Jill W NDE

Experience Description

I entered the hospital to have a D & C because of a miscarriage. While in the recovery room, all hell broke loose, I began to hemorrhage profusely. I was barely conscious, and then I was out of my body, observing the frantic efforts to save my life. The room was packed with doctors and nurses.

I could hear their conversations and tried to talk to them, but they couldn't hear me. Suddenly, I was in a tube/tunnel. It seemed close inside, and I floated inside toward a bright light at the end of the tunnel. I remember looking for my legs, but didn't find them.

About halfway through the tunnel, a review of my life's events occurred. It was as if someone was flipping through a book: all sorts of life events, big and small, good and bad. Then I heard a voice say ‘Everything's all right.’ I reached the end of the tunnel and entered a field of light.

As I looked ahead, I could see my Dad, who had been deceased four years. He was smiling at me, and he looked like he had just come home from work. He had on suit pants and a long-sleeved white dress shirt with the cuffs rolled up. The light was very, very bright. White but not white, yellow but not yellow. (I still search the sky for that color!) I wanted to reach my father. As I drew close to him, I even smelled his cologne. But just as I got close enough to touch him, I felt as though a vacuum cleaner had been attached to my body. I went backwards down the tunnel.

The next thing I remember is waking up in Intensive Care. Over the next week, scores of doctors and nurses stopped in to look at me: my bleed-out story had many folks just wanting to see what I looked like. While my OB-GYN fully explained to me what had happened during the time, I had four central lines running and had the three surgeries, I told NO ONE about my experience. It was weeks before I finally told my spouse and months before I told anyone else.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 'July 11, 1984'

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes 'Life threatening event, but not clinical death' I bled out. Received 110 pints of blood and blood products and had three surgeries in four hours.

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 told my OB-GYN exactly what size sutures he used to sew me up internally and externally after the third surgery. 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? Normal consciousness and alertness

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? All of it.

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No

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. Sharp vision.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Heightened ability to hear.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? No

The experience included: Tunnel

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes At first, it was like a narrow tube. Then it morphed into a tunnel.

The experience included: Presence of deceased persons

Did you see any beings in your experience? I actually saw them

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes My Dad, who died January 16, 1980, following a heart attack.

The experience included: Unearthly light

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? An unusually bright light

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes White, but not white. Yellow, but not yellow. Very bright!

The experience included: A landscape or city

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Great curiosity about what I was seeing and feeling. A lot of excitement at seeing my Dad and wanting to hug him. I remember feeling puzzled as I was sucked back down through the tunnel.

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

The experience included: Special knowledge or purpose

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? No

The experience included: Life review

Did scenes from your past come back to you? My past flashed before me, out of my control

Did scenes from the future come to you? No

The experience included: Boundary

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? Yes As I floated through the area of light, I drew close to a slightly more elevated area where my Dad stood.

Did you come to a border or point of no return? I came to a barrier that I was not permitted to cross; or was sent back against my will

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What importance did you place on your religious/spiritual life prior to your experience? Moderately important to me

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

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I know I will have the experience again, regardless of how many times I attend church.

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

What is your religion now? Christian- Protestant

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 always assumed I would see God as an individual, but I now believe the bright light was God.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I am certain of the Afterlife.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? I heard a voice I could not identify I could not identify the voice that told me ‘Everything's all right’ after the review of my life events.

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? I actually saw them

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 I strongly felt everyone was to have this experience. Total unity.

Did you believe in the existence of God prior to your experience? God definitely 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? Yes I have a heightened understanding of death, which was very helpful as I worked with people with AIDS. I also have strong knowledge of some people's emotional needs.

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? An afterlife probably existsÂ

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Yes I felt an assurance that I would have this experience again.

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

Do you fear death after your experience? I do not 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? Not 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 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 love flooding out of the bright light, encompassing everything. Beautiful!

Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Large changes in my life Large changes in my life. I gained the strength to leave my abusive husband.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes Yes More perceptive of others' emotional needs.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes At the beginning, I could vividly remember everything that happened. But I couldn't find the words to tell my story to others.

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 After 30 years, I remember my near-death experience like it occurred yesterday. As for other life events at the time, I only remember a few things.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes Strong ability to help others negotiate illness and death. I also have a heightened sense of others' emotional issues and needs.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? Seeing my Dad smile and being close to him once again.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes It was weeks before I told my spouse, months before I told anyone else.

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 The entire experience was vivid from the beginning, and felt entirely genuine.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real No other memory in my life has retained such vividness and stirring emotions.

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

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? I am so blessed to have had it.