Judith E Probable NDE

Experience Description

When the nurse finished reading the message, I was suddenly no longer aware of my body or the room. I began seeing familiar pictures of Jesus that I had loved as a child. In my mind, I asked why I was seeing this since I was no longer a traditional Christian. Immediately I heard a physical voice, my voice, but I wasn't aware of my talking. The voice told me the pictures were to calm me since they were favorite pictures as a child. I was also told it was the process that was important and it would be good for me to meditate for about fifteen minutes daily.

As soon as I was told this, the pictures disappeared and there was an immensely bright light a short distance from me. I could feel only what could be true, unconditional love from the light for me. I actually became part of the light. I felt so loved that I could do nothing to diminish this love. It was the most awesome feeling I have ever experienced. This love was not an emotion; it was a state of being.

At that point, I became aware of the room, nurses, my body, and my bed. The asthma had let up and I could lay down for the first time in almost a week. I loved my bed, pillow, and felt love for everything around me and couldn't wait to tell anyone within earshot what had just happened to me. I could breathe and all the vital signs had normalized to some extent. I told my doctor and two friends who relayed similar experiences which made me realize this experience was a normal process that was there for anyone.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 1980ish

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Illness 'Life threatening event, but not clinical death' Very serious asthma. I had not been able to lie down for several days. I had to concentrate on every breath. I don't remember being rushed into intensive care, but I do remember sitting up and leaning over a hospital bedside tray topped with a pillow. It was the best way to breath. My breathing was so shallow. The wheezing had stopped. Vital signs were very high and they were pumping me full of medications that were not working for the first time in my long history with this experience. I started to get into fear and knew that would put me over the edge, so I tried self-hypnosis. A nurse tried to read me a message from a visitor outside intensive care and I realized I couldn't open my eyes. I had actually achieved some hypnosis.

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 Just the pictures of Jesus, and my voice. 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 It was more a total awareness of a state of being love. It is very hard to describe in words and this is the best I can do given the limitations of words.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? I would not have used the terms consciousness or alertness, but more an awareness of a state of being love, and that was when I was in the light.

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 Time didn't seem to exist. At least, it wasn't a part of the experience.

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 eyes were shut most of the time prior so I could concentrate on breathing.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Everything was muted because of the lack of oxygen and my concentration on breath.

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

The experience included: Unearthly 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 The light was love.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? No I was not aware of being in a ‘place’ at all. There was no awareness of place, earth, or universe.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I don't know that I would call it emotion, more a state of being.

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? No

The experience included: Special knowledge or purpose

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? No There was no thinking, just being.

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? No

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? Other or several faiths Started out in the Christian faith, but at this time I had left the church and considered myself to be very spiritual with a belief in a higher being of some kind.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Uncertain

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

What is your religion now? Other or several faiths Always evolving, but very spiritual. Believe in oneness and in all being a part of the whole. Maybe that is what God is. I don't claim to have all the answers, but I know we are more powerful beings than most of us realize and life doesn't end with death of the body.

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 had never thought of myself or anyone as being a light and love as a state of being.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes The experience was not rare. It is available to anyone and we will all be aware at some time of our true state of being, which is love.

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? Yes That we are pure love and it's a state of being not an emotion. Maybe it's just not remembered when we are in the human experience.

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? Yes When in the light, I felt one with whatever God may be.

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? Uncertain The word "God" comes with so much baggage and has different meanings to different people. There was infinite power, but it was me as much as anyone or a supreme being or God. I'm not sure if there is a more powerful being outside of us.

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? Uncertain Just what has been explained.

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 definitely exists Yes It was simply an awareness or knowingness that this was more real than my everyday awareness and was me.

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? Moderately 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? Uncertain It's the process that matters...what you do with the experiences

Were you compassionate prior to your experience? Moderately compassionate toward others

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Yes This has been explained in much detail above.

Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Moderate changes in my life

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Uncertain Uncertain I've grown and changed so much through so many experiences that it is hard to say what all I can attribute it to.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes You are asking me to use words to explain something that is almost unexplainable in words.

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 About thirty seconds. A young girl staying with me shared her own experience that she had never shared for fear of being ridiculed. My doctor said his mother had a similar experience in a hospital setting. I don't know how my experience has influenced others.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes I read a book, but none sounded quite like mine.

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

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? I think I've said it all and I'm getting tired. I didn't know this would be so long.