Greta J NDE

Experience Description:

I was swimming in a lake with my brothers when I decided to swim out to a stump and then back to shore. I was not a good swimmer and half way there or back I started going under. I was very frightened and then suddenly a peace came over me. I was floating in what felt like a tunnel or tube going up toward a light. The interesting thing that I still remember is that the light was so white. I felt so at peace and wanted to go to the light. My brother rescued me. I cannot today remember the fear that I must have felt from the drowning experience, but I do remember the intense pleasure from the tunnel experience.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: late 1950's

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? No. drowning experience Life threatening event, but not clinical death

How do you consider the content of your experience? Wonderful

Did you feel separated from your body? No 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? I believe that I was conscious the whole time.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Neither

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Neither I wasn't thinking about anything except the light.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Neither

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

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes

Did you see any beings in your experience? Neither

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

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

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Clearly mystical or unearthly realm No, but I wanted to go to the light

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

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? No longer in conflict with nature

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? Moderate Baptist/Methodist

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Moderate

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? Neither

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? Neither

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion

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

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

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? No

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes It was twenty something years before I learned that others had the same experience.

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 I believe that I was dying and being taken to a wonderful place.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? No Absolutely NO.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? I truly believe that I was experiencing death. I had a son in 1970 and when he was three years old he was standing outside in front of the kitchen window. He put his hands up in the air, looked up and said Praise God! We did not go to church then. We were living in Panama and did not have English TV. Where did that come from? He was playing alone. Today he is a physician.