Greta H FDE

Experience Description

I was on the Mississippi River and stepped off a sandbar without a life jacket. The current caught me and took me under. My brother was near, and I tried to grab onto him to keep me up. He was not strong enough, and I was going down. I looked up and could see the light above me and my brother swimming at the top of the river, which is unusual, since you can't see your hand under the water in the Mississippi. It is very muddy.

I was struggling and flailing my arms at first to stay afloat, but then my life started passing before my eyes. I saw myself swinging on the swing set, climbing trees and playing with my dolls. I was totally calm and peaceful during this time. Then all of a sudden, I heard a swooshing sound, and my other, older brother was grabbing me pulling me up to the top. He saved my life. I am not sure if I had an NDE or if my brain was processing these events in my life to try and find a way out of my predicament. I have read that the brain will do that, but I am not sure.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: Summer 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

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

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I could see my brother swimming at the top of the river, which is strange since the Mississippi is a muddy brown. You can't see your hand under the water. No

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? When my life was passing before my eyes

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No

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. I could see to the top of the river, which is strange since the Mississippi is a muddy brown. You can't see your hand under the water.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. The swooshing sound when my older brother saved me was loud.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? No

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

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? No

Did you see an unearthly light? Uncertain I am not sure if the light I saw at the top of the river was unusual or not due to prior explanations.

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

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I was scared at first, but when I accepted it, I was very calm and peaceful.

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

Did you have a feeling of joy? No

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? No

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? No

The experience included: Life review

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? No

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What importance did you place on your religious/spiritual life prior to your experience? Moderately important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Catholic

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes

What importance do you place on your religious/spiritual life after your experience? Greatly important to me

What is your religion now? Unaffiliated- Nothing in particular- Religious unaffiliated I do not practice any faith, but feel I am spiritual.

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was entirely not 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 think I was too young to fully understand what had just happened to me. I had heard that when you die your life passes before you; so, I figured I was dying.

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

Did you believe in the existence of God prior to your experience? God probably exists

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

Do you believe in the existence of God after your experience? God definitely exists

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

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

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are possibly meaningful and significant

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

Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? An afterlife probably exists

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Uncertain I am not sure, but since I was so calm does this mean there could be life after death, or I was just accepting it?

Did you fear death prior to your experience? I greatly feared death

Do you fear death after your experience? I moderately fear death

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Greatly fearful in living my earthly life

Were you fearful living your life after your experience? Slightly fearful in living my earthly life

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are possibly meaningful and significant

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant after your experience? Are meaningful and significant

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

Were you compassionate prior to your experience? Slightly compassionate toward others

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

Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? No changes in my life No changes in my life

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No No Too young, therefore not in a relationship yet.

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? No

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? The calm when I thought I was dying

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes For the past 20 years or more I have. People don't understand why I wasn't fighting the whole time and how I could possibly be calm.

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? No