Kimberley P NDE

Experience Description

My family was vacationing in a small resort town known for it's natural hot springs. We were staying in a two-story motel on the bottom level. The motel had it's own pool, which was unfenced. It was winter and there was plenty of snow around. Earlier in the morning we had all (Dad, Mum, my brothers 6 and 7, and twin sisters 2 mths) gone to the hot springs. I was almost 4 years old at the time.

We returned to the motel for lunch and my newborn sisters were put down for a nap. My parents had left towels at the hot springs. Mum offered to go get them with me and my brothers, while dad watched the newborns sleep. When we reached the gate of the motel, I told mum that I had changed my mind and didn't want to go to the hot springs with her. I remember her getting angry and impatient with me. Then she told me to return to dad in our motel room, which I think was in view. Mum continued to the hot springs with my brothers.

My parents thought that on my way back to the room I was distracted by a cat that I had befriended earlier. They thought that I must have seen the cat walk over the snow and ice covered swimming pool and tried to copy it, and then fell into the icy pool and drowned.

But I remember it differently. I remember my brothers being there at the time. But they couldn't have been there because they were with mum. I remember fighting with my brothers over the piles of snow. They claimed the snow on a wooden seat for themselves and I was sad because they left me out. I thought, fine I'll get my own snow from off the pool. I remember leaning over to pick up the snow and then falling in. This snow fight potentially happened earlier in the day but as a child I mixed up the events.

I remember seeing myself from above. I was helpless as I was drowning under the water. It was peaceful and I was not thrashing about. The picture faded to black and there was just more blackness. I never saw any tunnels or light.

Some time lapsed. We aren't entirely sure how much time.

A woman who was also staying in the motel, looked out from the second story. She saw the ice on the pool moving. Initially she thought it must have been ducks bobbing down underneath the surface but her gut instinct told her to check anyway. Luckily she did because she saw me in the pool drowning. She screamed and people came out of the motel to see what was happening. Either her or another of the guests jumped in and got me out of the water.

My mother had just fetched the towels and on her way back to the room when she heard the lady scream. Mom knew instinctively that something had happened to me. She rushed back to the motel. Mum says that when she saw me, I was almost the same colour as the navy blue jersey I was wearing. Another guest, who had just finished a refresher course on CPR that week, performed CPR on me. Luckily I eventually came to and threw up my lunch. The ambulance had been called and eventually arrived on the scene.

The report stated I had clinically died as my heart had stopped. But the doctors think the cool temperature of the icy water helped preserve some brain activity, which in turn helped the resuscitation process. I was taken back to the city of Christchurch and admitted to the hospital overnight for tests and observation. I was released the next day as they were happy that I was fine.

I recall several incidences after that where I was certain that I was drowning in pools, even with arm floaties on. Mum tried to reassure me that I wasn't drowning, but I didn't believe her. Fortunately she persisted, getting me swimming lessons and such, so I eventually overcame the fear of the water.


Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: June 1988

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Uncertain Accident CPR given Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function) I don't understand the question sorry.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Neither pleasant NOR distressing

Did you feel separated from your body? No. 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? Not sure

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Not sure

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Time seemed to go faster or slower than usual. Time seemed very slow, close to time stopping

Were your senses More vivid than usual? No

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. It felt like I was watching a film with only me in the scene

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I don't recall hearing anything. It was completely quiet.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere, as if by ESP? 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

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? No

Did you see an unearthly light? No

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience? A sense of real calm

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Relief or calmness

Did you have a feeling of joy? No

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? No

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 was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Other Christian Family were/are contemporary Baptist Christian, but I was probably a bit too young for it to have made much of an impact.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Other or several faiths: Agnostic Humanist

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. It's hard to say as I was only 3 years old so I don't feel that I had specific beliefs at that stage.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Uncertain I think it would have but I was really too young to say.

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? 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? No

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 probably does not exist No

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? Yes It felt as though once leaving life, all the difficulties of the world melt away. There is only a sense of real peace. No fear.

During your experience, did you gain information about love? No

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Unknown It's hard to be sure as I was so young, but I do think it affected the type of person I am. My mental health. I fear being abandoned quite a bit. I also don't fear death at all which drives me to be brave in quite terrifying situations (huge earthquakes, car accidents, fires etc.). I would willingly risk myself to help someone. But my day to day anxiety is quite high. I am also a highly sensitive and intuitive and creative person which I'm not sure is related or not. I have also spent my whole life feeling like I don't quite fit into the world...like I'm the exception to the rule or almost like I'm out of phase with it slightly, somehow.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Uncertain I do wonder if I'm less trusting of people. And I don't feel I can fully connect with others either.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes I was only three so I couldn't explain that well. Also no one ever believed my version of the events.

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 don't remember anything else much from that age. In fact that memory is the first memory I have.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Uncertain I am highly sensitive and intuitive. I can also often dream prophetically, with very specific details at times (which I think has to do with being more in tune with my senses somehow). It's hard to know if I would've been the same prior or not.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? The peacefulness is quite meaningful. And just the fact that I've already died so now I really don't fear it, as it's something I've done before so I know what to expect.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? No

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 real I don't know as I was too young. It's only as I've grown and recalled it that it has taken shape.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was probably real Well I think the brain is capable of very powerful things so I believe it happened inside my head at the very least.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Yes I do often get that peace in really dangerous situations. Like during the Christchurch, NZ earthquakes for example.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? not that I can think of.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? Not that I can think of.