Gigi S STE

Experience Description

I was not feeling well at all that day. I was exhausted from yet another day of pain, and I had nausea, dizziness. It was really bad. I had of course taken my regular medication as I had done for the past two years. It is rare for me, but I had to lie down in the late afternoon. After about half an hour, I found myself feeling very light, without a physical body, just my consciousness. Before I had time to think, I was pulled into a tunnel going from the bottom to the top, with deafening music vibrating too loudly. It was "Nuit Magique" by Catherine Lara, which I had not heard in years. On the walls of this tunnel there were beings I could sense, very mocking. I did not see them, but I felt them strongly present all around me. They were laughing at me. I could not say if they were mocking me to say, "See, it's okay, relax, you are too stressed," or if they were my own feelings being reflected back at me since I have a great fear of mockery in daily life.

Then, the tunnel began to become more pleasant, brighter as I went up. The music became much softer until I could no longer hear it. Upon reaching the end, I clearly realized that I was not a body at all, that I was purely and simply a consciousness. I remember thinking, "Wow! We do not die!" and "Look higher at what awaits you!" I approached the edge and glimpsed the universe. It was not a white light. I was ready to go explore, so to speak, or at least to join with eagerness and serenity. I could have explored it with freedom, lightness, love, and happiness. This, despite that I am not a fan of the universe in my daily life. Here, it seemed so wonderful and peaceful. I did not even think of my daughters anymore. Everything was okay. And then the concept of time no longer existed.

As a side note, I "believed I understood" that I had an important place here on earth, that I had a role to play. But, I only grasped the feeling, not the explanation. Then, I must have come back down suddenly because I do not remember the return. I opened my eyes wide for a good while afterward, realizing what I had just lived through.

I told my eldest daughter as soon as I could the next day. She listened to me with patience and kindness. Then I told my younger daughter, who was perhaps a little more skeptical but who heard me out. Since then, I feel heavy in this body, having "tasted" another form of consciousness. Since then, I am again more sensitive to synchronicities, and I am less afraid for the day when I must leave. My uncle just passed away, and he gave me a little sign that I recognized immediately. I feel more at peace. I dwell less on things that are not important to me, and I try to be less hard on myself and others. I would like to talk about this out-of-body experience (or at least what resembles one) with other family members, but it is taboo. My younger daughter, who is studying medicine, wondered if I had a TIA. We will never know. The important thing is my experience, and I can freely share it here, and that feels good. Thank you for that.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date of NDE: 6/13/2025

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? No

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

Did you feel separated from your body? 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? just before the end
Consciousness was free; there were no barriers. It was as if it were unlimited and expansive.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness? More consciousness and alertness than normal

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
I did not feel any sense of space-time, and it was pleasant for me. It was infinity that was in the next stage which I did not get to access.

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 I am farsighted, astigmatic, and presbyopic. During the experience, I did not have 'eyes'; I saw everything around me effortlessly.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience Current hearing: vestibular migraines affect my auditory nerves, with hearing loss. During the experience: the music was too loud (as if I was right inside a speaker at a concert). My entire being vibrated; you could say I suffered from severe hyperacusis (if I had to use physical terms). Then, as I moved away, the 'sound' became less loud, I would say less aggressive. So, I don't know if we can call it hearing in this experience. Then there was the Silence, but that silence felt more like a 'breath' than something purely auditory.

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

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes
The first part was unpleasant: the tunnel sucked me upward with a music that vibrated inside me very loudly and unbearably. All around me there were beings 'embedded' in the tunnel walls, mocking me; it was an intense feeling of irony. The starting color was a kind of deep dark gray as if in 3D. The tunnel brightened as I advanced; the color became light gray, then a very light, indescribable shade; I don't even know if it was a 'color.' I felt much better, the music calmed down, and then silence. The closer I got to the exit, the more serene, joyful, and curious I felt. I knew I had to go there. It had a familiar side to it. It's as if near the end of this tunnel it formed a sort of cone, with the walls opening up. I started to very slightly poke my head out of the tunnel because there was a limit. And I just had time to glimpse the universe. It was magnificent, calm, worry-free, soothing; it was a freedom regained. And then a return (with no memory of that return). I have detailed memories of the tunnel going there but not coming back.

