Experience Description:

I was at my friends going away/birthday party and she had a pool so it was a pool party. So we were doing this game under water to see who could hold their breath the longest. Well I can hold my breath for about fifty seconds, so I went first. I dived into the pool, the pool sweeper was down there, and I had a lot of time left so I tried to bring the pool sweeper up out of the pool. But the cord was stuck on the drain, and I couldn't get loose. Then my friends Shelby and Lizzie dived in to see if I was okay. Well me and Lizzie know Sign Language so I signed to her 'H.E.L.P' so they found out and tried to help me. I was running out of air and then I passed out and then everything turned black. When I woke up I was out of the pool and everyone was jumping in the pool. When they came out Shelby and Lizzie were holding my body! At this point, I was freaking out! Then Shelby put her ear next to my mouth and said, 'She's not breathing!' And Sarah (the birthday girl) started crying. So Lizzie said, 'Go call 911!' Sarah went into the house then came back out into the back yard and said, 'The phone is dead!' Lizzie said, 'Go next door!' Then Shelby and Lizzie started CPR.

Then I turned around and saw this very, very bright light, and then I was in what seemed like a tunnel but it was a white, white, white color! (After all this happened I looked in paint stores and I couldn't find it anywhere!) It was a white color! Well I'm going up this thing and my whole life flashed before my eyes! After that, BOOM I was standing before a golden city! You see I am a Christian, and I believe in Jesus Christ. Now I know that he is real because in the Bible, it states that heaven's streets are so pure gold that you can see through them, and you can! But I can't say how beautiful it is in words! So, I was waiting in line at first, behind all these people. Then it was my turn. I was standing in front of this BIG guy, who I think was an angel. He was holding this BIG book, and I think it was the lamb's book of life. Because if you let Jesus come into your life by asking him, your name will be in the lambs book if life, and nothing and nobody can take it out. So the angel guy asked me for my name, and I told him. When he looked for it he said, 'I'm sorry but it is not your time.' That got me mad. I said to him, 'Why is it not my time?!?! I'm ready to die! My life sucks!! My best friend died three years ago!! Why is it not my time?!?!' Then he turned around as if someone was talking to him and turned back around to me again and said, 'Someone wants to talk to you.'

Then he pointed to the gate with the city behind it. Someone was standing there. At first, I couldn't see who it was but when I got close I couldn't talk, cause it was Jake. You see, Jake, my best friend, died in a car accident five years ago. We were both seven years old then. When I saw him there I ran to the gate as fast as I could! When I got there, we both reached out, grabbed each other's hands, and cried. He looked my age, but I knew it was him. I feel stupid in saying, this but he got cute since the last time I saw him! (Ha, ha, ha!) Then we talked for a while, about things that happened, about each other, and then the angel said, 'It's time for you to go back.' So I turned to Jake and said, 'Bye Jake.' Jake said, 'See you soon.' 'I hope so,' I said. So I went back down the tunnel and watched Jake get smaller, and smaller as I went down. Then I was back on earth! Shelby and Lizzie still doing CPR. But then Sarah came back to the backyard and said, 'Nobody's home! We looked on the WHOLE street and NOBODY is home!!!' 'How is that possible?!?!' Lizzie asked. 'I don't know!!' Sarah said.

Then out of nowhere, these two paramedics came to the backyard with a defibrillator, and a breathing mask and took over! Sarah was asking them, 'Who are you guys?!?!' They did not answer! They were just doing CPR and did not say a word the whole time! Then they shocked me with the defibrillator, eighteen times by my count. Then they did it again but this time I felt it and it did NOT feel good!! It feels like when you prick yourself with a needle, but ALL OVER YOUR BODY! Then they did it again, then one more time then I started breathing again. I was spitting out water, I couldn't breathe, I was just scared! Then Sarah said that right after I started breathing, the paramedics took off! She went after them! She said that she was so close that she could have grabbed their shirt! So they closed the door behind them, but since Sarah was that close, she opened the door right after that but they were gone! She looked everywhere but she could not find them! So we all got together to talk about it and we all guessed the paramedics where angels, and we didn't think anyone would believe us so we all agreed not to tell anyone. But I won't forget that day, and I don't think the others will either.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: September 10, 2004

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? No. I almost drowned in a swimming pool. Other I was at my friend's house.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Mixed

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I clearly left my body and existed outside it

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness? Normal consciousness and alertness It wasn't that much different.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? When they pulled my body out of the water.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Time seemed to go faster than usual

Were your senses more vivid than usual? More so than usual

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Everything was bright! Not bleached out, just bright.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Neither

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes A white, white tunnel. Not of this earth's white.

Did you see any beings in your experience? Saw them

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes I saw my best friend that had died three years before the experience.

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 Yeah, when the angel turned around, it seemed like he was talking to a bright light.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Clearly mystical or unearthly realm I saw heaven.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I was freaked out, scared, but at the same time peaceful.

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

Did you have a feeling of joy? Happiness

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? Neither

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

Did scenes from your past come back to you? Past flashed before me, out of my control I saw my life flash before my eyes.

Did scenes from the future come to you? Neither

Did you come to a border or point of no return? Neither

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Conservative/fundamentalist I am a Christian

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Conservative/fundamentalist I am a Christian

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? Definite being, or voice clearly of mystical or other-worldly origin

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? Saw them

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? No

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

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? Well, I'm glad I got to see Jake one last time.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I told my friend about a month ago from today and she thought it was cool.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes I knew I was not in my living body and I thought I died and I was going to meet my maker! Ha, ha, ha!

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real I knew it happened. I was not dreaming, I knew it was real.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real Because I remember it so well, I know it happened. I can remember the age of two in detail. 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? There is nothing more, I told you everything.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? Umm, I don't think so.