Kari W NDE

Experience Description

I remember attending Cindy's birthday party. She was a friend from church and her parents wanted to give her a swim party but didn't own a pool. So, they rented a place for the party. I don't recall where, but there was a tall fence surrounding the pool and a picnic table to the side. I remember the names of all my friends who were there because we were all friends from church. I have no memory of adults near or around the pool. We were all swimming around and playing. Most of us were in the deep end of the pool. The boys decided it would be fun to dunk me. They pushed me below the water. I pushed myself up to the surface to get air. I tried to get a breath, and was pushed down again. I was a bit panicked because I didn't really get a breath. I returned to the top of the water as soon as I could. I could hear laughing as I came up gasping for breath and found myself shoved back down, yet again. I think I was dunked three times before I realized that I had to get away from the boys. I attempted to swim away from them under the water.

As I swam away, there was this realization that I could breathe under water. I was astonished and relieved at the same time! I couldn't believe that someone hadn't told me this was possible. I was excited and almost giddy. I started to swim toward a warm, glowing light that I saw in the distance. I was totally at peace with no fear of drowning because I could now breathe.

The next memory I have is me sitting on the end of the bench of the picnic table. One of the boys said, 'I thought you were out of the pool; I saw you up under the steps and pulled you out.' I remember sitting at a picnic table with all my friends around me. They were leaning toward me on their elbows and kept asking me if I was all right. I said I was fine and got a bit annoyed that they kept asking.

I don't remember the rest of the party or even how I got home that night. I don't know the exact date. I am guessing at my age, and not ever talking about this to anyone, I've pushed it back in my memory. I didn't want to get anyone in trouble and didn't want people to think I was nuts. But since then, I spoke to anyone who was playing the pool dunking game. It was no game to me and brought back the terror I first felt when I couldn't get a breath. The intense memory of unchanged events even over time and the learning of others' experiences has helped me realize what happened to me years ago really happened and wasn't a dream.

I have tried to locate some of the friends who were present, but I moved from Roswell almost 40 ago. I have not been able to locate anyone who was there to see what they remember.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 1976

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Uncertain Accident. Drowning Other: I have no recollection of being pulled from the pool and I never taped what I experienced underwater. Because of my recent readings about NDE and the strong clear memory of the events regarding my experience, I am convinced it truly happened and was not a dream. I think I was unconscious for a short amount of time because I can't remember a small block of time. I remember a statement from my friend who pulled me out of the pool. No one ever mentioned CPR, and to my knowledge, I don't know if we even knew what that was at the time.

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

Did you feel separated from your body? Yes

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. The excitement and realization that I could actually breathe underwater was exhilarating!

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Yes, the memories were very clear. I felt very alive.

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. I was no longer concerned with being under water or leaving my friends behind.

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 full of peace and comfort. It was actually exciting to swim and breathe under water. The light gave me something to swim towards; the boys were no longer a concern. Just prior to the experience, I was desparately searching for air. I was panicked, gasping, and wanting to tell them I couldn't breathe, and 'This is not fun! Why are you laughing, can't you see I'm in trouble?'

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Their laughing was gone. I don't remember any sound. Prior to this I heard screaming, laughing, playful sounds and splashing. I remember my gasps when I reached the surface.

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? An unusually bright light

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes The was a warm bright white light that seemed to say, 'Come this way.'

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Some unfamiliar and strange place. Somewhat strange because I was under the water and yet breathing normally. I was drawn to the light although I don't remember a voice. I just seemed to know to swim towards it.

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I felt peace, anticipation, and excitement.

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 no longer in conflict with nature

The experience included: Special knowledge or purpose

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? No

God, Spiritual and Religion:

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

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Protestant I believed in having a spiritual soul in life after death.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes Stronger belief in the hereafter and of a spiritual realm humans cannot comprehend.

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

What is your religion now? Christian- Protestant. Same as before. I believe there are so many things our human minds won't understand with our limitations. God will make things clear in time. This experience makes me not fear death.

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was entirely not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience. I thought dying from drowning would be a horrible way to die. But, I did believed there was life after death, just didn't know how that would occur.

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? Yes I could breathe under water! Death, if that's what I was experiencing, was not scary or painful .

During your experience, did you gain information about universal connection or oneness? Uncertain Maybe a unity of oneness, because there was no bitterness or fear, just peace, acceptance, and joy.

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? Yes The Light seemed of spiritual importance

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 Breathing under water

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? Yes Death is not scary.

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 I was very alive and continuing beyond limitations of a physical body.

Did you fear death prior to your experience? Unknown

Do you fear death after your experience? I do not fear death

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Unknown

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? Uncertain The overall feeling of acceptance could be interpreted as love; I had no desire for retribution or punishment for those who had dunked me.

Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Slight changes in my life. No fear of death and absolute confidence of life after death.

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

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? No

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? Death is not painful, it brought me a peace that surpasses understanding.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Almost 40 years since the event and I shared it for the first time this year. They were a bit skeptical, maybe because they had known me for so long; yet I had never talked about it. My mom heard me story and asked me to tell it again when I visited with her last week. She said, 'Yes, Kari, you did have a NDE. You were too young to know what it was, but what you experienced has too many similarities to others. I believe you.'

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 probably not real. No one can breathe under water, it was probably a dream.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real. This experience is too clear after all these years not to have been real.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Yes Only the terror I felt when I couldn't get a breath when I see someone being dunked or trying to stay above water.