Experience Description

I went through a tunnel and into the brightest light that you can imagine but it was not blinding. It was so calming and filled with love. It was a thousand times better than the love you experience on earth. Everything was white when I passed through the light. I saw a bunch of people dressed in white robes. They were communicating without talking or moving their mouths and floating without walking. A figure came close to me. It was my great grandmother. That was odd because I was not her favorite great granddaughter, my cousin was. I always knew she loved me though.

As soon as she came very close to me, my mother came up from behind her and put her hand out to me so I could grab it. My great grandmother prevented that. All of a sudden, I wanted to go back to tell my husband that I wanted him to raise our children a certain way then I wanted to come right back as soon as possible. I really wanted to stay but the urgency to come back to tell my husband about the way I wanted our children to be raised was overwhelming. But what was really overwhelming was my urge to stay where I was. It seemed like a split second that I was going backwards really, really fast back to earth.

I was sick for a long time and I would not talk about it. I knew it was real but I figured no one would believe me especially after I had my daughter two years previously and suffered postpartum depression. After that experience, I was no longer afraid to die. At my age now at sixty-three with three children and eight grandchildren, I want to live a longer life (because I am really having a ball being retired) but I no longer fear death. When it comes, I just hope I do not have pain. Where I went, there is no such thing as pain (physically or mentally). There I found the true meaning of unconditional LOVE. Also, the peace that you feel is hard to put in words.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 'July 2, 1974'

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? No. Childbirth. Other: A very bad allergic reaction to general anesthesia while having a C-section

How do you consider the content of your experience? Wonderful

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I lost awareness of my body

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness? More consciousness and alertness than normal The highest was right after I went through the tunnel and saw the light.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? The highest was right after I went through the tunnel and saw the light.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Incredibly more vivid

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Everything I saw was white but it had clarity so I was able to make out my great grandmother and my mother apart from everyone else in the crowd.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Yes, and the facts have been checked out

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes

The experience included: Presence of deceased persons

Did you see any beings in your experience? I actually saw them

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes My great grandmother and my mother. Nothing was communicated but love without talking.

The experience included: Light

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? A light clearly of mystical or other-worldly origin

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? No

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? A happy headiness, awareness and peace and calmness not experienced in life.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Incredible peace or pleasantness

Did you have a feeling of joy? incredible joy

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? I felt united or one with the world

The experience included: Special Knowledge

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about the universe

Did scenes from your past come back to you? My past flashed before me, out of my control

Did scenes from the future come to you? Scenes from the world's future

Did you come to a border or point of no return? I came to a barrier that I was not permitted to cross; or was sent back against my will

God, Spiritual and Religion:


What was your religion prior to your experience? Moderate Christian Baptist

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Moderate Christian Baptist

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? No

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? I encountered a definite being, or a voice clearly of mystical or unearthly origin

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? I actually saw them

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:


During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes I'm no longer afraid to die.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes I became more acutely aware of other people's feelings and try to put myself in other people's shoes (especially those I do not like, which is very few people).

After the NDE:


Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes Because it was so beautiful it was hard to put in earthly words and I was scared that no one would believe me or would think I was crazy. I kept in all inside until two years later when reading The New York Daily newspaper with excerpts about near death experiences from real people.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? No

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? The powerful love that you are given. You are wrapped in an envelope of love and it feels so good.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Two years after my cesarean section and I read about the excerpts of life after death in the Daily news, I shared it with my cousin and she believed me.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? No

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real Because I knew it was real. When I had my cesarean section, my husband told me they almost lost me. He told me those weeks later. There was never any doubt. Dreams do not have LOVE.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real I felt it, I knew it. I saw it. It was real.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? No

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? I was so glad and comforted to read the book and I felt a kinship with those who experienced the same things that I did.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? None.