Rita B's NDE

EXPERIENCE DESCRIPTION:
 

I had gone swimming with a friend in the swimming pool of a hotel.  I stayed at the shallow end, since I did not know how to swim.  I had a life buoy (inflated tire like thing) around my waist.   

I was enjoying myself, floating around with this life-saving tube around me when a little 7 year old Australian girl started goofing around with me.  Splashing water etc. on each other.  This little girl was an expert and proceeded to demonstrate her under water yoga exercises to me.  I was impressed. 

She soon suggested that I swim to the end of the pool (the deep end) with the protective life-saver tube around me.  I was a bit apprehensive, but she assured me that she would swim right along with me, and that I had nothing to fear, since the flotation device would protect me. 

I began to swim with her alongside me.  As we approached the center of the deep end, she laughingly said to me, "Now you can really swim... "  I looked at her and realized that she had taken the "stopper" out of the flotation ring!  I felt the air go out of the tube.  Within seconds, I was drowning.  I felt the water go inside my nose, my eyes, my ears and waves around me...  I felt myself drowning. 

After a say 5 mins. (that's what it seemed like to me)  I felt myself completely lose sense of my body and was in my head.  My entire consciousness seemed to be in my head.  Then I started seeing pictures.  I think they were in color.  It was as if someone had started a movie of myself and of my entire life, but going backwards from the present moment.   

The pictures were about my family, my mother, other members, others, and it seemed that the most meaningful, loving, caring relationships were being focused upon.  I could sense the  real meaning of these relationship.  I had a sense of love and gratitude towards the persons appearing in my flash back. 

This panoramic review of my life was very distinct, every little detail of the incidents, relationships were there--the relationships in some sort of distilled essence of meaning. 

The review was measured in the beginning but then the pictures came in faster and faster, and seemed like the movie reel was running out....  it went faster and faster and then I heard myself along with the entire universe in my head, screaming in a crescendo, "ALLAH HO AKBAR." (God is Great) As these holy words repeated in my brain, in my ears, I experienced the whole universe/creations, whirling around.  

I remember thinking at some point. " A drowning man learns to swim, a drowning man learns to swim." and " A drowning man clings to a straw" 

In my frenzy, I felt a straw in my hand.  I grabbed at it.  It seemed like an arm.  I heard someone grab my hair (long at the time)  I was being pulled by my hair.   

Someone was pushing my chest.  I got a breath.  I saw the blue sky.  My boyfriend was leaning over me. Crying.  He had saved my life. 

Was the kind of experience difficult to express in words? Uncertain      One of the experiences can be expressed in human language.  The depths of the other experience cannot be communicated completely.  It can be explained and alluded to but the revelation itself is very experiential--that is its essence can only be experienced.  Words cannot convey it.

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

over anesthetized?

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness?    1973-1974 experience, I was alert throughout the experience. 

1976 (near drowning) I was alert through out, but it was a different type of alertness.

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:            1973-1974 experience, I was alert throughout the experience. 

1976 (near drowning) I was alert through out, but it was a different type of alertness.

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     Vision is not like ordinary vision. No objects.  Only pictures or concepts communicated.  But pictures were very much like the earthly events, mostly focused on persons (not table or chairs etc) Persons were life-like, living pictures, with all their personality, inner selves.

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     closer to my self.  Almost like a part of myself.  Not just limited to the ears, but to the entire self.  Source of sound not very localized, but yet very much there.

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience?            Fear, anticipation, mysterious, not knowing, not wanting it to happen.   I wanted to know more about how the world was created, etc. but its very difficult because knowing in these inner realms is not intellectual knowing but a comprehension of the truth.  I felt overwhelmed, not human, very grateful to spiritual beings and to GOD.

Did you pass into or through a tunnel or enclosure?          Yes     described already

Did you see a light?           Yes     described already

Did you meet or see any other beings?           Yes     described above 

They seemed to know me pretty darn well! Even better than I knew/know  myself.  I did not feel like I knew them very well, but yet the million  I's  (egos) seemed deeply relevant and very powerful.

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

yes, made me less materialistic, and made me realize that there is an inner spiritual world and that this physical world is not all there is.

Did you observe or hear anything regarding people or events during your experience that could be verified later?          Uncertain      My own past life time as the meditating holy man.  Unverifiable.

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

VERY STRANGE.  very different from earth.  Very distinctive.  The geometry of this dimension is unusual, i.e. not like earthly geometry.

Did you have any sense of altered space or time?   Yes     Past, present and future, all seemed to be there at the same time. 

Space was there, but there was a sense of timelessness.  Space was dark, except for the being of light, and the graphics.

Did you have a sense of knowing special knowledge, universal order and/or purpose?     Yes            Described earlier.  I cannot reveal the purpose that was communicated to me, because it is a very personal undertaking.

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? Yes     described earlier. 

The first boundary was the light at the end of the tunnel. 

The other boundary was the boundary of MORE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE WORD AND ITS SOURCE

Did you become aware of future events?       Yes
            DON'T KNOW

Did you have any psychic, paranormal or other special gifts following the experience you did not have prior to the experience?     Uncertain      dunno--something I said to one of the doctors on waking up--- clairvoyance-

Have you shared this experience with others?         Yes     Don't know.  I shared my surgery experience within a few hours with my boyfriend.  He did not believe me.

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    Its been nearly 30 years and I the experience was real.  As if its the reality behind this outer physical reality.  VERY  REAL even now.

Were there one or several parts of the experience especially meaningful or significant to you?    All parts very significant.  Especially my mission.  Which I still feel has not been fully realized.

How do you currently view the reality of your experience:            Experience was definitely real            Very real.   

Since then, I have had many paranormal experiences.

Have your relationships changed specifically as a result of your experience?           Yes     I feel that most people are longing for such experiences.

Have your religious beliefs/practices changed specifically as a result of your experience?            Yes     There are spiritual beings, within us, outside us.  There is a spiritual world.
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?        What is inside becomes the outside.  Inside us is the outside.  Its all about going inside and then coming out through our senses--its totally mind boggling.

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