Janie N Probable NDE

Experience Description

I have a low tolerance for medication but I have chronic insomnia. I take Ambien to sleep every night. Yesterday, I took Ambien and another drug to sleep. I recall passing out at 8:30 at night. I recall, in the middle of the night, having problems breathing and feeling my heart beat slow down. I was unable to get up, although I was not sleeping. The next thing I recall was floating from the ground into the air. The sky was very blue. It was completely silent and my body did not feel any flow of air around me or feel like I was projected forward in any way. I was simply floating towards the sky. I recall the feeling that I could travel anywhere and see anything. I looked around me. I saw the sky and what appeared to be castles and green valleys. I felt light, and comfortable. There continued to be no sound and there was no sense of warmth or cold; just complete comfort. At one point, I knew that I could keep going and there was no anxiety in that idea.

I recall turning around at some point and not seeing the ground any longer. As I was floating upwards, my body simply turned around and started to go back. It was not a choice I made, nor did I have a feeling that I had to go back. I simply went back. I opened my eyes in bed and noticed that my body was extremely cold and that my heartbeat was extremely slow. I have been taking Ambien for 4 years and I have never had an experience like this before. It was unlike a dream in many ways, and I don't believe it was a dream.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 2/12/12

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Uncertain Drug or medication overdose. I believe Ambien slowed/stopped my heart. I believe a combination of Ambien and another drug caused me to have a life threatening event.

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

Did you feel separated from your body? No I seemed to just know that life on earth was happening while I floated away from it. 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? More consciousness and alertness than normal I am not the type of person who experiences sensations and feelings, and do not spend a lot of time 'experiencing' moments. Even when I dream, my dreams are often very erratic and have people in them and confusing 'story lines.'

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? It was as I looked around at my surroundings, while floating towards the sky. I was able to observe my surroundings and I knew what was happening. I was not scared.

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning Time did not appear to exist. I recall feeling that time no longer existed and that it was just an illusion.

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. My vision was more vivid, and I saw the bluest sky, and the greenest hills. I recall lots of color, and I have never experienced color in a dream before, or, at least, I cannot recall ever having dreamt in color.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. There was no sound at all.

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? No

The experience included: A landscape or city

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Some unfamiliar and strange place I sensed the sky was our sky, but everything else appeared to be unfamiliar and a place that went on for eternity.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I felt comfort and certainty.

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? I felt united or one with the world

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about myself or others I did not 'understand' everything, but I felt at peace with everything, and I felt that I understood that everything was one.

Did scenes from your past come back to you? No

The experience included: Awareness of the future

Did scenes from the future come to you? Scenes from my personal future I sensed that I could continue to float in this way and see the entire world and universe. I somehow knew that if I didn't continue at this time, I would come back and this experience would not be over simply because I returned.

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 I simply floated back with no decision to return and nobody sending me back. I just knew that I was to return.

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 born jewish, but am not religious and do not follow any religion.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Uncertain

What importance do you place on your religious/spiritual life after your experience? Not important to me

What is your religion now? Unaffiliated- Agnostic

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 I am not sure what I believe. I believe that there must be something else after life, and some "reason" for existence. I do not particularly believe there is a place called "heaven". I have not been raised relgious, and am a very practical person.

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? I was uncertain if God 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? I am uncertain if God 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 probably 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? I was uncertain if an afterlife exists

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife probably exists Yes A sense of seeing the world, and feeling like I was a part of it.

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

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

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Slightly 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 probably meaningful and significant

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant after your experience? Are probably 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? Unknown I feel a greater comfort and I am less afraid.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Uncertain Uncertain

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No It wasn't difficult to express because it felt so real and certain. It made me feel that I knew exactly what was happening and it felt okay. It was difficult to express in that it will sound like most to be a pleasant dream, but it did not feel like a dream at all.

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 I usually do not recall dreams at all within an hour or so of waking. I do not ever recall experiencing color in dreams, nor do I EVER recall experiencing the heightened senses and feelings that I experienced.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Uncertain

Have you ever shared this experience with others? No

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? No I heard about people seeing a light.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was probably real

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was probably real

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