Milly K Possible NDE

Experience Description

I was having a common surgery after a miscarriage and was under general anesthesia. I had never been under anesthesia before other than the loopy drugs they gave me when I had my wisdom teeth pulled. I arrived at a point in space where there was a giant 'wheel' or spoked thing rotating slowly in a clockwise direction. I was above it. I remember glancing to my left at the vastness of space and noting that I wasn't cold. I had this thought even though I couldn't see or feel my body, but I was glad to not be cold. I looked at the wheel again and it was like each spoke or section was filled with a movie screen playing different portions of my life. I had a feeling that even though I was currently alone in this experience, I was very loved and was being encouraged to explore the wheel. I saw some memories playing of my childhood, but I focused on a memory of a visit to a beach on Maui. I was able to 'zoom into' that memory and sit on the beach, feeling and sensing everything. After a bit, I zoomed out and was looking down at the wheel again, deciding where to explore. This was a very fantastic thing, and I remember feeling glad that these moments were 'stored' because they were all good. I had a brief thought of some bad memories but felt the knowledge that they were not stored because I had learned from them. I was grateful they hadn't been stored. I didn't know where to 'zoom' next but picked a spot that had some mountains playing. I wasn't in that memory for very long before I came out of the surgery.

When I woke up from the surgery, I began excitedly telling the anesthesiologist about where I had gone and how amazing it was. I remember that he seemed surprised and asked me a couple questions about it.

Overall, it was a great experience, and very comforting. I have thought about it off and on since that time, but hadn't related it to a NDE because I had been under anesthesia. Recently, I was able to find some other people who had experienced this 'wheel' by finally googling the correct terms (because googling 'wheel in the sky' gets you nowhere). I was surprised to read some other accounts on different sites that were so similar as I had always assumed mine was a dream and nothing else. I found this site, so I wanted to share my experience for research.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: May 2007

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? No. While under general anesthesia Other common surgery under general anesthesia

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

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? Normal consciousness and alertness It was the same.

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

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No

Were your senses More vivid than usual? No

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I could see the same. I don't have any vision problems.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. There weren't any noises except inside the memories.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere, as if by ESP? No

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? Happiness, relaxation, peace, gratitude.

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? No

Did scenes from your past come back to you? No I could see memories playing like movies inside the spokes of the wheel.

Did scenes from the future come to you? No

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

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Protestant Went to non-denominational Christian Church occasionally but not for many years before the incident.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Other or several faiths Do not attend church. Am interested in reading gnostic texts and in exploring meditation, although I don't do it very often.

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 didn't and still don't hold onto any specific religious belief systems, so I didn't know what to make of my experience other than it was very positive. I do believe that there is a higher power, but I'm uncertain on the exact parameters.

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? 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? Yes Although I did not see a representation or a being, I felt as though I was loved and encouraged to explore the wheel as if by a loving parent.

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? Uncertain When I thought of bad experiences and got the sense that they were not 'saved' because I had learned from them.

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? An afterlife definitely exists. I had a feeling that the 'wheel' is always there for access.

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? Yes They are lessons.

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Yes I felt loved and encouraged to explore. I felt supported, as if from a parent who wants the best for their child.

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Slight changes in my life. After the experience with the wheel, I feel more confident that there is a peaceful hereafter, although I fear going to it because I am now a mother and I do not feel prepared to go. Prior to the experience, I had two times where my life was in danger, once in a violent attack and once in an airplane emergency landing. During the attack I had an intense fear that I was not ready to die. A few years later, during the emergency landing, I had a general peace. But now, even though I am confident that there is a hereafter, I am not peaceful with going because I am a mother. As far as other changes, I have been more aware of the presence of symbols in my life, and important dreams. I have been interested in reading the gnostic texts, the books that were not included in the Bible. I have began meditating, and often experience imagery during meditation. But I do not meditate very often, only a couple times a month.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? 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 as accurately as other life events that occurred around the time of the experience. After the experience, I drew a picture of what I saw in a computer graphics program as closely as I could.

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? It gave me peace to know that important, pleasant memories are stored.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I immediately shared it with my anesthesiologist upon waking because I'd found it so exciting. I shared it with my husband later that day. I've since shared it with a few others. I don't know if it influenced any of them.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes I'd heard of them of course. I never considered my experience to be a NDE because I was under general anesthesia. I still don't consider it to be, but I wanted to share it with this research site anyway, in case it can help.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real. I believed it was as real as a dream. I supposed it was a dream, but it was unlike any dream I'd had.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real. After learning that the 'wheel' is something that other individuals have also experienced in such a common way, it made me realize that perhaps it wasn't just a very vivid dream.

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

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? It was very comprehensive.