Experience Description

I remember the doctors and nurses rushing me to the operating room. I lay there, slipping in and out of consciousness, until I passed out. At that exact moment, I passed out. I remember seeing the doctors and nurses yelling things. I saw my husband, looking afraid. I continued hovering above my body and watched myself being operated on. Then, in a flash, I felt as though I were in another world. I was somewhere else, but I cannot explain it. It wasn't a room, nor clouds, nor anything I can really describe. Maybe a void? Everything was white. It was not a white light, but like a white dimension, or a white realm where it was just me and this tall, strange looking man wearing a suit. I had never seen this man in my life, but the way his beard looked and the way he was dressed, he reminded me of Abraham Lincoln. I know that sounds weird, but that's whom he looked like to me. Anyway, this man was across from me, and although I did not recognize him, I knew he wasn't God, or Jesus, Mohammed, or Buddha, or anyone like that. Maybe he was some kind of messenger or something.

I remember asking him so many questions. We only communicated with our minds, telepathically. Our lips never spoke a word. When I asked him, ‘Where am I?’ he didn't answer me. He just stared at me. It seemed like he was staring right through me. I remember screaming inside my head, ‘I have to go back, I have a husband, and I have a daughter and I have… oh my god, I have a son! Where is my son?’ I remember grabbing at my belly and saying, ‘where is my son?’ The man told me not to worry and then suddenly I came to. I was in my hospital bed and everyone was asking me if I was okay. I just wanted to know where my baby was. All I wanted was to hold my son in my arms.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 'June 19, 2008'

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Childbirth 'Life threatening event, but not clinical death' I was in labor and felt immense pain. Pain like no other. The nurses kept saying, ‘You're in labor, of course it hurts,’ but I knew something was wrong. Long story short, my uterus had ruptured inside me and I had begun to bleed very heavily. My blood pressure was very low and I became very feverish to the point I was losing consciousness. I remember my husband was very worried for me and the baby.

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

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I saw what the doctors and nurses were doing, and what my husband was doing, even while I was knocked out. 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 During the experience, I was aware of spiritual beings, and knew that I have a spirit body in addition to my fleshly body. I felt that I was exposed to some great beyond that is greater than me or anything I could have ever imagined.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? I'm not sure.

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 Time was unimportant. Only events mattered.

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. There was no difference.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. There was no difference.

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

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? Yes I sensed that the man I spoke to had at one point in time been an earthly being.

The experience included: Void

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

Did you see an unearthly light? No

The experience included: A landscape or city

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm I was in some white space. Not a room, just a place where everything was white, it wasn't a white light, it was just a white realm.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I felt every emotion at once to a point that it was overwhelming.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? No

Did you have a feeling of joy? No

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? No

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 I wanted to see my baby and be there for my family.

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? No comment

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes

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 both consistent and not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience unsure

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

The experience included: Presence of unearthly beings

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

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

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

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes yes, i felt the man i encountered had some sort of boss and that he was a messenger

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 had a sense that we are here for a purpose. That if we love one another above all else, we will become more fulfilled.

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 i felt i wanted to be a better person, i felt i had a bigger purpose and had an urging to become more pious

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

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Yes yes i believe there is life after death

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? Unknown

Were you fearful living your life after your experience? Unknown

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? Uncertain i think we are supposed to love one another to the best of our ability..i suddenly wanted to love and care more for my family

During your experience, did you gain information about life's difficulties, challenges and hardships? Uncertain I felt the man was trying to tell me to become a better person and that someone is always with us, i really felt he was telling me "you're not done yet"

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

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Yes i wanted to make sure people in my life knew they were loved (by me and God)

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? Yes Yes

After the NDE:


Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes

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? Uncertain

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I told one of the nurses in the hospital immediately afterward. She was shocked.

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

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real I questioned it sometimes, but it was so powerful and overwhelming that deep down, I knew it was real.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real I just know it was real.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Yes The funeral of my great uncle when I was a very young child, of which I have a distant memory.