Jean K NDE

Experience Description

I was about 6 weeks pregnant and knew there was something terribly wrong the day of the experience. I knew already there was a possibility that one of the embryos was in the fallopian tube. In the late afternoon, I began to projectile vomit and was experiencing abdominal pain that felt like what I imagine being stabbed would feel. When I arrived at the hospital, I aspirated on my vomit, but the nurses took care of that. I seemed to feel a bit better. I was placed in an OB/GYN emergency room with another woman who was also experiencing an ectopic pregnancy. This room was equipped especially for women with pregnancy complications. While I was speaking to the other patient my abdominal pain was getting worse and more unbearable, so the other woman called for the nurse. A code team was called in and the last thing I remember was the doctor asking me, 'Are you going?' I then felt no pain, but it was more than that. I couldn't feel my body at all.

At that time I had been a traumatic amputee for 9 years and lived with chronic bone and nerve pain which I always felt.

During the experience, there was no pain! I felt like I was floating and free from any physical encumbrances. I was in a dark tunnel that had a light at the end of it. I wanted to go towards that light. As I moved closer to the light, I could feel a sense of peace and love like I never had before. I knew I was close to death and it was okay. I thought, 'I'm good and dying is okay. I'm not afraid.' Then I started to think about my husband and one year-old son having to live without me. But I believed my husband would do a good job raising our son and they would ultimately be all right. It was at that moment that I felt myself being pulled back by force.

I was awake and heard everyone shouting and the lights in the room were too bright. I was so disappointed to be back and the pain I was feeling was again unbearable. The doctors rushed me to the operating room. They explained that I had suffered a fallopian tube rupture and was bleeding internally. If they didn't perform surgery right away, I would die.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 11/29/1988

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Ectopic pregnancy Life threatening event, but not clinical death. I was pregnant with twins, one was implanted in the uterus and the other was in the fallopian tube

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

Did you feel separated from your body? No. 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. Being aware of what was happening to my body, and feeling God's presence of love and peace.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Right before I thought about my husband and son

Were your thoughts speeded up? Incredibly fast

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning. I was experiencing rapid thoughts/feelings and was moving along the tunnel, but time didn't seem to exist

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. The end of the tunnel looked like I could reach out to put my hand through to the light, but it was further away.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Although I couldn't hear any of the activity inside the hospital or emergency room, I could hear my thoughts as though they were being spoken aloud.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere, as if by ESP? No

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes It was dark and narrow, but I didn't feel cramped because I was floating

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? A light clearly of mystical or other-worldly origin

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes At the end of the tunnel was a soft light that I felt drawn towards

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I was at peace and joy filled

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? No

Did scenes from your past come back to you? No

Did scenes from the future come to you? No

Did you come to a border or point of no return? I came to a definite conscious decision to return to life. When my thoughts turned to my husband and son, I was back to the hospital and life. I wanted to continue, but that seemed to stop me for venturing further towards the light

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Catholic. At the time of the experience, I was attending church sporadically

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Christian- Catholic I attend church regularly and have a full and deep prayer life

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. Before the experience, I believed God would meet me when I died. But I thought I would see him as though I had eyes. Instead, I just felt Him and 'knew.' I had believed that the dying process would involve physical pain as we were leaving this world, but I felt absolutely none.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes The experience solidified my belief in life after death

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. I could feel and I 'knew' that God was present

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

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes I was unafraid and felt peaceful, joyful, and what I 'knew' was God's presence and love.

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

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

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

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? An afterlife definitely exists I felt God's presence all around me, but I 'knew' if I reached the light I would then be able to 'see'

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

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Yes The love I experienced was beyond anything I knew beforehand. I wanted to be surrounded by it always. When the experience was over, I was sad and let down.

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Moderate changes in my life. I have been able to take care of dying relatives and am comfortable in discussing dying, faith and God, and the afterlife. Before this experience it made me very uncomfortable

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

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. I believe I remember this event more accurately because I shared it with others very soon afterwards and many times over the years.

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 The day afterward I shared it with my mother who was very shaken because she knew I was in danger, but didn't know how close to death I had been. Last year my mother passed away and during her last weeks of life she was afraid of dying, but we talked again about my experience which seemed to calm her and allowed her to accept what was happening to her. It gave her hope.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes I watched a talk show where people shared their experiences. I don't remember being impressed one way or the other by the stories.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real.During the days and weeks afterward, my physicians talked to me about how sick I was and how close to death I came. During the experience I was well aware that I was dying and they confirmed it with specific information. I knew that an experience like that couldn't occur unless I was close to death.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real. Since the experience I have read about other people's experience, and I have been with family during their illnesses and death.

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