Experience Description

I broke my back about six years ago in a skydiving accident. I did what's called a ‘hook turn’ and collapsed my canopy, falling roughly four hundred and fifty feet to the ground. I should have died, but I went on healing without surgery and, well, I fell again. This time it was while teaching my son how to skateboard. Before I could blink, the board was out in front of me and I flipped up and went down, landing on my back, which broke my back again. This time it kept me from doing much until just a month ago when I finally had surgery. I've only been waiting three years due to health care insurance issues. On January 7, I had my first surgery, which went well, with the exception of having major pain down my leg afterwards. To make a long story short, I went back for surgery seven days later to have a screw removed. This is where things got good.

I felt myself being pulled along, as if by a magnet, to where there was a sort of platform. And there was my dad, my daughter, and my dog! Over to my left, there was this unimaginably bright light. Behind my family was a line of people, but their faces were blurred out. The second person in line, though, was jumping up and down, like doing jumping jacks. Then her hair swung out from the perfect row of unrecognizable people. It was my Aunt Shelly! I turned to my dad who said, ‘Give that ruby red squirt a kiss, and tell Nanc,’ (my mom,) ‘that yes, I'm with her, and tell her that our daughter said to, 'Tell Hannah, ‘(his other daughter, and my sister)’ that I can't wait to see her again.' Then, last, I looked at my dog, Meadow, sitting there smiling. I called him to me and he just stared off. I didn't feel bad because I knew he must be happy. Then, as I looked to the left, I saw this long, arched, endless, golden gate. Behind it was a light. Such a bright light!! Then he spoke, GOD, that is! He said, ‘Kenya, it's not your time to come home,’ and immediately I was pulled back out (as if by a magnet,) but then I found myself walking, or gliding, down a red-rock pathway. On both sides of me were the most beautiful mossy, grassy valleys with streams, and trees bearing fruit! Weird. All of it and all the colors were like pregnancy dreams or being in Disneyland. Every color was tuned to its fullest potential! I wanted so badly to keep walking on the red-rock pathway, but then I woke up to the nurse removing my airway tube.

I remember I was smiling from ear to ear and the nurses were asking me, ‘What's wrong?’ I began to tell them about my experience. From there I was taken to my room and as I'm telling my mom, who was on my left, about Dad, next to her stood one of my daughters, about what her grandpa (my dad) had said. ‘Tell Ruby Red Squirt 'Hi.'‘ Then, next to the right side of my bed, was my other daughter Hannah, to whom my deceased daughter (her sister) had said, ‘Say 'Hello!' to her.’ Well, I was ninety-nine percent sure of heaven before, but now I'm one thousand percent sure that we are not alone, and we never die!

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: January 14, 2013

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? No Surgery-related. Back surgery in a week

How do you consider the content of your experience? Entirely pleasant

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? No 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 was on many drugs and coming out of surgery, but this happened during the procedure. I am not sure if, when I died, they just didn't realize it, or what, but I did die, and that's how I know.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? When I was coming out of surgery.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No

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 was ‘Technicolor’ colored.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. It was very intact.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? No

The experience included: Tunnel

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes It was more of a pathway.

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 dad, my daughter, my dog, my aunt, and God.

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 God was the being of light.

The experience included: A landscape or city

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm A beautiful waiting area in heaven, and then the river of life.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I wanted to be there. But I was not thinking of what I would leave behind 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 myself or others We're not alone, and we don't just get buried and stay there.

Did scenes from your past come back to you? No

The experience included: Awareness of the future

Did scenes from the future come to you? No

The experience included: Boundary

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? Yes A platform, and the golden gates.

Did you come to a border or point of no return? No

God, Spiritual and Religion:


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

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Other Christian

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

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

What is your religion now? Christian- Other Christian

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was entirely consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience

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 I heard everything that was going on.

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

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 explained earlier

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

Did you believe in the existence of God prior to your experience? God probably exists

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes god

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? Yes I just know.

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

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

Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? An afterlife definitely exists

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Yes explained ealier

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

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

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Not 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 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? No

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

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

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Yes

Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Large changes in my life

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No No

After the NDE:


Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

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

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

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Immediately I shared it with the surgery nurses, and then everyone else.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real

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