Did you see any beings in your experience? No

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

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

Did you see an unearthly light? Uncertain
It was a gray light at the start (a strange 'color'), as if in 3D (something like that), which then brightened (very, very light gray).

Did you seem to enter another world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm
No more earthly reference points, extraordinary, vibrational, no more body, no more time; I was just serene when I arrived at the end, and joyful, not like here. It was a state where my earthly life had no importance because everything was consciousness.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? fear, anxiety, surprise, trust, freedom, serenity, curiosity, calm, intense joy

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 understand everything? Everything about myself or others
I checked this box but I would have checked one between 'no' and 'everything' about myself or about others. Because I had the impression of understanding quite a few things about myself and about others (with tenderness), but not the feeling of knowing everything or knowing nothing. I 'grasped an obvious truth' but not one of human logic.

Did scenes from your past come back? No

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? Yes
When reaching the end of the tunnel, I could not go any further. It made an absolute 'stop' that was absolutely frustrating, and I returned to my body. A new frustration upon waking up was not being able to cross that limit. So I did reach a frontier.

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
It seemed clear that I should not be there, and even less should I exit this tunnel. I had things to do 'down there,' period.

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian - Other Christian
I come from a Catholic Christian family. I was baptized and had my first communion. I do not interpret religious messages at all as humans understand them. So, I did not really have a religion, but if I had to be close to one, it would be Christian, though not in the sense that the faithful understand it.

Have your religious practices changed? Yes
For a few years, I had taken the side of science: you're born, you live, you die, then nothing. I had done a lot of research to confirm this with scientific articles from around the world dealing with the subject. For me, the loop was closed, sadly and implacably. Since this experience, there has been a complete reversal. I now know that 'the loop is not closed,' and that science as a whole should be a bit more humble and have a less definitive approach to the subject, with more questioning of its methods. I re-read those same articles and saw flaws. I read them from a different perspective. All that is to say, yes, my beliefs have changed since then.

What is your religion now? Christian - Other Christian
The experience strengthened the feeling that spoke to me the most: that of love. The one called Jesus in the Bible is a 'parable', a symbol, to express this human experience in these bodies here.

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was entirely not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience
During a period of my life after my mother passed away, I thought about a life after earthly death and believed I was receiving signs. Then, the scientific side took over again, with logical, coherent, experimental, reproducible, and explicable explanations. I was greatly astonished when I realized I was just a consciousness without a body, and I thought, 'Oh wow, we don't die.' It was both a surprise and an obvious truth. Regarding reincarnation, I never 'believed' in it. This experience gave me a shock concerning space-time. Time is infinite; that's what emerged from my experience. There is energy in permanent motion, and it was as if I knew we lived multiple lives, experiences, pauses, breaths... As for God, I was raised in the Christian Catholic faith. As I grew up, I drifted away from it because the teachings of that religion didn't resonate with me. Something vaster, yes, then there was the stage of 'probably,' then 'maybe,' and then the famous 'or not' with rationalism and the scientific approach that explains these experiences. Well, with this experience, the answer for me is definitely yes: there is an afterlife and it seems immense!

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes
I take myself less seriously, I was (and still am) compassionate towards others, but harsh with myself. Today I am much less so. My uncle just passed away, I am more at peace, not angry as I would have been before this experience, of course I am sad, it doesn't take away the pain. He gave me a sign, I received it. My beliefs have changed, and I feel at peace with that (universal force of love, for me referencing the symbolism of Christ and incarnation in flesh and the notion of reincarnation).

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? I heard a voice I could not identify
Voices were singing and laughing.

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? Yes
I don't believe in reincarnation, and I must say this experience challenged that 'belief' in the sense that in that state, there is no spacetime. It then became evident during this experience for me that if there is no time, energy flows and 'recycles.' It comes, it goes, it leaves again, to return (again, it's hard to put into words). I thus had a feeling of infinite existence.

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? Yes
Yes, clearly a force, of whatever nature, benevolent (despite appearances here) is indeed present. I brushed against its essence.

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes
It was an awareness of a life force of a whole, beyond us, yes, one could say a supreme force. It's just the word God that bothers me. Something that connects us all.

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
I just felt that everyone has their place. And that I have something (?) to do before returning to that state and reuniting with those I love.

