Jo H NDE

Experience Description

My doctor had been treating me for tonsillitis on and off for a few months eventually leading up to a tonsillectomy. At the time I was told that at my age I would probably experience a little more pain in my throat due to the swelling and stitches but in a few days I would be good as new. A week later my parents checked me in I was feeling fine but my throat showed a little sign of redness. The doctor assured my parents that I would be fine. He then proceeded to draw blood and called for a nurse to take me for a chest x-ray. By the end of the day, my tests came back fine. My family left me at 8:00 pm. Afterwards I chatted for a while with my roommate who had just had surgery on both legs, as it turns out she was a nurse who worked in the same hospital. She was very nice and made me feel very comfortable about my operation. About an hour later, a nurse came in and gave me a shot. The next morning at 7:00 am I was wheeled down to the operating room I was given my IV and asked to count backwards, I remember saying 100, 99, 98 and skipped to 87 and that was it for me. The next thing I remember seeing was another person in the recovery room.

As I tried to get up, a nurse told me, 'Lay back down we are going to move you to your room.' Afterwards they gave me a little cold jell and a Popsicle. My parents came by for a while and left they would be seeing later, my roommate had nurses coming in all day. In fact, when my parents came back later, they had to bring in more chairs. My parents stayed for an hour and left but my roommate's friends stayed a little longer. In the meantime, a nurse came in to check me. She asked me where my pillow was? I wrote down on a piece of paper that I didn't know. So she reached in the closet area and grabbed me a pillow. The problem here was that I wasn't supposed to have one due to the throat surgery.

Two hours later, my roommate was screaming for help. I was code blue when they found me. I was purple and not breathing. I was floating in the room, there was a bright light above. But when I looked down, I could see the doctors and nurses working on my chest. As they tried to insert a tube in my mouth, they had to stop to clear away a large blood clot that had formed which cut off my airway. I felt myself being pulled upwards but a voice behind said, 'Joanna it's not your time to go, you still have work to do.' As I tried to turn towards the voice to see who was talking to me, I could feel their hands push me down. I kept saying that I like it here; it's so warm and comforting. They said 'No, come forward. We are going to guide you down.' It was a hard landing, as if I was slammed by a truck.

The next day, I wrote it down on a piece of paper and gave it to my mom. Needless to say, a lot of people got into trouble for giving me a pillow. My roommate had asked my mother if I had heart problems because my heart stopped. The doctors worked over me frantically to bring me back. I had gave out the names of two doctors who worked on me and the one in particular was wearing torn blue tennis shoes. My personal doctor had told my parents that was impossible, 'Your daughter was completely out of it. We had to use the paddles to start her heart. She was code blue.' I had to spend two more days in the hospital. One week later, my mom was awakened in the middle of the night to check on me. When she came into my room, she found me in a pool of blood choking. My stitches ripped. I was rushed back to the hospital to repair the stitches. The doctor said that had my mother ignored the feeling I would not be alive.

What work needed to be finished? Twelve years later I got married and two years afterwards I had a baby girl who is now twenty-one, and 'yes' having a child was a lot of work.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: June 1972

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Surgery-related Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function or brain function)

How do you consider the content of your experience? Wonderful

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 As above.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? When I saw the light above me and heard the voice talking to me.

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 The whole time I felt as if I was in another place as if I was watching from a doorway.

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. Every color was vivid, the light above me so bright, but when I looked down at my body in the room it appeared to be amber.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Voices of the doctors were very clear the voice behind me was very soft.

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? Uncertain I was at the entrance when the voice told me I had to go back because my work was not finished I had more to do.

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 I caught a glimpse of a being bathed in gold light as I turned towards the voice, I know the voice I heard it before, the voice told me to go back it was not my time to go, they stated that I still have work to do.

The experience included: Light

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 It emanated love, and warmth.

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I experienced true love that permeated my entire being, the warmth unfathomable!

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 the universe

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? Scenes from the world's future When I came back into my body I was having very vivid dreams they were filled with events that came to pass, which included another near fatal accident.

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 was your religion prior to your experience? Moderate Catholic

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I know I am connected to a higher source of power and if it is not my time, they are going to let me know.

What is your religion now? Moderate Catholic

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I know I am connected to a higher source of power and if it is not my time, they are going to let me know.

The experience included: Presence of unearthly beings

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

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

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes I felt as if I had done this before it never occurred to me that I wasn't breathing.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes All I can say is that the gift of discernment plays a major roll. It is the knowing that guides my footsteps in this lifetime.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes My prior experiences with the paranormal blossomed.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? What is meaningful to me is that death is simple and that the love we experience here on earth is magnified a hundred times over and that my friend is a beautiful feeling.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Some people enjoy hearing my experiences but then you have the ones that frown down on you! I have yet to have someone say you're nuts.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes As a young child I got very sick I spent several weeks floating in and out of my body.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real I view my experience as a blessing, and make the time to touch everyone, I have yet to pass a stranger without a smile or hello for I have been entertained by angels even you are an angel waiting to be enlightened.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real The reality is that I made it halfway and in doing so my life's experiences are more meaningful to me I don't want to waste this life I have, I want everyone to enjoy the world around them and to think outside the box.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Yes I almost had a fatal car accident, I know for a fact that someone from the other slowed down time in order for my car to stop and let the speeding car go through the front end of mine without damage. I still have goose bumps when I think about it.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? We are never alone even when we are thinking there is someone watching over you 24/7.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? The questions were perfect. Survey by phone for those who don't like to type, or mail in a survey - which might be easy for those who don't get out that much.