Judith E Probable NDE

Experience Description

I had been in intensive care following surgery. I felt like I was fading away and dying. I heard a nurse keep saying to me, 'You can't die. You have a husband and son who love you.'

I was walking with determination towards a tunnel. The tunnel was dark at the end, rather than light. I thought it was like a birth experience. There was a man in a raincoat who stood with his back to me. After the experience, I thought he might be my guide.

Before I could inquire further, I focused on the nurse who kept repeating that I couldn't die. My first thought was my husband and son could look after each other. I turned round and walked back into my body, though I did not want to do so.

I didn't tell anyone about my experience at the time.

As a young woman, I had a marijuana experience where I saw us all as facets of a huge crystal. When I mentioned this to my psychotherapist, I discovered she had had the same experience. Another experience that I had when a trainee hypnotherapist worked with me was that I was floating, high above my physical body. I felt so free and did not want to return. When he counted down to '1' I was back in my body. Again, I told nobody about this for many years since I had no place to explain these experiences.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: July 2001

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Surgery-related. Illness, trauma or other condition not considered life threatening. I was trying to recover from acoustic neuroma surgery

How do you consider the content of your experience? Both pleasant AND distressing

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes. No way of knowing for sure since I told nobody. 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. A clarity

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? All the time

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No

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

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I had been in intensive care and was very confused

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Sharper

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Yes, but the facts have not been checked out

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

Did you see any beings in your experience? No

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? No

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? No

Did you see an unearthly light? No

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Determined to leave lufe

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Relief or calmness

Did you have a feeling of joy? Happiness

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? I felt no longer in conflict with nature

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? No

Did scenes from your past come back to you? No

Did scenes from the future come to you? No

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. The was right about my husband and son, so I returned to my body.

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Unaffiliated- Nothing in particular- Religious unaffiliated

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I meditate daily following a huge number of physical health challenges

What is your religion now? Unaffiliated- Nothing in particular- Religious unaffiliated. I believe that we are all loving energy

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was entirely not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience. It was only later that I thought about the man as a guide. There were no angels.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Uncertain No change until I read of the experiences of others. This was validation to me.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? No

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? No

Did you encounter or become aware of any beings who previously lived on earth who are described by name in religions (for example: Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, etc.)? No

During your experience, did you gain information about premortal existence? No

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? No

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? No

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

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

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? No

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? Uncertain I felt I was at a border

Did you gain information about how to live our lives? No

During your experience, did you gain information about life's difficulties, challenges and hardships? No

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Uncertain. It was love for husband and son that brought me unwillingly back

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Slight changes in my life. Less fear of death. But how do we really know until death faces us?

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes I had no way of explaining this in words to anyone

How accurately do you remember the experience in comparison to other life events that occurred around the time of the experience? I remember the experience more accurately than other life events that occurred around the time of the experience. No way of knowing

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? They all seem significant

Have you ever shared this experience with others? No

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 probably real. I don't really know what 'reality' means after my experience.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was probably real. Experience remains so vivid in my mind

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? No