Carol W NDE

Experience Description:

I was at work during a power plant overhaul, sandblasting and painting. I was on a fifteen minute break and stood up, when my left side went numb and tingled. I had trouble breathing and talking. The paramedics on site came and thought that I was having a reaction to paint or solvent. I was taken to the local clinic where it couldn't be determined what was happening, at that point I couldn't speak, it was gibberish and I knew it.

From there I started to deteriorate, so they transferred me to a hospital thirty-five miles away. By that time, I was showing symptoms, some kind of overdose possibly from amphetamines, they assumed from my actions (excited, frantic, hostile) one minute and then next comatose. At the Price Hospital, they gave me a syringe of valium to no effect. They gave me another and another. I started to crash, they put me in another ambulance to go to another hospital one hundred and eighty miles away saying there was nothing they could do. They said I would be 'dead on arrival'. Twenty minutes out in the ambulance I died, I quit breathing and my heart stopped. The paramedic in back with me was my friend and he freaked and yelled to the driver to stop. Together they started CPR and got my heart going again slowly, ten beats per minute.

At that time, I shot out of my body like a roaring train straight up not stopping to ponder my body down below. I went to the light via a revolving tornado. Inside was dark at first and I went through all the negative (bad) things that I had ever done in my life and was stripped of it - forgiven instantly and continued up toward the light. Negative deeds pulled me down and positive pulled me up. There, on a horizon were shadows that turned to shapes of people, my grandmother and aunt Carrie appeared and I realized how young my aunt looked. I was eight when she died. She was twenty seven. Also, my grandmother was young and not crippled. I was so happy to see them.

They escorted me over to the crowds of people and I was crying. I was so happy to see them, hundreds of them. I was telling them that I hadn't seen them for ages - how could I ever had forgotten them, etc. I later realized that I had never seen any of them before, except my grandmother and aunt.

Then I found myself on the dark side of the light, there was a barrier of lace and on the other side, it was so warm and bright. I heard in my head, 'What is your answer?' I said, 'No I can't go because of my kids (ages nine and fourteen) they need me!' He acknowledged it, and gave me knowledge, that I would have to go back and suffer greatly but he would let me go back for a while. I next became aware of coming back into my body, my family was around me and I told them what happened.

Since then I have had both a good life and an agonizing one. I have had cancer twice and fifteen other operations for various maladies and illnesses, but have managed to be happy. I am not afraid to die, I have always longed for it when it comes. I am psychic and intuitive at times. I know that we are but cells in the body of Christ; we are truly part of God. All we do that is good is positive, no matter how small, and all that we do that is bad is negative. Positive energy never dies and continues to go on and on. That is what I believe.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: March 1986

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Heavy metal poisoning from zinc Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function or brain function) I thought that I was having a stroke, one side of my body went numb and tingly. Then my face went lax on one side, hard to breathe, was at work at the time sandblasting.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Mixed

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? Normal consciousness and alertness

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? The total of the time, from start to finish.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Time seemed to go faster than usual My heart only stopped for a few minutes before they got it going, but I was out of my body for hours, before I came back to it. So there was some altered time.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? More so than usual

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Not as fuzzy as dreams, not as harsh as life.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Mentally heard, sort of ESP, not talking.

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? Yes A kind of whirling tornado, dark at first then light.

Did you see any beings in your experience? Saw them

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes My grandmother and aunt and hundreds of people that I knew and loved somewhere in time. Love never dies, you always will remember that, and knowledge never dies.

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 Light towards the end of the tunnel, dark at first.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Clearly mystical or unearthly realm just the outside landscape of people...a garden of sorts.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Fear at first then sadness, the elation and happiness, then sadness again when I came back.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Incredible peace or pleasantness

Did you have a feeling of joy? Incredible joy

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? United, one with the world

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

Did scenes from your past come back to you? Past flashed before me, out of my control That happened when I was still in the Tornado tunnel, when I experienced that, the acknowledgement of evil deeds and remorse was ripped through me at incredible speed, as was the knowledge of the good and the good deeds I had done which pulled me up higher.

Did scenes from the future come to you? From personal future Just that I would have to suffer a lot in this life both mentally and physically, which I have.

Did you come to a border or point of no return? A conscious decision to 'return' to life

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Moderate Roman Catholic

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I believe all religions that preach good are basically teaching the people to be good, and therefore are good.

What is your religion now? Moderate Roman Catholic

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I believe all religions that preach good are basically teaching the people to be good, and therefore are good.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? Definite being, or voice clearly of mystical or other-worldly origin

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? Saw them

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? No That love never dies, as does positive energy and the positive things that we do for each other, no matter how small. I believe in reincarnation now, because of all the people I met over there and didn't know in this life. I knew them from somewhere, I remembered them as a person I loved dearly, family. We are all part of God, Body and soul for all eternity.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes Don't like to hang around with negative people, and I try not to be negative, although in this world it's hard to be positive.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes The fact that it was so real, the clarity of my consciousness, to realize that it was really happening

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? No I have always been physic as have most of my family. I told people I worked with that the space shuttle would explode six hours before it did. I predicted a second shuttle would also explode.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? To see my grandmother and aunt and see that they are doing well and are happy and are still learning.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Immediately I told my family, as soon as I could talk. Some believed and some didn't. But I don't care who believes or not. I know myself what is on the other side now.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Uncertain I had probably heard of it somewhere, but never paid it too much attention or read any books on it.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real I was extremely positive that nothing could ever really hurt me, and nothing really did bother me when bad things happened, I just lived through it and things always worked out.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real I am positive that it was real like when you see a horse, you know there are such things as horses and you don't question it. That's how real it is to me.

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