Noel M NDE

Experience Description

It was 1997, and I was 41 weeks pregnant. I was very uncomfortable and knew I could not wait another week, so I went to the hospital to have my labor induced.

I was in labor for about 36 hours, but I only dilated to five centimeters. My labor stalled, so the doctor decided that I needed a C-section.

Normally, during a C-section, an epidural is placed in your back so that you can remain awake during the surgery. However, the epidural did not work properly for me. I could feel the doctor cutting me open.

I told him, "I can feel you cutting me."

He replied, "That's just pressure."

I screamed, "That's not pressure. It's pain!"

Then I began to feel as though I could not get any air. I felt like I was drowning. The next thing I remember was a mask being placed over my face and a burning sensation in my arm.

At the time, what happened next seemed like a dream.

I remember having the sensation of floating. Then I found myself standing in a field. There was a tree in the middle of the field, with mountains all around me.

I felt as though I belonged there. I was not afraid.

The colors were incredibly vibrant. The colors here cannot compare to the colors I saw there.

I began walking toward the tree when I saw an extremely bright light. It was so bright that I could not look directly at it. However, I could see the shadow of someone within the light coming closer and closer.

Eventually, she stood in front of me.

She was wearing clothing that reminded me of an ancient Greek style. She had long, curly red hair that was arranged up, and she wore what appeared to be a gold leaf crown.

I felt as though I knew her.

Before I could ask her anything, she told me that it was not my time and that they were sending me back.

I remember feeling sad because I did not want to go back.

The next thing I remember was waking up in the recovery room.

At the time, I was 31 years old. I later told my aunt about the "dream" I had while I was unconscious during the C-section. That was when she told me what had actually happened.

She said that I had gone into a severe asthma attack during the surgery. The medical staff had difficulty getting a breathing tube down my throat, and my heart stopped.

When she told me that, it was like being shocked. Suddenly, everything I had experienced during the C-section and afterward made sense.

I also began thinking about what happened after the surgery. I had given birth twice before, but I had never had a heart monitor continuously attached to me in my hospital room. This time, the monitor remained attached until the day before I went home.

I stayed in the hospital for five days. Normally, I understood that the hospital stay after a C-section was about three days.

I asked my aunt why no one had told me that I had nearly died during my daughter's birth.

She told me that the doctor had instructed my family not to tell me what had happened. They were afraid that learning about it might cause me to have another severe asthma attack and create another medical emergency.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date of NDE: 09/16/1997

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? 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? In the field with the tree.

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

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

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 I have glasses on every day. Without them I would be blind. During the experience I could see like I had no eyesight problems at all.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience Normal 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? 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? Yes
Like everything had lights.

Did you seem to enter another world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm
I was like a world not of this world. The colors were vivid, like everything was one.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Like I knew the place, like a feeling of belonging.

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

Did you have a feeling of joy? No

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? Other faiths - New age
Wiccan

Have your religious practices changed? No

What is your religion now? Other faiths - New age
I'm in Wicca.

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 Wiccan then and still am.

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
Like I was looking at the Greek Goddess of my religion.

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 have had two lifetimes before this one, and this is my last one. I am not coming back for another one after this lifetime.

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? Yes
It felt like everything there and I were of oneness.

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes
I know who she was, a Goddess of Greek mythology.

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? Yes
All I can say is I know where I will be going after death. I can't wait.

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? Large changes in my life
There is life after death.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes
I am more aware.

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
It is truth.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes
Empathic.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? That I can't wait to go home again.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes
No.

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 know until years later.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real
I know it was real, no matter what anyone would say or not say.

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
Just shock.

Anything else to add? No.