Anna W NDE

Experience Description

After my hysterectomy surgery, I was discharged from the hospital to home. However, six days later, I was back in the hospital again because of severe pain and a high fever. The admission exam revealed that my blood was infected and that I had peritonitis. A scan showed I had internal bleeding in two places. The infection rate had gone way up to 327CRP. [CRP is the measure of a pain-reactive protein in the blood that rises with inflammation.] The pain was incredible. I needed emergency surgery to drain and wash the infected areas inside my abdomen. Fifteen minutes before I was taken to the operating theater, I was lying in my hospital bed feeling overwhelmed with pain.

Suddenly my awareness changed and the room became filled with a bright light. There before me were my late grandmother and late mother-in-law floating toward me! They came to rest on either side of my bed. My grandmother was to the left of me and my mother-in-law to my right. Only my mother-in-law spoke. She said it wasn't my time to come with them but that they were here to help me with my pain. So, they 'pulled' me out of my body and I floated straight upward a short distance where I stopped and remained hovering there. As soon as I left my body, everything was tranquil and I felt no more pain.

My mother-in-law pointed to a whitish translucent cord attached at one end to the floating 'me', and at the other end to my body on the bed. She instructed me to be careful not to break that cord as I was going to need it to get back into my body. From above, I could clearly see my husband and the doctors and nurses gathered around my bed. The room was filled with a beautiful bright white light. Looking through this white light, I could see vivid colors, as well as the ordinary objects in the room. I remained floating serenely above my body until I was taken to the operating theater. Once there, my mother-in-law and grandmother vanished.

In their place, beside my bed, appeared my late grandfather clad in a white coat. He had been a general practitioner/doctor during his life. However, I had never met him as he had died when I was seven years old! He spoke to me about the details of my medical issues and pointed out, in terms of centimeters, exactly where in my abdomen the three main internal infections were located. He specified this medical information in Latin. I don't speak Latin but I understood him. Then he too disappeared. I immediately re-entered my body and so I was able to repeat everything my grandfather had just told me while the surgeon wrote down detailed notes and my husband listened.

A couple of days after the (successful) surgery, I talked with the surgeon. He said he had never spoken to anyone in my condition, (CRP327 – i.e. in such a lot of pain), who had been able to talk so clearly. He had never had access before to a surgery with such accurate information on where to find the main infected areas. He said that my grandfather's directions had told him to move certain internal organs aside to get to the third infected location. Without my grandfather's information, he could easily have missed it, especially since, at admission, they had diagnosed me with only two internal infections, not three. It was exactly as my grandfather had described it. He had said that there was an area of infected fluid in a 'hidden' part of my pelvis and had described, in terms of centimeters, exactly where to drain this infected fluid. It was beneath a bleeding point.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 22-09-2009

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Illness. Surgery-related 'Life threatening event, but not clinical death' Sepsis as a postoperative patient It was right before an emergency operation.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Wonderful

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes 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 During the moment that I started to float; right after I was 'pulled out' of my body.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? During the moment that I started to float, which was right after I was 'pulled out' of my body.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Incredibly fast

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning It was timelessness and the hospital room seemed somewhere else.

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. There was more depth, more transparency, and incredible colors. Since the experience, I have been able to draw and paint very detailed, colorful canvasses. Before, I never used details and colors to the extent I do now.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I could clearly hear my late relatives, whereas the hospital workers in the room sounded less clear, (although what they were saying to each other was still clear enough for me to understand.)

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Yes, and the facts have been checked out

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

The experience included: Presence of deceased persons

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

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes My grandmother, my mother-in-law, and my grandfather.

The experience included: Light

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 Bright white light. It arose in the middle of the room and spread out in rays of light. The objects in the room, however, remained colored but with more color than normal.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? No i remained in the hospital room

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Peaceful, tranquil, pain-free, wise, relaxed, happy to see my late relatives again, calm, and knowing I was in good hands.

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

The experience included: Special Knowledge

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about the universe

Did scenes from your past come back to you? My past flashed before me, out of my control I learned that my life was not over yet and that I needed to finish my studies and help others during the rest of my life.

The experience included: Vision of the future

Did scenes from the future come to you? Scenes from the world's future That I would finish my studies and in the future I would work with patients myself.

The experience included: Boundary

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? Yes The border was the cord that was attached to my body. I was told not to cross the border (break the cord) because if I did, I would not be able to re-enter my body.

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

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Moderate

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Uncertain I have not changed a lot in regard to religion.

What is your religion now? Moderate

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Uncertain I have not changed a lot in regard to religion.

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

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? I actually saw them

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes Not me, but my late grandfather told me things that I reported to the doctor.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes Now I am closer to my husband and my best girlfriend.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes It was an out of body experience.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes Now I can feel if patients are hiding their pain and I can sense emergency situations. I sort of 'know' when patients are in danger, without having had any verifiable information beforehand

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? Yes, especially my grandfather's understanding of my diagnosis that he gave to me to tell the surgeon, so the surgery would be successful. I feel that he is still around me, helping to enhance my own skills in my daily life, especially in my current work as a district nurse.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Right after the experience, I told my husband and the surgeon, no one else. I told my best friend after a year and a half. My husband is now more open to paranormal experiences.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes I had heard of it, but wasn't interested. I now want to know other NDE stories.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real At the time it was extremely real.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was probably real Sometimes I doubt my experience and think of the amounts of morphine that I had been given.

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? Patients should be asked about these experiences when they are being discharged from hospital.