Tilda R NDE

Experience Description

I had purchased a 'spa night' for my best friend and I for Mother's Day. I sat up when I had a wave of nausea hit. The masseuse brought me a cold towel for the back of my neck. I waited until the nausea subsided; then put my head down on the chair to continue the massage.

It was like a light switch had been flipped. I found myself in a park-like setting and looking at green, rolling hills and trees. I thought it odd because there was a pervasive, blue light engulfing everything but it was very peaceful. I felt wonderful with no pain. I was very comfortable and calm and could feel myself smiling. As I looked around, I noticed at the top of the hill that my deceased father was waving to me. I also saw my two deceased dogs running towards me. I started walking quickly towards them. I felt so happy!

As I was getting closer, I heard someone behind me yelling my name. I ignored the voice and kept walking. The voice persisted in calling me, getting louder and more frantic. I got irritated that I was being called and stopped walking, saying, 'WHAT?'.

My eyes opened. I was sitting while leaning back with my head supported by my friend . She was crying and trying to hold my jaw open so I could breathe.

My friend and I are both cardiovascular surgery and ICU nurses so have had a bit experience with dying people. My friend told me that she thought I had died. My lips were completely blue, my face was dusky, and I was completely limp. While I was confused, I had no pain and only felt the peace and joy I had just experienced. I was taken to the hospital and had multiple tests done.

There was no residual damage and never had those symptoms or an experience like that happened again. Yet, I can still vividly see that landscape, and my father and dogs in the distance - waiting for me.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: June 1998

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Uncertain experienced vagal response for reason, was getting a chair massage and passed out, occluding Illness, trauma or other condition not considered life threatening I had been ill for several days before the event. If my friend had not been with me and realized something was wrong, I could have died since I wasn't breathing and wasn't responsive when she found me

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

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I could hear my name being called over and over 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 N/A

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? shortly after I realized I was in park and saw my dad - very aware of my surroundings

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No

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. everything had this blue light around it, not like a halo, but like a blue natural sunlight...

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. hearing was very distant, I could hear my name being called but it was very far away

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 my father and 2 of my dogs all who had died years earlier

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? Uncertain blue light everywhere

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Some unfamiliar and strange place it was a like a park - gentle rolling, green hills, trees

What emotions did you feel during the experience? peace, joy, no physical pain, carefree, happy

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Incredible peace or pleasantness

Did you have a feeling of joy? Happiness

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? I felt no longer in conflict with nature

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 definite conscious decision to return to life Not sure it was a conscious decision but the person calling my name over and over began to irritate me and I was finally exasperated and stopped walking and said 'WHAT?'

God, Spiritual and Religion:

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

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 I remember thinking during the experience that 'this must be my heaven', not the traditional pearly gates, etc.

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? 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

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? No

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? No

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? No

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

During your experience, did you gain information about love? No

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Moderate changes in my life I remarried and had a child - we've been together over 20 years now

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 more accurately than other life events that occurred around the time of the experience I remember the experience and the sequence of events, but I do not remember the exact date or year

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? Seeing my father and dogs was very meaningful because I realized we really do not lose anyone - we will be reunited

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes immediately - as my friend, who saved my life, was taking me to the hospital (I refused an ambulance), I told her what happened. She believed me

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes A friend did her master's thesis on NDE based on a personal experience. I had taken care of critically ill patients who experienced NDE's and shared them with me. They recounted information they could not have really known, such as seeing specific people resuscitating them, spoke of seeing loved ones, etc.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real I don't know how to explain, it was very real to me.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real I remember it so clearly, from the time the 'switch flipped' to opening my eyes and saying 'what?'

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

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? no

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? ask for more context of the situation