Experience Description

I was teaching arts and crafts in a school for developmentally disabled children. On my way to my classroom, I tripped and fell on a steep set of stairs. I was unaware that I was pregnant at the time, and did not think I was hurt by the fall.

Many hours later, I experienced excruciating pain in my mid-section, and collapsed on the classroom floor. Students ran to get the nurse, and as they left, I recall thinking about why I could not feel anything. I was locked in my body and could not even make my fingers move. Then I realized I was outside my body looking down on myself. People were coming in and I could not get their attention. I realized I was slowly losing my senses, i.e. vision, hearing, etc., and things began to fade.

Suddenly I was moving at a high rate of speed up a tunnel or vortex. Far up ahead I could see a very bright light, and it felt like the most beautiful feeling I've ever had as I moved toward it. I got close enough to the light to make out a doorway. The light I was seeing was spilling out from the door, which was only partially open. The door closed, and I was in darkness until I came to in the ambulance. I was utterly confused by what had happened and not real thrilled to be back in my body again. I felt desolate, abandoned and somehow rejected. I tried to tell the doctor about my experience and he said I was dreaming. I knew it wasn't a dream.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: January 1969

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? No Childbirth threatened miscarriage of two month fetus 'Life threatening event, but not clinical death' 'no heart rate or respiration, according to a nurse at the scene'

How do you consider the content of your experience? Mixed

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? Normal consciousness and alertness

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Probably when I realized I was outside my body and I was trying to examine this new state I was in.

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

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. Being in and out of your body simultaneously is a very odd perspective to say the least. Also it seemed there were different colors and little exploding things in the vortex than I'd ever seen before

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. The sound in the room of people talking faded as my attention changed from the body on the floor to my new one. Also there was a loud roaring in vortex, like wind.

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? Yes

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: Void

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

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? No

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? At first it was a bit fearful, but that quickly changed to fascination then to tremendous love.

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 none/ Christian upbringing

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Moderate none/ believer in higher power and Jesus Christ

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

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 I knew for sure there was an afterlife and that I had no control over when I would die. Until this happened I had had depressive bouts with suicide, but after I knew it was futile and began living a hedonistic life fearlessly.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

After the NDE:


Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

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 After being shut down by the doctor I was reluctant to share this, but have on a few occasions when I was with people I was close to and trusted. Usually they were skeptical but patronized me, unless they too had had an NDE.

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 Just as real today as it was then.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real Since then I've had other experiences, both real or drug induced, that were similar and verified it each time.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Yes I've had OBEs due to shock after an accident, another after an injection of penicillin, then once on LSD I had an NDE with a spiritual conversion experience that has changed me completely.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? 'IN MY FATHER'S HOUSE, THERE ARE MANY ROOMS.' [John 14:2] In the Greek language, the meaning of the word 'rooms' is 'spheres' or 'realms'. I am certain we go back to our Creator, and where we are truly accepted and loved. I look forward to that.