Norma J NDE

Experience Description

I awoke not feeling well, as though I might be coming down with the flu. I continued to feel worse the longer I was awake. I told my husband how I was feeling, and we agreed that maybe we should call an ambulance. They arrived within minutes.

Just before they got there, it was as if someone lit a fire in my chest. I could feel the flames crawling across my chest. They gave me aspirin and nitroglycerin, and I knew then that I was in trouble because the pain stopped.

We got to the hospital, and the pain started again. I kept telling them, but they weren't listening. My husband had finally been allowed into my room because COVID precautions were still in place, and I told him what was going on.

Then all of my pain stopped. Not just the pain in my chest, but every pain in my body. For the first time in twenty years, nothing hurt. I told my husband, and he turned to put his jacket on a chair.

Suddenly, I was walking beside a river or lake with a man. I knew I couldn't cross to the other side or go into the water. We walked to a spot, sat down, and talked.

The thing I can't really explain is the feeling. It was complete and total peace and contentment. The beauty was like nothing I have ever seen. The colors were vibrant, as if they had a life of their own. I wasn't worried about anything. I'm still trying to remember what we talked about and trying to figure out who I was talking with. That said, I am forever grateful for the experience.

Next, I found myself on a table with people everywhere. Some guy said, "She's back. She's awake." At first, I was mad because they had brought me back. Then I thought about my husband and started asking where he was. I knew he was somewhere, freaking out.

They took me for a stent after that, then kept me in the hospital for testing and recovery for about a week.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date of NDE: 02/20/2022

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes
I had a Widowmaker heart attack and coded twice.

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

Did you feel separated from your body? I lost awareness of my body

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness? I never felt that I wasn't conscious and alert. My husband said that my body started shaking and I was gone when my heart stopped. But for me, one second I was here, the next I was there.

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

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning
Time was irrelevant.

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 This is hard. It's like you see with all of you: your eyes, your heart, your mind, your knowing. Not sure that makes sense. I did not need my glasses.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience Honestly, I don't remember. I'm having trouble remembering our conversation. I'm actually hoping that doing this will help.

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 beings? Uncertain
I'm not sure here if I met a deceased family member, if I met God, or a Spirit guide. At this point, I just say a man.

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? No

Did you seem to enter another world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm
It was a river, the grass went right to the water. Trees all around, so many colors of green. The grass beside the river was kind of like a lawn, only better. Flowers all around; the colors were glorious, and the water was so clear. But I couldn't cross or go in. If I did, I couldn't come back.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Calm, love, devotion (home)

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? Yes
The river, I knew I couldn't cross.

Did you come to a border or point of no return? I came to a definite conscious decision to return to life
I always knew I had to come back.

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian - Other Christian
I was raised Christian and believe all power comes from God. I believe there's way more to it than the church teaches, however.

Have your religious practices changed? Uncertain
Not really changed, but I have peace about what I believe versus what I was taught now.

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 was raised Christian, so I've always known there was more. I'm a witch, so I was fighting with whether I was going to hell or not. That was definitely not hell. I still have peace about it.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Uncertain
Honestly, I'm still figuring it out.

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
I'm not sure here if I met a deceased family member, if I met God, or a Spirit guide. At this point, I just say a man.

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.)? Uncertain
I'm not sure here if I met a deceased family member, if I met God, or a Spirit guide. At this point, I just say a man.

During your experience, did you gain information about premortal existence? Uncertain
Experience only.

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? Yes
I felt connected to everything.

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes
You can't feel that and not know it's God.

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
I knew that there was more beyond the river. This is just a tiny part of our lives, not the real thing.

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? Uncertain
Having trouble remembering the conversation.

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Yes
I finally understand. The love that you feel there will make you cry. I have never been so loved...

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Unknown
I have a peace about me that I didn't have before.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes
I have more patience with people, I think. I know that we all have our journey to travel and things to learn. I've learned to give people space to do that. Just love them where they are.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes
There are no words to truly explain the feeling of the other side. The best words we have don't even come close to the reality of it.

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
My husband has to help me remember a lot that happened during that time. What happened while I was gone, I'll never forget.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Uncertain
I know that I lean into them now, but I don't know that they weren't always there.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? That feeling. After a lifetime of never really feeling like I truly fit, even in my own skin at times, to just know that's where I belong. That there's so much more than this...

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes
As soon as I was back, I started talking about it. I told my husband first. Then, after the stent, I told the nurses and some other family members. Reactions were mixed. Some cried, others were like, "Wow, really?" Some asked questions.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes
I had heard about it on TV and things like that, but had never known anyone who had experienced it.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real
It was more real than anything in my physical life. I can't really explain why; it just was. I simply knew it was real.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real
I know it happened. I still feel a bit of the peace; it's not as all-encompassing as it was there, but it's still inside me.

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? No
The questions that you asked did the best that could be done, I think. The truth is we cannot accurately and comprehensively answer. Until you experience it, you can't know. Earth doesn't have the words.

Anything else to add? There are things I'm still trying to remember. I almost didn't share because I didn't see a tunnel and a light at the end of it and the things that other people talk about. I'm hoping that helping you will actually help me.