Experience Description

I was on the stretcher going down the hallway of the hospital. I was being rushed into the emergency room during a 'traumatic' premature birth after an auto accident. I heard the doctor say, 'Look at her! Give her oxygen!'

Instantly, I was in a dark tunnel or void in space, clutching onto the sides of the stretcher. I was not aware at first, that I had left my body. I felt like me and was holding on. There were Beings around me. I thought, 'What about the baby?' The Beings answered in my mind, 'It is his time to be born again. If not to you, then to someone else.' I instantly knew that reincarnation was real. Even though ultrasounds were not used at that time, I knew that this birth was a male.

I had other questions that were also answered by the Beings. They answered almost at the same instant that I asked them. I have forgotten the other questions and answers now, except for the last question. I was asked, 'Do you want to continue this life, or die?' I thought, 'What's death?' The Light began to show me. I knew without a doubt that death was not an ending, but a wonderful opening to my real life. I would be more knowledgeable and live in unconditional completeness and love. I remember feeling almost unworthy of such an indescribable, unconditional love. I was in awe of how much love was enveloping me. My next thought was, 'I have not been in this life that long and have not shared very much love yet.'

In that instant, I reentered my earthly body. I was shaking uncontollably with joy, to the point that my teeth were even chattering.


Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 12/16/1967

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident. Childbirth. Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function) I was a passenger in a head-on auto collision and went through the windshield. I required a complete blood transfusion. This resulted in a traumatic premature birth (7 and a half months) as I was pregnant at the time. The NDE happened during the child birth.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Both pleasant AND distressing
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. I knew more. The knowledge was instantaneous and fuller. I was aware that if I went 'through' the LIGHT, that I would have even more knowledge. I also knew that I would not return if I chose to go through the LIGHT.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? On beginning awareness of and entry toward the Light. The LIGHT had Presence, Intelligence, and complete, pure, powerful LOVE. I knew this was 'God', the unnamable.

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. I felt no 'time'

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. When I first entered what is commonly called 'the tunnel' or 'the Void', it was dark. The only vision I remember was the light. WOW!!! What is real changed forever for me. Seeing God includes feeling and knowing His complete LOVE.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. There were two nonphysical entities with me in the beginning of my NDE, when I was still in the dark and before seeing and coming into the LIGHT. When I thought a question, I would 'hear' them answer directly into my mind, without the need for using ears. I KNEW those answers were TRUTH.

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

The experience included: Passing into or through a tunnel

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Uncertain There were no walls. It felt like being in a space in the Universe. I felt that I was spiraling in a tunnel-like space. At first I was spinning more slowly at first, with the speed rapidly increasing as I came closer to the light. When I got close enough to the light to feel the unconditional LOVE, the spiral movement and all feeling of time had stopped.

Did you see any beings in your experience? No

The experience included: Darkness

The experience included: Unearthly light

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? An unusually bright light

Did you see an Unearthly light? Yes it is not describable. The Light is Love. Immense. All that is.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm. It felt like more than earth, universal.

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? At first, I thought I was still in my body and holding on to the sides of the stretcher where I had been placed by the medical professionals. Later, I lost awareness of my body. I knew I was separate from my body, and felt surprise that I was still me.

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 or purpose

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about the universe. This knowledge was instantaneous and more complete than what is known on earth where we are more 'physical' than real.

Did scenes from your past come back to you? No

The experience included: Future Visions

Did scenes from the future come to you? Scenes from my personal future. This was stronger for a short while. I would know who was going to call before the phone rang, who was going to enter the room before they arrived, what someone was going to say before they said it, or what they were going to do before they did it. This lasted for several months after my NDE. I may be slightly more aware of those things now than I was before, but no longer as exact or frequent as it was directly after the NDE.

Did you come to a border or point of no return? I came to a definite conscious decision to return to life. I was given a choice. I returned to 'love more'. Little acts of kindness and love are more than they seem. Every action and reaction we have matters.

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What importance did you place on your religious/spiritual life prior to your experience? Slightly important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Unaffiliated- Nothing in particular- Secular unaffiliated. I had gone to Christian Protestant Sunday School and Church during Elementary School. I was baptized at age 14. I rarely attended church in High School and not at all after High School.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes. I know God is real, an afterlife exists, and we are so loved. God is mercy and love. There is no hell which we do not create ourselves. Church is not necessary, although it awakens spirit in some people. All life requires love/caring. Fear is illusionary. Only love is real.

