Cynthia T NDE

Experience Description

I was in labor and the doctor gave me an epidural. Everything was going fine and I wasn't feeling pain anymore so my partner and my mother went for lunch. Right after they left, the room looked like it was fading away and as I was telling the nurse about it everything went white - as if I was blinded by a strong light. I could hear everything, even the nurse who was on the phone asking for medication. It was like fainting but instead of being dark, it was sparkling white. I felt like I was floating on a cloud and it felt so good, it was an amazing sensation - until I came back in my body. When I came back in my body I was hooked up to everything; I had an oxygen mask on my face and I wasn't feeling well at all. I was gasping for air and it felt awful. Even if I could breathe, it felt like I couldn't get enough air in. They were putting ice on my chest to see if I could feel it and I barely felt anything.

Afterward I was told that the epidural froze up my body too high (above my heart) and because of it, my heart stopped. The nurse gave me a medication to restart it. I don't know how long I was in the light for but I think it was a while because when it started, my mother and partner had just gone for lunch and when I came around, they were back. I didn't see any tunnel or deceased people or my body but I could hear everything right up to just before I came around (at that point I lost some of it).

Since this experience I am not afraid of death and when someone is about to die, I can't explain why but I can feel it. I also learned how to read cards and when someone is about to die, I can see it the cards (very often) so I don't read cards anymore (especially since the death of a friend's mother).

I work in a hospital and also in a home for nuns and every time someone is about to die I know it, but I don't know why. I don't know if it has something to do with my NDE but all I know is that I wasn't like that before. Now, even my dreams sometimes come true and I wonder if I am the only one experiencing this and if it has something to do with my NDE.

What is interesting is that many patients at the hospital. The nuns say that I am an angel, a guardian angel who will have a spot in heaven. It's funny.

I would really appreciate an answer from you to let me know if my experience is comparable to the others' experiences, please.

Cynthia.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 14 février 2000

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? No Childbirth Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function or brain function)

How do you consider the content of your experience? Mixed

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? Normal consciousness and alertness

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Yes.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning Everything happened so fast that I don't know how long it lasted.

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. As I said at the beginning, everything started to fade away until it turned sparkling white from a bright light.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I heard everything that was happening except for shortly before coming back to my body.

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

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

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

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 A bright white light.

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I felt good while I was out of my body; it was like floating on a white cloud since everything was sparkling white. I don't understand why it felt so good outside of my body and so terrible when I came back in - the difference between the two sensations is weird - I never felt as good as when I was out of my body.

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? I felt united or one with the world

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

Did scenes from the future come to you? Scenes from the world's future

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? Liberal

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Liberal

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? 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 Since this experience I can feel when someone is about to die and when I read cards I saw death a lot in them but I am not certain if it is related to my NDE. I stopped reading cards after I realized people were dying for real and after my friend's mother past away (just a few days after I had read my friend's cards and had told him that his mother was going to die) - I felt terrible.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes I see death differently.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes In my dreams and when I feel that someone is about to die - it never fails and there were many at the hospital. Even people who were not in palliative care, I could feel if they were going to die. Same thing with the nuns; I can feel it when one is going to die.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? Yes, before I was scared of death and now I am not because I know we feel good when it happens. It's an intense feeling of well-being that makes you want to say to dying people to go towards the light because they are going to feel good like they never have before.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes The next day after my NDE to try to understand what had happened and later with my friends and family.

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 really don't care what people think, I know what I have been through and I know I am not the only one who has experienced that. I know I am not crazy, regardless of what they think.

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? I would like to know if some people had gifts before their NDEs or if some people had gifts resulting from their NDEs. I find it so weird.