Rhonda NDE

Experience Description

In 1994, I was two weeks late having my baby. When I finally went into labor, from March 2nd through March 4th, it was time for an epidural. I did not know this was the cause of anything wrong until just this year. I remember grabbing the nurse on several occasions to tell her "something was wrong," but she just kept saying I was just having a baby. When she came near me the last time, I grabbed her arm as best I could and said it again, sounding completely drunk. I could not even form the words. I remember her looking at me and then suddenly she was laying across me, yelling into what I assume was a call button. I vaguely remember complete chaos as they were moving the bed up and down. I looked at the monitor, and assumed it was the dropping blood pressure numbers that held my attention. I saw 60/25, when I passed out.

My mother later told me they rushed in and made everyone leave. People and equipment moved very quickly from that point. She later told me she knew I was dead. As She kept trying to find out what was happening, they told her to stay in the hallway.

Now for what happened as I saw it. I opened my eyes. No one was in the quiet hospital room and I was lying in the bed. A woman dressed in a beautiful white gown appeared. She was also wearing what seemed like a monk's brown cloak with the hood over her head. Her brown curly hair cascaded out the sides, and she was very beautiful. I remember her hand as she extended her arm out to me and how pretty her nails were. She had white lace and fabric sleeves that ruffled out from the brown robe. She kept saying, "It's your time, take my hand." I informed her I was having a baby and could not go with her because I had to take care of my child. She kept repeating, "No, it's your time, take my hand."

I finally reached up to take her hand and found myself under water in a black tunnel. I was swimming forward but had no fear of not being able to breathe. I was more curious. I stared at the black curve of the wall, which appeared to be made of cinder block. I continued swimming forward to the light at the end of the tunnel. I am claustrophobic and do not like water, yet I had no fear. I swam out of the tunnel and up to the surface.

Looking to my left, I was mesmerized by the trees and what seemed to be the most beautiful sunset. I stared for a bit and then slowly scanned to my right to see a beautiful city. The sun was setting on buildings that reminded me of old Roman architecture with columns. In front of me were groups of people, all dressed in beautiful white gowns and just talking. There were children playing on the stone steps that led right into the water. To the right and left of the steps were bulkheads. I was immediately taken with a little girl running up and down the stairs. I felt a strong need to get to her. I swam towards the bulkhead on my right, and put my hands up to pull myself out of the water.

The woman from my bedside stood there, only without the cloak and dressed in her gown. She looked at me and said they decided I needed to go back and care for my child. I began arguing again, asking her please not to send me back and that I wanted to stay. She became more emphatic and kept saying I had to take care of my child. I still did not want to go, but suddenly I woke up in the hospital bed.

I was shivering with about ten hot blankets on me. There must have been ten to fifteen people in the room, including what seemed to be a class of new doctors. One doctor stood in the doorway until I delivered the baby. The nurse said I would be pushing soon. That became my focus. When I thought about everything later, I figured it was a crazy dream. I never said anything to anyone else because I thought I would sound crazy. The child's father would definitely have thought so.

Years later, I sat in a break room at work on a ten-minute break. I did not know that a coworker was also a pastor. He was talking to someone about the book of Revelation and heaven. I asked him if we could go there and come back. We talked later, and I finally told him about this dream. He told me to go home and research NDEs. I did and was completely taken aback. I have listened to many accounts, and some I identify with while others I do not. Then, just last May, I was talking to the anesthesiologist before a kidney surgery, and he mentioned my episode in 1994. I looked at him and asked what happened. He told me about the spinal tap and epidural mistake. That was the first time I felt I knew what I went through was absolutely real and not a dream.

I have wondered if the woman was my grandmother at a younger age. She was in her late sixties when I was born and I did not know her very well.

I also had lost a child three years earlier. I terminated a pregnancy due to the horrific pain I was in. I was told I had to decide to hold on until I miscarried or aborted. I ended up aborting when I sneezed and fell to the floor in excruciating pain and began spotting blood. I have never been able to get past my decision. It is probably my biggest regret that I did not hold out.

