Laila NDE

Experience Description

I was pregnant and my due date was December 27, 2012. My life during most of my pregnancy had been very rough for me, with a sick mother who required a lot of energy and time to take care of. Because of this, I had not been able to fully feel and enjoy my pregnancy. On December 26, I spent time with a couple of friends and that very evening my water broke and it was time to go to the hospital. When I arrived, my labor was in full force with only a few seconds between contractions. I used laughing gas [med: Nitrous oxide, breathed through a mask. The patient has relief from pain and diminished consciousness.]

Around an hour and a half later, I experienced something I had never thought existed until I saw/experienced it with my own eyes. I separated from my body and then heard unfamiliar voices telling me to go back. I also saw a bright light further away. After around thirty seconds, I came back. I heard ordinary voices and could feel my body. I was back to the strong labor pains again.

I could also hear the voices of my husband and the attending nurse. She was shouting at me to wake up. There was a marked difference between the two sets of voices I heard. The voices I heard when separated from my body were very calm, while the voices of my husband and the nurse were panicky. Now that I had returned to my body, I quickly asked my husband to remind me of this moment later on, as I wanted to remember it, tell him about it, and think it through. After that my labor continued and they gave me spinal anesthesia [med: Anesthesia injected into the spine to block pain in only a certain region of the body] to help me manage the strong labor contractions. The delivery continued and around four hours later our son was born. This was an incredibly strong moment emotionally and a beautiful experience overall.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 26/12-2012

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? No Childbirth Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function or brain function)

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 I heard voices telling me to go back. 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

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? In the middle of the experience.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Time seemed to go faster or slower than usual I did not experience time.

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. I don’t know.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I heard calm sounds during my experience and panicky voices in the physical world.

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? Uncertain

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? Uncertain

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I was pain free and calm.

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

Did you have a feeling of joy? Happiness

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 Things and situations felt clearer and death was no longer frightening.

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? I came to a barrier that I was not permitted to cross; or was sent back against my will

God, Spiritual and Religion:

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

What was your religion prior to your experience? Do not know

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I now believe in a life after death. My fear of death has disappeared.

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

What is your religion now? Do not know

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

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I have questioned myself about if I actually really do live, and I have contemplated what that really is. Now I believe in a life after death, timeless, and without pain or worries, a wonderful existence.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? I heard a voice I could not identify

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? Yes Upplevde healing och universiell energi.

Did you believe in the existence of God prior to your experience? I was uncertain if God exists

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? No

Do you believe in the existence of God after your experience? I am uncertain if God exists

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes I believed that power and strength was inside me and not outside. I didn’t believe that painkillers would help me through the childbirth but I believed that I could manage it with my own strength alone.

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are possibly meaningful and significant

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? Yes Upplevde under min mammas sjukdomsprocess meningen med livet och att vi har ett syfte på jorden osv.

Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? I was uncertain if an afterlife exists

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Uncertain Har ifrågasatt mig själv om jag verkligen lever på riktigt och funderat över vad det egentligen är?

Did you fear death prior to your experience? I slightly feared death

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

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Slightly fearful in living my earthly life

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 possibly 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? Uncertain

During your experience, did you gain information about life's difficulties, challenges and hardships? Yes Återigen, när min mor blev sjuk. Från att tidigare aldrig varit sjuk och alltid varit stark upplevde jag svårighet och en utmaning att hjälpa henne och att det var min livsuppgift.

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

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Yes Kände starkare kärlek till min familj.

Were you compassionate after your experience? Moderately compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Moderate changes in my life I experienced healing and universal energy. When my mother became sick after never having been sick before and always having been strong, I experienced a calling to help her, but also had difficulty with that. I felt that was my life task. I felt that was my mission in life to care for my mother. I felt stronger love for my family.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes Yes More love. And I no longer feel to the same extent that I am forced to take care of other people. I feel at peace.

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 as accurately as 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? Uncertain

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I told my husband about it right after the baby's birth. I also told a couple of friends and relatives a while after the experience. For me it was a natural thing to talk to people about. But I could tell that some people didn’t believe me.

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? No

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? I experienced healing and universal energy. When my mother became sick after never having been sick before and always having been strong, I experienced a calling to help her, but also had difficulty with that. I felt that was my life task. I felt that was my mission in life to care for my mother. I felt stronger love for my family.