Margie M's Probable NDE

EXPERIENCE DESCRIPTION:

I had been home from high school with an illness for a few days and was diagnosed as having "some type of stomach virus" by our family medical doctor. It wasn't determined that I had contracted hepatitis until I went to the hospital immediately after my NDE. 

During the night I woke up to see my bedroom curtains blowing up to the ceiling but didn't feel any breeze on my skin.  I saw a bright light approaching - a very white light - but I didn't have to shield my eyes at all.  I thought I was dreaming and definitely recall pinching my leg to see if I was awake.  I heard a male voice coming from the light but I couldn't see a person and the voice said, "Come, follow me."  I remember that I felt so warm (not temperature warm), but warm in a comforted way and I recall sensing that the light was all-knowing and was love.  There are really no words to describe this feeling - words can only lamely touch on it.  I remember telling the being/light through my thoughts - not out loud - "not yet."  As soon as I felt myself saying this, the room became dark and everything was back to the way it had been.  I got out of bed, walked to the bathroom and collapsed.  My parents drove me to the emergency room where it was determined that I had hepatitis and was hospitalized for 7 days.   

I remember this occurrence just like it had happened yesterday.  I never told anyone for many years about this because I didn't think anyone would believe me.  After getting older I started hearing the term NDE and started reading a bit about it and realized I had had a similar experience.  I had never heard of this before my experience.  I also remember that after leaving the hospital I felt so happy to be alive and had a feeling of elation for quite some time.

Was the kind of experience difficult to express in words? Yes    

At the time of this experience, was there an associated life threatening event?          Uncertain            Serious illness - hospitalized for five days with hepatitis immediately afterwards.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness?    I suppose when I saw the light and heard the voice.

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 suppose when I saw the light and heard the voice.

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     Brightness.  It was bright, but again, my eyes weren't sensitive to it at all.

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 heard a voice with specific words very close by, but couldn't see the person, just a light.  I knew there was someone there, though.  Also, when I answered, I think I said it with my thought, not my voice.

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience?            Only good ones.  Very difficult to put into our limited vocabulary - feeling of love, all-knowingness, comfort.

Did you pass into or through a tunnel or enclosure?          No      

Did you see a light?           Yes     Very bright white light.  Not light from a light bulb type of light - but an intense bright white comforting type of light.

Did you meet or see any other beings?           Yes     Couldn't see him, but heard him.  Felt safe, but didn't know who he was.

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           

Did you have any sense of altered space or time?   Yes     Knew I was in my bedroom, but also knew this wasn't normal.  Felt like "here" didn't matter - "there" - where the light was coming from, was what mattered more.

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

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?     Uncertain      Since I was only sixteen at the time & am now forty-five I'm not sure if these can be attributed to the NDE, but I have experienced two brief visions of deceased persons I know & have been able to give accounts of past experiences at certain locations I have visited without any prior knowledge of their occurrence.

Have you shared this experience with others?         Yes     Never spoke a word of it until about 15-20 years later.  And believe it or not, one of my neighbors had a "psychic" friend visiting her about 2 years after my NDE and I happened to stop by for an errand(not knowing she was there)and she told me I almost died once.  I started crying, left the house and never spoke about any of my NDE or that experience for about 15 years.

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    I remember pinching my body to make sure it was real and I wasn't dreaming.  I would think logically about what it could have been, a hallucination, etc., a few weeks after, but I have never had one doubt about it happening - it was real.  Otherwise, I wouldn't be willing to share it with you and others.  Maybe someone else will say, "that's what happened to me" and feel like they're not alone with their experience.

Were there one or several parts of the experience especially meaningful or significant to you?            The feeling of all-knowing and love stays with you.  Or at least, you can recall it and it comforts you.  Also, until I started reading about NDEs 15-20 years later, I never understood why I said "not yet".  I confused me that I could say not to God or whoever that powerful being was.  Now, I think it was because I had something left I wanted to do.  I'm more at peace with that now.

How do you currently view the reality of your experience:            Experience was definitely real            Definitely real.  I could still feel the experience without trying.

Have your relationships changed specifically as a result of your experience?           Uncertain      My relationship with myself, yes.

Have your religious beliefs/practices changed specifically as a result of your experience?            Yes     I was raised Catholic, but I have grown to realize that I don't think there is any one right religion.  I think we are a form of a universal energy - each a part of one another, somehow, and also a part of that light and knowlege I saw and felt.

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?        Thank you for having this website.  For many years, I felt I could tell no one, even though it was the truth.  NDEs were laughed at (sometimes still are)or taken with a grain of salt by some.  It was a major event in my life and I hope to continue to learn from it. I'm sure there are people who will write to you who need to express what they have been through.  Thank you for being here.

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

Are there any other questions we could ask to help you communicate your experience?   No.  You did a fine job.