Now, about why they told me to come back and care for my child. The father was abusive and became worse as time went on. My daughter was afraid of him. Long story short, she took him to court at age fourteen and was emancipated from him. It took years in the courts to get this verdict, so I constantly had to shield her as best I could without facing charges for keeping her from her father. It was horrible. I left with her when she was six years old, and I had a seven-month-old at the time also. I did not want my girls to think abusive behavior was normal. Today, I have two grown college graduates making great money and on their own. I guess I did need to come back after all.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date of NDE: 3/4/1994

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes
I just found out last year that the anesthesiologist gave me a spinal tap versus an epidural. Epidurals require more anesthesia, but with the placement incorrect, I was overdosed. I told the nurse prior to losing consciousness, in a voice that sounded more and more like I was drunk, that something was very wrong. She finally believed me moments before all chaos broke out and I passed out.

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? I was very alert the whole time. I had a huge amount of curiosity. Seeing the girl playing at the edge of the water was when I felt a sense of urgency.

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? 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 I've always worn glasses or contacts, but I didn't seem to need them there.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience Same

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Yes, but the facts have not been checked out

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes
Black cinderblock tunnel, and I was under water. I don't hear that often.

Did you see any beings in your experience? I actually saw them

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased beings? Uncertain
I don't know if the woman was a grandmother or not. I always thought she might be. However, could it have been my second daughter wanting to be born? She has dark curly hair and is beautiful!

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

Did you see an unearthly light? Uncertain
A light at the end of the tunnel and a beautiful sunset or maybe sunrise. It was so colorful.

Did you seem to enter another world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm
I have not been to this place before in this lifetime.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I really wanted to stay after I argued about not going. I wonder today how I could say that, knowing I was in labor!

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Relief or calmness

Did you have a feeling of joy? Happiness

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? No

Did you suddenly understand everything? No

Did scenes from your past come back? No

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? Yes
I believe that to be the stone wall that she would not let me grab to get out of the water. She stood directly in my way so I couldn't get out while she urgently told me I couldn't stay. It was imperative that I go back and take care of my child!

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
As stated before.

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian - Protestant
I was raised Protestant but was not currently active in the church at the time.

Have your religious practices changed? Yes
I do not feel I have to be in church to go to heaven.

What is your religion now? Unaffiliated - Nothing in particular - Religious unaffiliated
I would consider myself spiritual but not religious, as I do not attend any church.

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
I was raised Protestant and still believe the same.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes
It's about what's inside you versus going to church. God is with us and loves us, and He has forgiven me for that abortion. Now I must do the same.

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
The woman that came to get me later sent me back!

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? Uncertain
Not at the time. But life proved that I did need to come back even when against my will. I believe I was sent back so my daughter, who I assume would have been born alive, would not be raised by a harmful person.

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? Yes
I knew there was more because I wanted to stay and I wasn't allowed. It seemed like a city with people and children, and I wanted to be there.

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? Moderate changes in my life
I have become more spiritual versus religious, as in church attendance. I believe a good life is proven by how we treat others versus sitting in a building every Sunday. I've been around churchgoers who are horrible people, so I believe it's what is inside that counts more. I was raised to believe I had to go to church, but I no longer feel this.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes
I am no longer with their father.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Uncertain
I didn't want to talk about it for years, and even now I am cautious. I told one person, and she said it would be best if I didn't talk about this because I could sound crazy.

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's been 31 years, and I see this event like it happened yesterday!

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? No

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? I did not want to return, but I am glad I did. My girls needed me for sure! I cannot imagine what their lives would have been had I not returned.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Uncertain
Very few people! I first shared it about 12 years later.

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 probably not real
I thought it had to be a dream—I was on some powerful hospital drugs.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real
I can relate some of these experiences to others, and the way my life played out, it had to be real.

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
The questions were very good.