Irene O NDE

Experience Description

I remember ascending the ladder to the top of the high diving board. It was the second or third time I was brave enough to jump off. I guess I took too long to jump because a boy behind me rushed up and pushed me. I slipped through the side railings of the high dive and ended up falling onto the concrete below, not the swimming pool.

As soon as my body ‘hit’ the ground, my spirit flew straight up into the air and hovered. I was about twenty feet or so above myself looking down. I could see everyone and everything at the swimming pool simultaneously. I could see the circle of children gathered around me, bent over staring at my lifeless body. I could hear and understand every conversation simultaneously as well. I watched the lifeguards rush in horror to my body. I watched them waving over emergency personnel to try to resuscitate me. I watched and listened to other children talking about me ‘being dead’ to their mothers. I could observe absolutely everything that was happening around me. Looking back, the strangest part was that I had no feeling about what I was watching. None at all. It wasn't good or bad. I wasn't happy or sad. I was just watching.

Years later, I ran into a lifeguard that was working at the pool that day. I recognized him from my ‘viewing’ episode. I asked if he was there that day, told him who I was (because I was now an adult, not a seven year old girl), and he confirmed everything I asked and explained to him. He said he will never forget that day because that was his first job and he had just started.

I woke up one week later in the hospital, inside of a concussion ‘cage’ they would use for young children in traumatic accidents.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 1983

NDE Elements:

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

How do you consider the content of your experience? Neither pleasant NOR distressing

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes I clearly left my body and existed outside it

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 I could ‘hear’ and ‘see’ everything at the same time. Everyone's conversation was at the same decibel level and I could perceive everything all at once. It was sort of like feeling a conversation if that makes sense. The conversations just ‘were’. I don't know how to explain it better.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? When I was hovering above my body and looking and listening to everyone else at the pool.

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No

Were your senses more vivid than usual? Incredibly more vivid

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Normally, I cannot see and hear other people around me all at the same time. I have to filter out the background to be able to pay attention to what is going on right in front of me.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I could hear everything all at once. It was like just the act of hearing was ‘being’ if that makes sense?

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Yes, and the facts have been checked out

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? No

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience? None. I just 'was.'

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? No

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? Everything about myself or others I could experience everything that was going on, as it was going on, with perfect clarity, but no emotions.

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? Yes I stopped hovering at around twenty feet. I never went any higher than that.

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? Greatly important to me

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

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

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

What is your religion now? Christian- Catholic

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

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? 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 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 probably exists No

Did you fear death prior to your experience? Unknown

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

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Not 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 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? Greatly 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 There were no changes in my life.

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

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes I cannot really explain how I could experience everything all at the same time.

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

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Right away with the nurses in the hospital. I don't remember their reactions.

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