Elaine K NDE

Experience Description

I was floating in an innertube at the beach. A wave came up and knocked me off the innertube and I fell under the water. I couldn't swim and I started to think I was going to drown.

Everything became very peaceful and non-threatening. I remember a life review and seeing events in my short life as they went through my brain. I saw events in my life such as trips to my grandmother's house. I was in the dark and saw a light at the end of what seemed like a tunnel. I felt like I was being pulled to the light and I knew once I got there I would have crossed over. I was never scared or afraid, but was reassured that everything would be all right. As I got close to the light, a grid came down in front of me and stopped me from going any further.

I remember waking up and coughing up water. My mother was yelling down the beach looking for me. I had drifted a ways down the shore. No one saved me or helped me, but it was like I was just washed up on the shore. Later on, I realized that the grid I had seen looked like a circuit board. I started dreaming a lot more after that and having almost prophetic dreams.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 1967

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Life threatening event, but not clinical death. Drowning. I had been carried under the water and drifted down the shore until I washed up on the beach.

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

Did you feel separated from your body? No. I lost awareness of my body

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. It seemed more real, such as during lucid dreaming.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? I was probably at the highest level of consciousness at the time I was being pulled to the light and then I came to.

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 seemed to be happening at once.

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. No difference

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. No difference

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere, as if by ESP? No

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Uncertain It was dark and I felt like I was going through a tunnel to a light at the end.

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? Uncertain I saw a light, but couldn't say it was unearthly.

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Peace, mainly.

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 no longer in conflict with nature

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? No

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? No

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? Christian- Protestant

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Uncertain. It probably started then, but became much more defined as I got older and experienced cosmic consciousness at 17.

What is your religion now? Other faiths- New age. No specific religion, but consider myself very spiritual. I have explored all religions and at 17 had an experience of cosmic consciousness.

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? Uncertain I was only 8 at the time, so it's hard for me to say how I was before. I just know that I was very sensitive to others after the event and started having intensely vivid dreams.

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

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? No

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? No

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? No

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? An afterlife definitely exists. I knew death was not an end and I had no fear of it.

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

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

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

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Uncertain

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? Yes I had some prophetic dreams. I had a dream the morning that a politician was shot and paralyzed and I woke up late and told my parents about it.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Several years. It wasn't until I was older and understood what it was that I began to tell people about it. I took a class at the community college when I was 17 on Thanatology and Raymond Moody came to speak to the class.

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? Yes The experience I had of cosmic consciousness. I felt completely immersed in a pink cloud and my mind opened up. At that moment I felt that I understood everything, no fear of death, the flow and relationality of everything and everyone. It was impossible to hate anyone after that and tremendous feelings of love engulfed me.