I had run myself into the ground and became sick. I had pneumonia, mononucleosis, and pleurisy all at the same time. 

I was in bed with my illness while one of the boarders looked after the children for me. I don't know if my experience happened during the day or night. I just remember being so very sick that I couldn't think of anything and didn't care what happened to me. I just lay there almost like a zombie. 

All of a sudden, I was out of my body and in a tunnel. The tunnel was smoky grey and there was a man I had never seen before standing beside me. He was holding my hand and dressed in a priest's outfit. I was fully aware that I was dead and that the man was there to take me to wherever I was to go. But, I couldn't understand why a Catholic priest had come for me as I knew no priests, and was not Catholic.  

Anyway, we started to move up the tunnel and we were up far enough to see a dot of light at the end of the tunnel. Just then, a voice came down to us and the words were directed to the man beside me. The voice said, "Take her back, it is not her time."   

The 'priest' responded by saying, "But, she died."  

Then the voice came back down and said, "Take her back, she has much left to do." The next thing I knew, I was back in my body on the bed. Throughout the whole experience, I didn't feel any fear or confusion. I was quite content to follow this man even though I had no idea who he was.  

Sadly, it isn't much of an NDE, but that's all that happened. One year later, I had an STE experience that I told about in #64. I sometimes wonder if I had that experience to make up for the fact that I didn't get to go to the light and learn from It.

Was the kind of experience difficult to express in words?          No      My STE was hard to express, but not this experience.

At the time of this experience, was there an associated life threatening event?          Yes    I was very sick with pneumonia, and mononucleosis and pleuacy

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness?  From the moment I left my body, until many days after 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:        I seemed to be more observant and aware of every little thing. Like for example, in the tunnel it seemed that the sides were filled with deep grey roiling smoke. As if I was caught in a hollowed out cloud at night.

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    I never thought of this before now, but yes my vision was much sharper as if I could see every molicule that made up the smoke in the tunnel if I had wanted to.

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    I say yes because of the voice that came down from above. It was a clear, bass man's voice that had great authority to it. The fact that I could hear it so clearly, as if the person who owned the voice was right beside us, and yet it was so very far away.

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience?          Again, I haven't thought of this point and feel a little silly about that. I felt at all was as it should be. That was the main feeling. As I didn't see the light at that time, I didn't feel the feelings that go with that. However, since the experience I feel blessed to know that there was a continuation after death.

Did you pass into or through a tunnel or enclosure?        Yes    The tunnel was like a smokey, dark grey cloud that swirled around us.

Did you see a light?         Yes    Well, technically I did. But, it was just a pinpoint of light very far away.

Did you meet or see any other beings?         Yes    There was a 'priest' that was my guide up the tunnel.

Did you experience a review of past events in your life?   No     

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?          No      Sorry no.

Did you have any sense of altered space or time?  Yes    I felt like we were there a long time, but have no idea how long it took.

Did you have a sense of knowing special knowledge, universal order and/or purpose?     No     

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? Yes    Yes, but only because we were told to turn back.

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    The next day when I was suddenly all better.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? No      No, there was not information at that time that I knew of.

How did you view the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened:   Experience was definitely real   I don't have any proof that it happened. I was at home sick and there was no one around. But, I believed it was real, because it felt so real at the time.

Were there one or several parts of the experience especially meaningful or significant to you? I was raised by an athiest and did not know what to expect when I died. This experience taught me that I was going to continue on and that there was no need to worry.

How do you currently view the reality of your experience:          Experience was probably real         I must admit that over the last thirty years the experience has faded in my mind. I know it happened, but wonder if it was a hallucination from being so sick. Then again, I did get well very quickly after that.

Have your relationships changed specifically as a result of your experience?          Uncertain     Well, I have always tried to be a good person, so that didn't change. But the knowledge that we continue on really helped me to be more aware of others.

Have your religious beliefs/practices changed specifically as a result of your experience? Uncertain     This experience was so short that it didn't have a huge impact on me. However, STE experience #64 had a giant impact and changed my life.

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?          Once I read about NDE's I felt a little cheated for a while because I didn't get to go to the light. Now, I am more patient.

Did the questions asked and information you provided so far accurately and comprehensively describe your experience? Yes    Such as it was. I have been on the forum for a few months now and didn't bother to tell you about this experience because it was so poor, as far as experiences go. However, I have told you this so that I can join the E - E chat lines.

Are there any other questions we could ask to help you communicate your experience? No the questionnaire is quite complete. Thank you