Maagaret B Other

Experience Description

In November of 1967 the ship I was on, the ss Seven Seas, docked in Mombasa, Africa. I was traveling with 500 other students on a trip around the world for a semester of college. Unbeknownst to me a friend, Lorna, from high school in 1962 was on board as well. Lorna and I decided when we got to Mombasa that we would rent a car and go to Mount Kilimanjaro. As usual when we arrived in Port, a telephone was installed and someone local was there to help us with calls we needed to make. At the phone a very nice man in a suit offered his assistance. I explained I wanted to rent a car. 'Oh he said let me help you with that'. He took Lorna and I to a car rental agency where there was a Volkswagen Beetle available. We signed papers and took off with a bit of a map in hand . We stopped at a store to get things to snack on and headed for Tsavo National Park.

We saw incredible things including giant anthills and lots of different animals. In the afternoon we stopped for tea at a delightful place. Looking at the map we saw that there was an area called the Voi River cut off so we decided to go along the river to see the animals come and drink before sunset. When we opened our snacks we found they were inedible. A group of baboons had come to watch what we were up to. We threw the snacks at them and they took them into the trees where they agreed with us that they were inedible and started throwing them back at the car. We sped away only to get stuck in a giant mud hole. The rains had been unseasonable and the mud hole was very deep. We tried to push the car to no avail. We decided to take a deep breath, spend the night in the car and go for help in the morning.

We had not seen a single car since we left the tea place. It was almost dark by this time so we sat there talking and laughing and remembering our days at Sierra Joint Union high school. Tsetse flies swarmed the inside of the car. Their buzzing was nonstop and loud. Then the fireflies came and it looked like thousands of eyes watching us. Around midnight Lorna’s voice started to change, it became very raspy and husky and her breathing was labored. We lit a match to see what was going on. To our horror her neck was swollen and her face had turned a chalky grey color. We got out of the car determined to move it and actually lifted the back of it free of the mud but that only drove the front of it further into the hole. We stood there quietly for a minute then I said 'We have to stay in the car it’s not safe to be out here at night' Lorna said 'If I don’t get help I don’t think I’m going to be OK'. Having said that we quietly and calmly planned what to do if she totally stopped breathing and needed a tracheotomy if her breathing got worse and she needed air. We had some rudimentary things like a metal nail file and a drinking straw and gathered clothes we could put around the wound if needed.

Before we started walking I told Lorna I couldn’t go anywhere until I prayed. I call myself recovering Catholic but in that moment I knew I needed help. The Virgin Mary had been there for me before so I prayed to her. Lorna looked at me, nodded, and said she didn’t believe in praying. In a few minutes we started walking and talking and singing and smoking cigarettes which we thought might keep the wild things at bay. We walked on and on and on hoping to go back to where we had tea which was about 14 kilometers . When we came to a fork in the road we each took a side and crawled toward the middle lighting matches, hoping to see our tire tracks. There weren’t any tire tracks. We stood staring into the darkness and decided to take the road on the left and kept walking. Lorna's breathing was not getting worse, in fact it seemed to be getting better. We trudged on. Suddenly, behind us, there was a terrifying growl. Neither one of us hesitated we just kept going. A few minutes later I whispered 'did you hear that'? Lorna said 'yes'. We kept going waiting for something to pounce on us from behind.

