Hope R NDE

Experience Description

I felt a searing pain in my left arm and felt something on my leg that felt like a fish. I could see through the water something that looked like an eel, long and black with yellow markings. It came up to the surface and rested its head atop the water, at which point I identified it as a water snake. It swam back into the weeds on the edge of the pond as I attempted to use my strength to wave or swim back to shore. I did not have enough strength and I sank down into the water and fell unconscious.

Around me, I felt an extreme sense of warmth. It was entirely black, but I was processing thoughts, thinking I was going to die. For some reason, I was not scared. All around me was a warm blanket of black warmth. It was extremely comforting, and I could take deep breathes of clean, sweet smelling air. This happened while I was underwater and could not actually breathe. So I felt as if I were floating in a cloud of black warmth, which smelled sweet, and had fresh air. Now, right before I woke up, I felt breathing, a giant heartbeat around me, surrounding me. It was a hot, steamy breath I felt swirl around me in the blackness. It was like a giant, warm, being was cradling me.

It ended as I awoke in a hospital bed. It had been 3 days since my NDE. A lifeguard patrolling the pond had rescued me. I had a somewhat foggy recollection of what had happened but it slowly came back to me over a course of a week.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 7-9-07

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Drowning. Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function or brain function) I had been swimming in a local pond when a poisonous snake (water moccasin) bit me. I was sent into shock and almost drowned.

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

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I heard breathing and a heartbeat. 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? Less consciousness and alertness than normal

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? A few minutes after losing consciousness, but it's hard to say because my perception of time was extremely distorted during the experience, I felt sleepy.

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Time seemed to go faster or slower than usual I had thought a few minutes passed but when I had woken up it had been three days of being in a coma.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? No

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Everything was entirely black.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I heard breathing and a heartbeat.

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

The experience included: Darkness

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? No

Did you see an unearthly light? No

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Some unfamiliar and strange place A warm, dark place.

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I felt great overwhelming peace, joy, calmness, tranquility, harmony, and love.

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 united or one with the world

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? No

Did scenes from your past come back to you? No

Did scenes from the future come to you? No

The experience included: Boundary

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? 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? Not important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Unaffiliated- Agnostic I was raised Protestant, Christian but have never really supported any religion.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

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

What is your religion now? Unaffiliated- Agnostic Same as before.

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was both consistent and not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience It was actually really confusing because I had been agnostic before but I'm not sure if I felt God or something else...?

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 Again, I heard breathing and a heartbeat and felt cradled by an indescribably large being.

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? Yes Can't explain.

Did you believe in the existence of God prior to your experience? God probably does not exist

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes I felt it cradling me, I heard it breathing and felt a heartbeat.

Do you believe in the existence of God after your experience? God probably 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 does not exist

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? I am uncertain if an afterlife exists Uncertain I am not sure.

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

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

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Moderately 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 possibly 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? Moderately compassionate toward others

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Yes I felt an overwhelming sense of love.

Were you compassionate after your experience? Moderately compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Slight changes in my life Slight changes in my life, can't explain.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes It's hard to explain what it felt like; there aren't words to describe the fatigue but extreme comfort that I felt.

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 as accurately as other life events that occurred around the time of the experience Normal accuracy

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? 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 probably not real I thought it had been a dream.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real More bits came back to me and I realized it definitely was real.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Yes Whenever I swim underwater, once and I while I hear a heartbeat.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? No.