Elizabeth W NDE-Like

Experience Description:

I was swimming at a local lake with my grandma, aunt and cousins. I was about four or five years old and I couldn't swim that well yet. After about six feet into the water, there was an abrupt drop off to about ten feet deep. I went to go swim toward my aunt who went out further in the lake to wash her hair. I went off the drop-off in the water. I was way over my head, and I went under the water. My aunt didn't see me and no one else saw me go under.

What I remember was not being scared at all or even trying to kick or scream. I just went under the water and I was calm. I don't even remember inhaling any water. I felt totally at peace. I looked at the rocks on the bottom of the lake and I saw the light of the sun shining through the water. After a while I became fixed on the sunlight, the light of the sun became bigger, and bigger, until it looked like the sun's rays had turned into the flowing gowns and wings of an angel with long golden hair (a woman). I just stayed under water, looked at the angel, and tried to touch her because her arms were beckoning me towards her, and finally I touched her and was in the light too. Then my aunt grabbed me out of the water. (I was actually aggravated that I was grabbed away from the angel.)

I had been under for about five minutes. I was so calm and relaxed when I came up, my family didn't bother to take me to the doctor. One of my older cousins jokingly asked me if I saw a 'white light at the end of a tunnel?' I said there wasn't really a tunnel, but there was a bright golden light and an beautiful angel. (I hadn't heard before of 'the white light at the end of the tunnel thing' before, so my family was shocked when I told them of the angel and the light. If I had died that day, it wouldn't have been painful, but a very pleasant experience. I rather like being with the angel, and I felt safe and at peace. Thinking back, I don't think I was meant to die. But perhaps the angel was sent to keep me calm until I could be saved by my aunt.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 1978

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident Drowning Life threatening event, but not clinical death Drowning.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Wonderful

Did you feel separated from your body? Uncertain No

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 The experience was very vivid. I was a small child when this happened and I can see what I saw in my mind, just like if it was playing on a movie screen in my mind. Not only can I recall what I saw, but also the feelings that go along with it. Even the way I recall it is in child-like terms.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? When I was under the water, particularly when I saw the golden light and the angel.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Neither

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Time seemed to go faster than usual I know it was a long time that I was under the water from my family. But the time that I felt that, I was with the angel, and then out of the water and in the light with the angel, seemed to pass too quickly. I know that I should have felt pain or stress from trying to breathe or inhaling water, but I don't remember doing this at all. (I need to ask my aunt if I had water in my lungs.) I know I couldn't be under water so long on one breath but, it was like once I saw the angel and was in her light that I wasn't in the water anymore, I must have been able to breath.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Incredibly more so

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Normally I couldn't see very well under the water in the lake, it hurt my eyes so I usually kept my eyes closed and opened my eyes for only a few seconds at a time. My eyes were wide open during the entire experience, and I could see so clearly, and my eyes didn't hurt.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I recall total silence under the water.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Neither

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Uncertain I was in the same light that the angel was. Once I was in the light, I felt like I wasn't in water anymore.

Did you see any beings in your experience? Saw them

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes What I thought to be an angel with golden/white wings and long golden hair. She had blue eyes and a white gown. She was reaching toward me, with a pleasant look on her face. It wasn't someone that I knew. No verbal communication. I felt safe with the angel and very calm.

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 As explained before, there was a golden light. After I looked at the rocks on the bottom of the lake, I noticed the sun shining through the water. But then it became bigger, and I knew it wasn't the sun. The light and the angel were above me slightly. It wasn't bright or blinding bright light, but a golden soothing light.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Clearly mystical or unearthly realm

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Wonder and awe at what I was seeing (light and angel); calmness; happiness. I felt safe and secure.

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

Did you have a feeling of joy? Happiness

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? Neither

Did scenes from the future come to you? Neither

Did you come to a border or point of no return? Neither

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Conservative/fundamentalist

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Conservative/fundamentalist

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? 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? Uncertain I wasn't afraid. I didn't think about dying or missing my family. I knew going with the angel was the right thing to do, and she would keep me safe wherever she took me. Faith I learned God exists and his angels will take care of us.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes Intuition, dreams that come true, ESP, on a couple of occasions in extreme stress and emotional turmoil I have broken glass objects by focusing on them.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? When I am having a bad day, sometimes I picture the experience of the light and the angel, and the feelings I had. I wish I could go back and feel that again.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? No

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 know it was real. I can recall it as well today and I did when it happened.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real The very same. I can recall it as vividly as I did when it happened.

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 was very, very young when this happened. I had been to Baptist church Sunday school my entire life. But at that time, I didn't have a concept of death or ever heard stories about what happens when you die.