We must’ve been walking for at least two hours when I grabbed Lorna by the arm and said ’Look, a car is coming it’s straight ahead, it’s coming over that hill' 'There is no hill, I don’t see a light' Lorna said. 'There is I see it, look it’s getting bigger it’s coming closer' as I said that a luminous incredibly bright yellow almost cigar shaped light came up from the other side of what I thought was a hill. As we kept walking the light slowly came toward us. I was giddy with excitement I knew it was help of some sort but it terrified poor Lorna who thought I lost my mind. The light came over me and I felt drenched in what felt like warm honey; peace, joy, love, every beautiful emotion imaginable came over me, went through me. I was euphoric, I had such a sense of freedom, my heart and mind were sailing into the most beautiful place I’ve ever been. I looked at Lorna and said 'If something happens to us I wish there was a way I could tell my family and friends not to be sad for me that I am going to the most incredible place imaginable where there is such love and peace I’m sure I’ll never want to leave.' At that point she was more than terrified. I said 'look the light is around my feet, describe the shape of a stone ' She said hand me something round'. I reached down and picked up a round stone, I could clearly see in the light around my feet, I put it in her hand. That went a long way toward convincing her that I was seeing something she couldn’t. We kept walking until the light suddenly veered off the side of the road. I took Lorna by the arm to follow the light. 'No she said I’ll wait for you here.' I said 'I came with you, you’re coming with me'. We both went along the path following the light. Suddenly the light was gone. That was when we saw a station wagon with two Australians sleeping in it. They were shocked to see two mud covered American women standing there. We were so filthy that they put the back gate of the station wagon down so that they could take us to the game wardens home where a very unflappable gentleman named David Sheldrick, the game warden of Tsavo came to the door welcomed us and gave us beds to sleep in.

I was woken the next morning by the clucking sound of an ostrich trying to get in through the screen to a giant bug. Oh my God, Lorna I thought, and lifted the mosquito netting to see if she was OK. She was perfectly normal, back to her old self again. While we had a lovely breakfast with the Sheldrick family several men were sent out to find the car They brought it back and stood staring at us. I asked if they were OK and the game warden said they were amazed you two survived walking such a long distance in the middle of the night with no flashlight and no protection. They had found tracks that led them to believe we had been stalked by a leopard for 10 of the 14 km we had walked.

By then our adventuresome spirit was alive and well again and off we went. When we got to Nairobi we pulled in at the New Stanley hotel where a uniformed fellow came out leaned into the car and said 'May I help you?' We asked if there was room and he smiled and suggested the Peace Corp hotel down the road. While there we met two fellows and told them about our adventure, but not about the light I saw. They suggested we go see the Peace Corp doctor. After we told the doctor the whole story, including me seeing the light he sent Lorna to get malaria pills which we should have been taking. While she was gone he said he had been in Africa for over 25 years and if he was not mistaken Lorna had had a psychosomatic reaction to fear, something he had seen before. He went on the say I had someone to lean on by praying Lorna didn’t have enough resources to know she could make the trek and find safety. He told me to never tell her, I didn’t.

From Nairobi we kept traveling toward Mount Kilimanjaro but never made it. We were trying to find a telephone, though I can’t remember why, or who we would have called. We saw what looked like phone wires that led to an English looking cottage in the absolute middle of nowhere. As we pulled up an elderly Englishwoman woman came out of the house screaming and yelling holding a large gun in her hands and running behind a group of workers who were running toward bushes at the side of an outbuilding. We watched transfixed as she stopped, aimed and shot the gun. The biggest snake I’ve ever seen came flying up out of the bushes and fell dead. It was a deadly black mamba. The woman was furious, it was the second one they had found in a short period of time. Because of this her workers were going to quit black mambas were bad.

We had other adventures including meeting a tribe of Masai, beautiful people who we bought things from. As we were heading back to the ship because there was no way we could go any further inland and we were running out of time, the car ran out of gas. The ship was sailing soon and here we were at the side of the road in our bug covered car wondering what the hell to do when a truck pulled up behind us with an Australian named Reggie in it. Reggie tied a rope to the bumper of the VW and then to his trucks bumper. Off we went speeding through downtown Mombasa trying to make the ship before it sailed at 5 o’clock. I couldn’t see a thing through the windshield and was leaning out the window trying to avoid bicycles, humans and anything else in the way as we sped through rush-hour traffic. We pulled up to the gangway at five after five. The ship was ready to sail. They had replaced the gangway with a wooden plank in case we made it in time. There stood the lovely gentleman who helped us rent the car. It turns out he was the head of customs for the port of Mombasa. He was nearly tears of relief and said he was so sorry for sending us off the way he had. I should have had you better prepared. We hugged him and ran across the plank and the ship sailed away.

