Barbara W NDE

Experience Description

I was having a routine out-patient surgery on my sinuses. As a child, I had severe nose bleeds and infections. This has plagued me into adulthood. About a month ago, I was sent to have a CT scan done on my sinuses. I met with an Ear Nose and Throat doctor who showed me the scan. It was diagnosed as a severe deviated septum, thickening of the mucosa lining and totally blocked drainage tubes. Surgery was recommended. I had previously been diagnosed with sleep apnea and had been using a CPAP [ Editor's Note: Continuous Positive Airway Pressure used to help a person who has sleep apnea breathe more easily during sleep.] machine for about six months. On the day of surgery, everything was going fine. The surgery was to take about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. I remember being rolled back to the room about 8:45am and telling my husband, I loved him.

The next thing I remember was dreaming. I somehow knew I was dreaming but thought it strange because I had never had a dream after surgery before. In the dream, I noticed how beautiful the day was. It was sunny blue skies overhead. I remember walking up to a big brick house and there were beautiful flowers all around the front sidewalk. Everything was so colorful and vivid. The front door seemed to be especially illuminated and sparkly. I walked up to the front door and noticed a beautiful terra cotta tile design around the wooden door. I reached out my hand to a round metal doorknob to open the door and go inside. There was no fear or sadness. I just knew I wanted to go inside. Just as I touched the doorknob, I heard someone calling my name. They were saying, 'Mrs. Barbara you have to wake up.'

It was like I was jerked back. I remember opening my eyes and seeing several operating room staff crowding around. I passed out again and awoke again to a doctor giving orders to put different things in my IV.

I passed out again and woke up again. I saw myself lying on the table with a breathing mask taped down over my mouth. At the time, I thought there must be a mirror over me to see myself. I heard someone say, 'She's gone spastic, she's spastic'. I wondered whom they were talking about and what that meant. I woke up again to the doctor taking my hand and asking me to squeeze it as hard as I could. I squeezed his hand and he said, 'Good, that's good.'

The next thing I remember was waking up back in my room. They had brought my husband in and the doctor was telling him that I had stopped breathing twice. They couldn't get me to wake up and had to insert another tube to ventilate me. The doctor said they thought they were losing me. About that time, I looked to the wall clock again and saw that it was about 1:30pm. The rest of the day was spent getting me stable. My throat was in a lot of pain but they wouldn't give anything because the doctor said they couldn't take the chance of me going to sleep again.

I was released later that night about 6:30pm. They wanted to keep me but I fought to go home and they relented after several doctors checked me out and said I was stabilized. I had never had any problem with anesthesia before or with waking up from it. No one seems to know what went wrong. I don't know if it had something to do with the sleep apnea or what.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 2/26/14

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Uncertain Surgery-related. While under general anesthesia Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function or brain function) I was having out-patient surgery on my sinuses.

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

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? No No

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal everyday consciousness and alertness? Normal consciousness and alertness It seemed as if I was conscious while it was occurring. Also, every time I came awake it seemed as if I had not been asleep at all.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? The dream was very vivid and clear. It was almost as if it was actually occurring in real life.

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. Everything was clearer and brighter: more colorful.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I had no trouble hearing what was going on around me. In fact, I wondered who they were talking about. It seemed like I was watching a TV show.

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 (or alive) beings? No

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? An unusually bright light

Did you see an unearthly light? No

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? No

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Calmness. I was not afraid. It seemed as if it was happening to someone else.

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

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

The experience included: Boundary

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? Yes A closed door

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? Greatly important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Protestant

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

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

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 definitely 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 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? An afterlife definitely exists

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Yes I wanted to go through the door to see what was on the other side. I knew something was beyond the door.

Did you fear death prior to your experience? I moderately feared death

Do you fear death after your experience? I moderately fear death

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Not fearful in living my earthly life

Were you fearful living your life after your experience? Not fearful in living my earthly life

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are 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? Greatly compassionate toward others

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

Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Slight changes in my life Slight changes in my life

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No 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

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I told my husband as soon as I was able to talk, later the same day. My husband had doubts as to what I experienced was real.

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

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