Alessandra P NDE

Experience Description

I was with a friend. I went to buy some heroin because I needed it. I injected it and I collapsed. Since I was in a car with this friend of mine she, seeing I wasn't responsive anymore, took me immediately to a hospital. In the hospital, medical doctors told her it was unlikely I would have survived. Meanwhile, as I had injected the heroin, I lost consciousness and I saw myself from above, about two meters away, collapsed and with the syringe into my arm, and my friend trying to revive me. Then I found myself in a dark place, a tunnel with a fearful look. At its bottom, far away, I could see a light and I wished I could reach it, but it was as if I were chained to something: at my feet, I had something like huge metal shoes, very heavy, that prevented me from moving. I realized I was in a body that was more real than the body where we are now, just like that place was, where there was nothing beautiful. Doctors later managed to make me breathe. I woke surrounded by medical doctors.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 1978 inverno

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Drug or medication overdose. Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function or brain function) Heroin overdose

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

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes Myself with a syringe in my arm, collapsed. The person who was attempting to revive me, her despair; and my inability to communicate with her. 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? More consciousness and alertness than normal Although experience was dreadful, I was in a state of consciousness far more vigil than normal. I don't know how to explain it otherwise.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? This has been a short, but very intense, experience

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. Way more limpid

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I don't know

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? No

The experience included: Tunnel

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes A tunnel which was very long and very dark, at the bottom of it I could see a small light

Did you see any beings in your experience? No

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

The experience included: Darkness

The experience included: Unearthly light

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

Did you see an unearthly light? Uncertain A small and far light... can't tell whether unearthly.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Some unfamiliar and strange place It was like a place where I had the impression I was bound to stay, a long and narrow tunnel.

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Feeling lost, despair, fear

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? No

Did you have a feeling of joy? No

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

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? No

Did scenes from your past come back to you? No

Did scenes from the future come to you? No

Did you come to a border or point of no return? No

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What importance did you place on your religious/spiritual life prior to your experience? Slightly important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Catholic Cresciuta in famiglia cristiana cattolica, ma non interessata alla religione in quel periodo della mia vita.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What importance do you place on your religious/spiritual life after your experience? Greatly important to me

What is your religion now? Christian- Protestant Credo che Dio sia reale e davvero meraviglioso da quando ho avuto un'esperienza di born again pochi anni fa.

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 had no particular belief at that time of my life. I only looked for heroin

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? No

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? 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

Did you believe in the existence of God prior to your experience? God probably exists

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? No

Do you believe in the existence of God after your experience? God definitely exists

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? No

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are not meaningful and significant

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

Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? I was uncertain if an afterlife exists

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists No

Did you fear death prior to your experience? Unknown

Do you fear death after your experience? I do not fear death

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Slightly fearful in living my earthly life

Were you fearful living your life after your experience? Slightly fearful in living my earthly life

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are not meaningful and significant

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant after your experience? Are meaningful and significant

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

Were you compassionate prior to your experience? Unknown

During your experience, did you gain information about love? No

Were you compassionate after your experience? Moderately compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? A deep change in me happened because of a different experience, but not this one.

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.

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 believe I found myself in that place that scriptures call 'Ades' or 'abode of the dead'. I didn't realize it back then, but I am persuaded of this now.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes After many years. They listened to me, even believed me, not everybody though. A friend believes that God has somehow 'saved' me from that fearful place so that I could complete my life, and I believe that, too.

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 saw it as an extremely real fact, as if it happened yesterday. I believe I was in that place indeed. I believe the supernatural world is more real than this.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? No

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? Only that I believe I found myself in that (fearsome) place because of my (very low) consciousness level. Over the years, I had more out of body experiences (one of which was a NDE), and I found myself in heavenly places instead and enveloped with profound love and joy.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? Not at the moment. I will send to you my other experiences.