When I got on board word spread quickly of our adventure and a dear friend named Rob who we lovingly called baby Huey knocked on my cabin door. He was in tears. I asked him what happened and he said he had gone with a bunch of other students to Mount Kilimanjaro. They all wanted to hike and Bob was ready for some alone time. He found a rocky ledge and sat with his legs hanging over it looking out at the Great Rift Valley. He cried even harder and said I discovered God to look at the vastness of where I was and the beauty and how microscopic we are on this planet did something to me in my heart and soul.' As he was sitting there, his mind reeling, he heard little noises and realized pebbles were rolling down from the hill above him. He heard someone yelling. Puzzled he turned around thinking it was some of the other students. A stranger came scrambling down the bank yelling Sigma Nu Sigma Nu. It was a fraternity brother of Robs from the University of Southern California had who joined the peace corp. Rob looked at me I smiled. What a vast small world.

I told Rob story including seeing the light. We were very quiet for a minute then he asked about the book that I’d been reading when he knocked on the door. It was called Leaves of Gold. I offered to give him an example of what was in the book, opened it randomly and started reading. The text said be not afraid for God is light. Bob and I looked at each other and we each had a good cry, for so many reasons. I’ve always wondered if that experience would change my life - if it has I’m not aware of it. I carry the memory in my heart with joy and no fear about what comes next.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date of NDE: 11/15/1968

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Uncertain
A friend and I were trapped in a mud hole in Africa see below for the full story Going for help in the middle of the night was probably life-threatening

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

Did you feel separated from your body? No

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness? When the light covered me.
Because of what led up to the sighting and the sighting itself I was hyper alert and conscious

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? No

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 The only change in my vision was seeing the light.

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 change in my hearing

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 sensed their presence

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased beings? Yes
I was very aware of my family

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
see my report A luminous light seemed to coming from behind a hill - when it was cigar shaped, it came toward me, over me and guided ,me to help

Did you seem to enter another world? No

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I felt euphoric, at peace and filed with 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 the universe
The message I got was that the universe or whatever in the world is 'out there' is good, kind and compassionate and full of love

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 - Catholic
I wasn't really a practicing Catholic at the time of seeing the light.

Have your religious practices changed? No

What is your religion now? Unaffiliated - Nothing in particular - Religious unaffiliated
I am spiritual but not religious.

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was entirely consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience
This experience was consistent with my beliefs

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

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.)? Yes
The Virgin Mary

During your experience, did you gain information about premortal existence? Yes
This experience was affirmation on so many levels. I didn't marry in this life, but I know I've been a parent and lived many other lives in the past. The light felt like a trusted friend, like I was home and everything would be all right again.

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? Yes
See comment above

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes
This is the second time I prayed to the Virgin Mary and received help. The first time it was about 10 years old and a horse ran away and was heading for a cliff. I screamed Mary help me and the horse stopped. In Africa, it was definitely divine intervention a specifically pray to Mary.

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes
My purpose was to get Lorna to safety. And I did.

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? No

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? Yes
I felt like I was briefly in heaven, that there is a heaven

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? Yes
Not sure you would call what I experienced specific information, but I felt loved like I've never felt before or since

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Unknown

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 was on a trip around the world for five months and barraged with experiences. I can still go back and relive the moment I began to see the light and everything that happened afterward.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Uncertain
My Irish mother and Aunt always said I had the 'gift'. I seemed to know things before they happened or how things old turn out since I was. little girl.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? The most meaningful thing was that Lorna got to safety and when I asked for help it was there.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes
I told the story soon after it happened. There were varied reactions ranging from skepticism to wonder to wow, what a story

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes
I had heard of NDE before

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real
In my mind, there was never a doubt about what happened.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real
If I close my eyes and go back to that time, it is as real today as it was then.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Yes
I have never seen the light again, but I have had my prayers to the Virgin Mary answered. Since this event, I have a sense of knowing things and wondering if I should have done something with the knowledge.

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