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? Yes
One of my first thoughts, as clear as spring water, was: Oh, we don't die! It was 'my own' consciousness that observed this when I rose into this tunnel that brightened and I realized I no longer had my body, and yet, despite that, I continued to live.

Did you gain information about how to live our lives? Yes
We do not die, our earthly body allows us to live a brief experience, we are all connected and have an impact on this earthly life without necessarily realizing it.

During your experience, did you gain information about life's difficulties, challenges and hardships? No

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Uncertain
After the experience began badly with that terribly loud music and those mocking laughs, especially the irony, I felt a calming and an intense benevolence that contrasted greatly with the state before. For me, benevolence is a feeling of love, so I would say yes, there is something 'solid' that supports and carries you and makes you feel loved.

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Moderate changes in my life

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Uncertain
I feel I have strengthened a bond of trust with my daughters, who listened to me without judgment and believed me.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes
It's hard to explain that you have no body and yet continue to live and feel things/sensations in an amplified way. How do you explain the feeling of peace and freedom it provides because words are not strong enough. Even my unpleasant passage at the beginning of the tunnel is difficult to describe because the experience is so vibrant, a human sound cannot reproduce that.

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
The only event I remember (and it's vague) besides the experience is feeling very ill to the point of having to lie down. Then a blackout and the experience. I remember nothing else except this experience with clarity: the sensations, many of them, the emotions, the thoughts. Hearing and vision were not like here. I very, very clearly retain visually the discovery of the beauty of the universe with wonder. It's as if it were yesterday, even though it was several months ago. I remember everything from A to Z.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Uncertain
I've always had a certain intuition, which seems more developed since. I've noticed more pronounced and improbable synchronicities.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? The experience confronted me with mockery at the beginning of the tunnel, with a very painful form of irony. There was a moment when I questioned myself (about my feelings regarding this): is this a mirror of my own view of myself, or am I distorting the intentions of these beings who 'mock' me because I don't know what's happening? Since then, I have developed a certain serenity regarding my approach to daily life: I suffer from social anxiety, and this has improved since this experience. I continue to be socially awkward, but it matters less; I ruminate much less. And the other remarkable part is when I realized in such an obvious and real way that we do not die! It changed my whole vision of life.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes
After one day. It was my eldest daughter, very attentive as usual, she listened to my story, believed me. After our discussions, she somewhat questioned her scientific certainties of 'we live, we die, and then nothing.' She softened. I sense her less angry when we speak of death (injustice). My younger daughter also listened to me, believed me, but it doesn't seem to have added anything more to her way of understanding life and death (her beliefs are not defined, or rather she prefers not to think about it).

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes
My mother died in 2016 from advanced stage cancer, discovered too late to cure. I started becoming interested in the subject of life after death on social media (Facebook then YouTube). When she passed, I read books by Raymond Moody and Father Brune, the 'classic' NDE testimonies. Time passed, no more signs from my mother. Sadness remained, then anger, a void, and a daily life of major health problems and chronic pain, with job loss, lost faith. A kind of very Cartesian, pragmatic conclusion after re-engaging with the subject more objectively: science has spoken. Out-of-body experiences and NDEs could be explained scientifically (I hadn't properly remembered the 'could'). In fact, I had retained passages from testimonies in books (I think these are the information that circulates more or less seriously through media): bright tunnels with intense white light at the end, all is love, there are beings of light, deceased loved ones are there and communicate telepathically, and there is a review/film of the whole life unfolding. With more or less these elements. Some also spoke of meadows. For out-of-body experiences, I remember experiences of being at the ceiling above one's body and being able to hear what people are saying or see what is happening around. To be honest, the common point is the tunnel, perhaps the surprise of knowing you don't die, the feeling of serenity and benevolence. I am unable to say if this influenced me or not. For the other aspects of my experience, I don't know if others have experienced things similar to mine. What emerges is that for me, ultimately, what I felt is very real.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real
Everything was very sharp and clear. It was an unusual experience, not like a dream. I can feel every vibration and sensation from that experience, the thoughts, which emotions at which moments, the vision of a part of the universe.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real
It remains as vivid as the first day.

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

Did the questions asked and information that you provided accurately and comprehensively describe your experience? Yes