What importance do you place on your religious/spiritual life after your experience? Greatly important to me

What is your religion now? Other or several faiths The Knowledge was given to me that 'God' is Universal. God is more than all earthly religious dogma, which often misrepresent through misunderstanding or other human reasons.

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was both consistent and not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience. I had not believed in reincarnation before the NDE. I had not realized God as Light.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes

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 described earlier

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? Yes reincarnation is real. There is an afterlife. There is much more to life than we know of on this planet we live on. Little things mean more than we know. Love is real. we stay our true selves when we leave our body behind. God is the most supreme being. Love is the most powerful force. I may have known these things prior, but was unaware of the truth of these before my NDE

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? Yes We think in terms of 'Earth'. In reality, God and we are more than that and part of it all.

Did you believe in the existence of God prior to your experience? I was uncertain if God exists

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes God is Complete Unconditional Love. God is Pure Light. God is 'larger than religion'. 'God is 'larger than Earth and Earth's culture'. God is Science, all knowledge/intelligence and beyond description. God loves us more than we can imagine.

Do you believe in the existence of God after your experience? God definitely exists

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Uncertain Love is important. How it is acted on is our choice. A 'job' can be a means, but is not the purpose.

Did you believe that our earthly lives Are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are possibly meaningful and significant

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? Yes Love is the purpose of life.

Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? I was uncertain if an afterlife exists

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Yes The body is temporary, but a wonderful gift to use to transport us through this physical life. I do far less grumbling about our miraculous bodies now. Even so, the particular bodies are not needed as we continue on.

Did you fear death prior to your experience? I greatly feared death

Do you fear death after your experience? I do not fear death

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Slightly fearful in living my earthly life

Were you fearful living your life after your experience? Not fearful in living my earthly life

Did you believe that our earthly lives Are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are possibly meaningful and significant

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant after your experience? Are meaningful and significant

Did you gain information about how to live our lives? Yes We do not ask many questions of other beings about themselves when in the OBE, because we accept what is in the moment, as they accept what is about us. As I often say, 'It is what it is.'

During your experience, did you gain information about life's difficulties, challenges and hardships? Yes I can accept challenges and hardships (and we all have them) with less resistance now, believing there may be some 'greater good' behind what will be learned.

Were you compassionate prior to your experience? Slightly compassionate toward others

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Yes Love is ALL. God is love.

Were you compassionate after your experience? Moderately compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Unknown I do not believe it is necessary to go to church or practice religious ritual to 'be saved'. Love and kindness through our action and reactions count, no matter how small it seems at the time.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes more patient. Don't stress the small stuff' I am still not a Saint, though, and not always as loving as I intend. We do live in this physical world. Sometimes it is disappointing how little we seem to have unified on Earth in terms of spiritual development. Seems to be changing, though. Change happens.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes When I had the experience, I had never heard of a NDE. Yet, I still expressed immediately what had happened when I returned to my body. I told my new husband, who was by my stretcher at the hospital after I had returned from giving birth. My husband thought perhaps that I had been given drugs that caused me to hallucinate. I insisted to him that there had been no time for drugs to be given. I explained, that what I had just experienced had been 'more real' than 'this' (meaning the earth body experience). I also told my mother and her friend when they arrived at the hospital. My mother's friend had had a similar NDE. One difference was that my mother's friend had spoken with her mother, who had passed on. I had not had family members that I knew pass on yet. My own mother's mother had an NDE during a childhood illness. One difference in hers was that she was held by Jesus. Both my mother and her friend accepted and believed my NDE experience, and it was the first I learned that others had experienced life beyond this one.

How accurately do you remember the experience in comparison to other life events that occurred around the time of the experience? I do not know how my remembrance of the experience compares to my remembrance of other life events

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes mentioned previously

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? God's Love and Presence. Difficult to explain the intensity and wonder and peace.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes First reactions immediately after NDE described earlier. Over the years, I have shared with others when I felt compelled to do so. Most accepted the truth of it. It does not matter to me if others did not accept it as truth. One day, each of us will experience it.

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. It is truth. You recognize/know it and feel it.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real. Truth does not change.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Yes After Yoga, in Savasana, when practiced regularly with spiritual intent.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? Nothing I can think of at this time.