Lacey D NDE

Experience Description

I had been riding on a four-wheeler most of the day with a friend who was on another four-wheeler. We had decided to explore the woods and had gotten far away and somewhat lost. This was in South Louisiana and was in a very rural area. It was starting to get dark and we came to a blacktop road, we decided to just follow it south until we came to someplace familiar rather than try and backtrack through the woods. I remember riding to the front because my light was brighter. I remember looking at my speedometer and wondering how much faster I could get my four-wheeler because I was already at forty mph. And I remember looking back at my friend as I speeded up to make sure I didn't leave him behind, and that was it until I woke up in the road with paramedics and people all around me.

I was floating up and away. But not floating like we think of, I was in a warm dark place that felt very awesome and good. It seemed like I was headed towards a place where light was emanating. Not necessarily a light at the end of the tunnel - it seemed I was willfully going towards the warmth and the more I felt it, the more I wanted to go. I realized I must be dying but it felt very good and was what I wanted and nothing else mattered.

A lady was saying my name very shrilly and really annoying me because as she said my name it seemed to pull me into my body abruptly. I had this warm, good feeling and as I pulled away from my body I could see myself lying in the road with a circle of people around me. I could see and hear myself saying, 'Ow, Owww!' I wondered why I was saying that because I didn't feel any pain. Then I heard one of the emergency medical technicians say, 'Must be a spinal injury, going to have to cut off the clothes.' With those words, it seemed I was kind of abruptly sucked down into my body. I am a very modest person and to have my clothes cut off in front of a bunch of strangers was my worst fears come true. I was in my body and felt the distinct cold, metal of the shears slide up each leg and even remember thinking, 'My favorite jeans!' As soon as the horror of my clothes being cut had passed I remember being able to almost willfully withdraw back into that warm place and start rising up again. Then that lady was saying my name and saying, 'Lacey! Stay with us honey!' and as she was saying that it seemed like nails on a chalkboard because it seemed to suck me back into my body and out of the warmth and away from where I was trying to go.

I didn't see any people, or 'spirits', 'God', or 'Jesus'. I felt like I was on my way somewhere and that if I could keep going, more would happen, but that the people on the ground talking to me and shaking me were disrupting that.

Later, I learned that I had actually been lying in the road for about an hour because after I crashed my friend had to keep on riding until he came to a little house to call for help. The nearest emergency services were twenty miles away. After I got into the ambulance, it got harder to pull away or go back unconscious. I could go to sleep easily, but not to that rising, warm good feeling.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 'November, 1996'

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident. Direct head injury 'Life threatening event, but not clinical death' I had a direct head injury. I was going approximately forty mph on a four-wheeler and hit head first on the pavement when it flipped. My left, frontal bone was cracked. I was in a coma for three days after the accident.

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? Less consciousness and alertness than normal When they called my name and shook me.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? When they called my name and shook me.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning I felt like I had just gotten there but more than an hour had passed when I heard my name being called.

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. Really hard to describe, things seemed deeper, but yet more of a dream.

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 Not really sure, it seemed like I was in space or a void, but without stars. There was an emanating light from somewhere. The closer I got, the better I felt, the less anything earth-related mattered, the more I was happy and wanted to go further into 'it'.

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

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Uncertain I don't remember meeting anyone specific but yet I didn't feel lonely, like there was someone/thing there - if that makes sense.

The experience included: Void

The experience included: Darkness

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

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm I felt like I was in or on another dimension

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Just incredible peace, and happiness and warmth, I was wanting to go further into whatever it was and life on earth did not matter. I was not sad or disappointed to be dying at sixteen, nor scared.

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

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? Conservative/fundamentalist Raised Southern Baptist

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I am open-minded to all religions; I am not religious but definitely spiritual after the experience. I KNOW there is something greater and bigger beyond this life and I don't think God is as material as the Bible portrays. Like, I don't think that there are 'streets of Gold' or 'pearly gates' as some religion tells us, those things seem like they won't matter.

What is your religion now? Liberal 'Open-minded, spiritual but not religous. I read about all beliefs and form my own opinions.'

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I am open-minded to all religions; I am not religious but definitely spiritual after the experience. I KNOW there is something greater and bigger beyond this life and I don't think God is as material as the Bible portrays. Like, I don't think that there are 'streets of Gold' or 'pearly gates' as some religion tells us, those things seem like they won't matter.

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? Uncertain I no longer was afraid of death and hell as I had been taught my whole life.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Uncertain It seems I had the ability to see our oneness and connectedness like I couldn't before. I can see why material things won't matter in the long run.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes The feeling that I felt seems hard to adequately explain in words. Like there is no way to adequately and eloquently describe the feeling and experience.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Uncertain I have dreams about myself that come true. I also had a dream that my deceased friend called me a little over a year after she died, and told me she was concerned about things at her home and some other specific things she wanted me to tell her mom. I woke up and wrote things down, even though they made no sense to me. I was very scared of telling her mom because I was afraid this would appall her and not make sense and that I would look crazy. As soon as I gave her the paper she started crying and shaking and said the things I had written down had been going on and that no one else could know those things. I also feel presences and see energy and things in the air, but I think I have always done that.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? Yes, death is not painful. It is really exciting and, as morbid as it sounds, I look forward to death. However, I do not want to abandon my children too young.

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 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? Uncertain I once prayed very hard and emotionally before a surgery because I was scared of being put under and dying. Not because I was scared of death but because I was scared of leaving my kids parentless. When I was put under, I saw this bright yellow light that seemed to be moving and giving of a pleasant pitch like nothing I've ever heard in real life. It was like I was being drawn to the light, and focusing on the light I was in awe and pleasant amazement. It seemed to only last a few moments and then the nurse woke me up. The surgery had been completed and an hour had passed, I asked if they had even started yet.