Experience description:
I had a
caesarean section with my second child. Something went wrong three months after
the surgery and I had a massive uterine hemorrhage which in the end required
that I receive more than 100 units of blood and fluid. I know now that
essentially my uterus ruptured and fell apart. The incident was so serious that
for days after my survival nurses and doctors were stopping by regularly and
frequently just to see the "miracle lady", as they called me. I was not aware of
the seriousness of the nature of my illness until several days after surviving
it when I learned that I had not been expected to survive the hemorrhage much
less the surgery to treat it and I learned that I had gone into respiratory
failure during the surgery. To this day I do not know whether I also went into
cardiac arrest though I now suspect that I did because when I awoke from surgery
there was a direct line into my heart for feeding medication directly to the
heart muscle and having gained medical knowledge since then, realize that the
most common reason for direct lines to the heart muscle is cardiac failure. I
actually did not understand what had happened to me during what I now know as a
near death experience (NDE) until years later when I saw a similar incident
described on unsolved mysteries.
At some
point during my surgery, and before the actual cutting began, something happened
to me physically on the operating table and I felt a strong pull upward and the
next thing I knew I was in a tunnel and it was somewhat dark in the tunnel, but
there was a brilliant light at the end of the tunnel, which provided light all
the way down to where I was in the tunnel. The tunnel slanted upward toward
where the light was coming from. The tunnel was made of brown bricks, about the
size of regular house bricks. I got the impression of wetness or shininess on
the bricks in the tunnel but when I touched the bricks, which I did as I was
advancing upwards in the tunnel, they were not wet. I remember as I was moving
through the tunnel I looked up toward the light and I saw the outlines of
several people, probably six or seven people, standing in the light. I
recognized one of them as my grandfather, who had died the year before. There
was one person who was a child of about seven and female. Looking back on the
NDE I began to believe that she was my deceased sister who died before I was
born, but during the NDE I did not know who she was beyond that I knew she was
related to who I was here on earth just as I knew that the others there in the
light were related to me somehow.
After that,
I looked back toward the end of the tunnel I had come up from and I saw the
operating suite. I saw myself on the table and two physicians working on me. I
do not recall whether I saw that there were other medical personnel in the
room. Until the time that I looked back and saw myself on the table I felt
complete peace and relief while I was in the tunnel. When I looked back, I
remembered my two children who were 4 years and 3 months old and I remember
thinking that if I died they would be raised by their father and that they would
never hear about God and that being raised by their father would be a bad thing
for them. I knew that they would be abused by their father if he raised them
alone. At that point, I remember hearing a voice telling me that I could
choose to go back or to go into the light. I remember feeling anguish at
having to make that choice. When all of this happened I was about half way up
the tunnel. I backed up against the tunnel wall and slid down the wall to a
crouching position and I remember deciding the kids needed me. I felt the same
sucking or pulling sensation as I had felt before but in reverse. The next
thing I knew, I was in my body and I could hear the doctors talking, though I
don't know what they said. I remember feeling them cut me across my lower
abdomen from right to left and then I do not remember anything else until waking
up on the respirator.
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 I had a massive hemorrhage.
At what
time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and
alertness?
After I was out of my body and in the tunnel.
How did
your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare
to your normal every day consciousness and alertness?
Normal consciousness and 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.)?
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
What
emotions did you feel during the experience?
peace and calm, followed by anxiety when I thought about going back
to earth.
Did you
pass into or through a tunnel or enclosure?
Yes A very
well defined tunnel, I could see the bricks in the walls, a light at the end and
people that I knew were related to me, including my grandfather. Some of the
people I knew were related to me (ancestors) but I did not know who they were
and I did not stay long enough to find out how they were related to me. I could
feel the contours of the wall of the tunnel.
Did you
see a light?
Yes A very bright light and there were people standing in it.
Did you
meet or see any other beings?
Yes I saw them in the light at the end of the tunnel, I got the sense that
they were related me (ancestors) and I knew that one of them was my grandfather.
They didn't talk, but I got the sense that they were there to welcome me into
Heaven.
Did you
experience a review of past events in your life?
No I did not get that far.
Did you
observe or hear anything regarding people or events during your experience that
could be verified later?
Yes That my children would be severely abused by their father if I wasn't
there to stop it. The children were abused by him after our separation a few
years later, but not like they would have been if I were not there to stop it.
Did you
see or visit any beautiful or otherwise distinctive locations, levels or
dimensions?
Yes The tunnel was clearly a distinctive location and so was the
light.
Did you
have any sense of altered space or time?
Yes Altered space, in that where the tunnel was was above my body and to the
right. It was also sort of parallel to the sky.
Did you
have a sense of knowing special knowledge, universal order and/or purpose?
Yes I knew that I was supposed to come back because my children would have
been raised by their father alone and that that would have been a bad thing. I
also knew that I was supposed to tell them about God.
Did you
reach a boundary or limiting physical structure?
Uncertain I did not reach the boundary but I knew that it was at the edge
of the light at the end of the tunnel.
Did you
become aware of future events?
Yes The abuse of my children by their father.
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 I tried to tell the nurse right away, but I was intubated and couldn't
get across to her that I needed a paper and pencil. I never did get to tell
her. After that it was months before I told anyone else. When I did share it,
people really didn't know what to say to me. Some have said that it confirms
their belief that there is something after this life.
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 know the experience was real because I know
what I saw and experienced and it was like nothing I have seen or experienced
since.
Were
there one or several parts of the experience especially meaningful or
significant to you?
The part where
I thought about my children and them growing up without me. Knowing that they
would be without me and subject to abuse by their father and that I would have
to go back to earth to correct that, caused me great anguish.
How do
you currently view the reality of your experience:
Experience was definitely real I still believe the experience was real
because I know what I saw and experienced and I have since learned that their
are many other like me who have had these types of experiences.
Have your
relationships changed specifically as a result of your experience?
Yes
I tend to think
more about what effect my actions and words and the way I say things will affect
people in the long run. I also stop to tink of whether whatever I am doing or
saying will actually matter 100 years from now. If it won't I try not to say or
do the thing in question. I am a much calmer person now.
Have
your religious beliefs/practices changed specifically as a result of your
experience?
Yes
I have gotten
closer to God.
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?
no.
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. Thank you for letting me share my experience.
