Experience Description

I was carrying a friend on my shoulders; we were playing games in the town's municipal swimming pool. My friend panicked and submerged me under the water. She got out before she drowned. As for me, they didn't rescue me right away, only when somebody noticed that I was floating in the water.

Then someone grabbed me and got me and started CPR.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: À l'adolescence.

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident 'Life threatening event, but not clinical death' Quasi noyade ncessitant une réanimation. Near drowning. When they found me, I was floating in the water. They grabbed me and began CPR.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Wonderful

The experience included: Out of body experience

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? More consciousness and alertness than normal

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? When I lost consciousness. I was floating in the water and I called out to my sister telepathically. I saw where she was sitting at the edge of the pool and I asked her to signal to someone that I was missing and that they should locate me. Right after I came to (after CPR) my thoughts were concentrating on the color blue. I was telling myself: 'It's really beautiful here. I have never seen a blue as beautiful as this.' Then I saw faces appearing in the blue sky and asked myself what these people were doing in my sky. It was the people witnessing the accident who were standing above me and who I saw appear one after the other.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Incredibly fast

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning No time, no space. When I became conscious again, I confused the two worlds for a good long while. I was no longer certain of what was the true reality. Like waking from a dream. But this was a conscious lucid dream.

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. Seeing the color blue differently from the way one sees it with one's eyes.

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? No

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

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

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 An intense blue light with a texture that is different from what emanates from the sky. The impression that I was a part of this light.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm Une dimension de lumière.

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Sudden understanding of the situation and what I had to do about it. Communicating telepathically with my sister.

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

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

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes Quest for a universal symbol for all, beyond dogmatic religions.

What is your religion now? Moderate

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes Quest for a universal symbol for all, beyond dogmatic religions.

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 Capability to direct new states of consciousness.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes Difficulty being in relationship with bad, fake or hypocritical people since I know who they are.

After the NDE:


Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes A state of complete consciousness. (Presence of a silence full of serenity.)

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Uncertain Very precise knowledge of other people's thoughts. Able to know their real intentions. Prophetic dreams. Telepathy with those close to me.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? The all-enveloping blue light, which I can still access and connect with.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes We have spoken a lot about the accident. But it wasn't until later, when I was an adult, that I realized I'd had an NDE.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? No Only around 1990, when the media began focusing on it.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real The impression of no longer being part of this world, and a part of me did not return from the other world, it remained there.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real I am still finding out how much my life has taken a different direction since that experience.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Yes Other important accidents threatened my life. 1980 - I was hit by a car and lost consciousness for a few seconds. I knew right then I had the choice to die or to stay in this life and it was for me to decide. I decided to return. 1999, 2005 and 2007 - Three serious car accidents when the airbags deployed and the cars were totaled. In all of the accidents there was a fraction of a second where I was above it all watching. Acceptance to allow things to happen. I believe my near-drowning experience permitted me to remain close to my body, to direct my ability to leave my body when physical trauma was too great to bear.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? I no longer fear death. It is not pain but a liberation from the weight of the physical world. One can remove oneself from the law of terrestrial attraction in order to liberate oneself from the stresses of everyday life, stress which includes emotions that keep us bound here.