Lois P NDE

Experience Description

I was playing outdoors while my father was working on building the house. There was an open well in the yard. It was covered with boards, with a bucket that had a rope attached to the handle. I wanted the bucket, but can't remember why. I remember grabbing it. Next, I remember looking at myself in the water. My eyes were closed, my hair was floating straight up, and there were many bubbles floating up around my face. I only saw my head, neck, hair, and bubbles. I felt fine, good, with no pain, just peaceful. All my life I have remembered thinking drowning was a very good, nice experience.

The next thing was terrible pain in my hair. My dad had grabbed me by my hair to get me out. Then I remember my dad hitting me very hard on the back and thinking my daddy was very mad at me because he hit me. That is all I remember until I was six years old.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date of NDE: 6/15/1948

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes
I was drowning.

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

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? While I was looking at myself.
I was looking at myself and it was bright and clear. I could see every little bubble going up around myself. I could see all my hair standing upward.

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? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning
I was just looking at myself and watching the bubbles. There was no thinking of anything but comfort. I felt good.

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 My memory of everything leading up to being in the water is very vague. I remember nothing after my father hit me so hard on my back.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience I heard nothing. Absolutely nothing.

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? No

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

Did you see or feel surrounded by a brilliant light? An unusually bright light

Did you see an unearthly light? No

Did you seem to enter another world? No

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I was very relaxed and peaceful.

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 united or one with the world

Did you suddenly understand everything? No

Did scenes from your past come back? No

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? 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
I have no remembrance of religious teaching at this age.

Have your religious practices changed? Uncertain
I would like to think it did but have no way of knowing.

What is your religion now? Christian - Catholic

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 was a child. I was happier than usual. I felt very good.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Uncertain
Because I was so young I just don't know if my experience caused any changes to my life unconsciously.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? 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? 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? Uncertain
I don't know. I was happy, not afraid. I was just watching.

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? Uncertain
I was so relaxed and happy. Everything was good.

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Unknown
I have totally believed in God since grade school. I went to church by myself because I felt I needed to around ten years old. When I was around thirteen, I became interested in the Catholic religion and became Catholic in my early twenties.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Uncertain
I don't know if my childhood experience changed anything in my life.

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
This event has been crystal clear in my memories all my life. I vaguely remember our chickens from that time of my childhood, but it's not clear.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes
When I was in my early teens I started becoming able to know when my parents' friends were coming to spend weekends with us. We had no phone. I would know when my father's friends were coming and I would tell my mother. I was only wrong once out of many many times. They were going to come but my father's friend changed his mind because he had to work. I didn't get it right that time. I also knew when my brother was coming home from France, despite no letter.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes
I just told my children. They listened and said they believed me.

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
I didn't understand that seeing myself was unusual. It wasn't until I was an adult that I realized I was looking at myself and shouldn't have been able to.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real
I know I was outside my body. I know as an adult that thinking drowning was a wonderful experience was not the feeling of drowning, but the feeling of dying.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Uncertain
One night I was praying for help and wanted desperately for God to help me. He said to me, 'Your kids are healthy, aren't they?' I know Jesus was answering me. I've never heard him since. It wasn't the type of answer I hoped for, but I understood totally!

Did the questions asked and information that you provided accurately and comprehensively describe your experience? Yes
Because I was a child with no experience of life, I couldn't answer many questions.

Anything else to add? It has been the most wonderful experience of my life, more than anything else.