CL NDE

Experience Description

During major surgery on my kidney, the medical staff was unable to control bleeding, which caused my heart to stop. Surgery was stopped in the attempt to resuscitate me. All I can remember is thinking that I was dreaming. At first, I was afraid that I had woken up during surgery and just couldn't move but I didn't feel any pain. Then, I realized that I was in one of the corners of the operating room, floating there and watching the staff working. I don't know how long that lasted but I eventually woke up in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for Heart Patients, drifting in and out of consciousness. I found out a couple of days later what had happened.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 12/1999

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Surgery-related Clinical death Surgery being performed, uncontrollable bleeding caused heart to stop.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Positive

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I was under general anesthesia at the time but I can clearly remember floating in the operating room and watching the medical staff doing something.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Hard to say. It's like being half asleep and half awake at the same time.

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning I did lose a lot of my memories. I am still struggle to remember things that happened in the past which was not how I was before this experience.

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

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

Did you see an unearthly light? Uncertain I can't remember.

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

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about the universe In the beginning, right after the experience, I went through a very difficult time in my life. I began to ask the question, ‘Why was I brought back to suffer?’ A few years later, I knew why when I met my husband.

Did scenes from your past come back to you? My past flashed before me, out of my control

Did scenes from the future come to you? Scenes from the world's future I have always had the gift of being shown through dreams that someone close to our family will pass away. It has somewhat intensified since the experience.

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 I can't remember that part. I do remember waking up to see a sign that said ‘Intensive Care Unit-Heart Patients’, tubes coming out of my mouth and nose, and my sister looking at me really sadly.

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Moderate

What is your religion now? Moderate

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes It was just a feeling like I've never had before so it makes it difficult to explain in words.

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? The worst part was memory loss. The best was being able to see a few years later. That’s why I came back.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes They were excited, and wanted to know more about the experience.

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? I would like to know if the memory loss is part of the experience. I would like to know if anyone else has experienced this after OBE.