Laura C NDE

Experience Description

One week before my NDE, I had a dream that I was walking next to a river. The water was crisp and clean. It was like nothing I had ever seen. Ahead of me was a bridge. In the distance, there was a city with amazing lights and a glow. I could never describe it in just words.

A small, dwarf-like man approached on a raft in the river. He had a staff that he used to steer the raft. On the raft, was a mandala that looked like an etched sun with a primal feel to it. We spoke telepathically. He told me that we would meet soon and that he had things to say to me. His spirit was old, timeless, and direct but soft. He didn’t have a smile but his face was happy. I woke up from this dream and was scared. I didn’t know why though. I wrote the dream in my journal.

A week later, I was driving home after midnight from a friend's house. It was icy and cold outside. I remember going down a hill as I slid past a stop sign. That is the last thing I remember before my experience.

I found myself in a waiting room, that looked like it was almost in the mid-century. I can’t explain the colors; but they were bright, yet neutral. There were these windows without glass panes that overlooked into a sea of clouds and colors. It was so beautiful. I started to examine my surroundings. There was a dark hallway. I could see light coming from under doorways. I opened the first door and there were several people in a room smoking pot and laughing. They were asking me to come in. One woman looked like Janis Joplin as she jumped up and down, seeing that I opened the door. I became really anxious and I closed the door. I feel like I opened another door, but I don’t recall.

I walked back out to the waiting area when I saw a sea of hundreds of people walking from the clouds. I realized they were my age; I recognized a friend who had passed away while I was in high school. He was a really good person; someone who was very supportive and loved by many. He turned to the side and pointed at an older man. He was my grandpa; a tall man who was good looking in his weekend outfit. He had on a pair of worn out Levis and a white t-shirt. I walked out into the clouds and was laser-focused on my grandpa. It was the first time I stopped missing him, since he died when I was age 15. I remember apologizing to him. He just smiled and we started walking, like he was taking me somewhere.

All of the sudden, we were walking next to the river. The colors, cleanliness, and the crispness was so real. I saw the bridge and the city again. This time there where orbs that looked so beautiful flying over the city. It felt far away and the bridge felt farther away. There was a fine granite-like substance under my feet. It was like nothing I have ever felt before. I saw the misty green, rolling hills.

My grandfather and I spoke not with our mouths but with our minds. He reminded me how we used to play chess. I loved that. Then he told me about my future on earth. He told me about my boys, the ones I have now. He told me that I was supposed to live and he told me my purpose. Unfortunately, I cannot remember what he said except I do remember that it made sense. Then I heard the water moving. I looked and the dwarf-like man was back. My grandfather stood next to me. I remember looking at the city, like I really wanted to go home there. The man shook his finger 'no'. He told me he was my guide and then he started to telepathically speak to me. I cannot remember anything he told me except the feelings and the understanding I felt. I understood that I had to go back. I woke up to what looked like an angel. Strangely, she looked like my mom and she guided me out.

I woke up in my car. There was a frozen puddle of blood next to me, I felt pain as I had bit through my lip. I climbed out of my little car and realized I was in a shallow lake and had broken through the ice. I found my way to the street. That’s when a small, orange hatchback stopped and picked me up.

One week later, I had the same dream that I had the week prior to this experience.

When my brother took me to the hospital, they said I had experienced death. They concluded that the subzero temperatures kept me from totally dying. They couldn’t understand why I was alive, walking and talking. My brother has the pictures from the accident, there was a lot of blood loss. The police officer could not believe I lived. He actually cried when he met me. A sign missed my head, my windows were shattered, and the blood loss was too much. It took me a long time to come back to earth, so to speak. I felt like I brought a part of that world with me good and bad. I will never understand this. But, I try to live my life with purpose.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 11/30/1994

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident Illness, trauma or other condition not considered life threatening. I was in a serious motor vehicle accident with blunt injuries and facial lacerations. There was speculation that it was so cold out that I did not bleed out. I was not found by anyone. I woke up and made it to a road where a stranger picked me up and took me to my brother, who took me to a hospital. The man that picked me up said he had a weird feeling at four am to get in his car and drive to work early and then he saw me in the side of the road.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Both pleasant AND distressing

Did you feel separated from your body? No. 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. I felt my love. There was calmness and gratitude. Yet, I felt free from my own body, but still felt my body. There was a strange underlying guilt. I felt a little out of place, like I belonged there but didn’t at the same time. I felt at home, but not quite done with the journey.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? When the hundreds of people walked towards me in the clouds.

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. These were seamless, yet separate moments. I can’t quite remember going from one scene to another.

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. Everything was crisper, real, and light. It was like I could see everything; even if it wasn’t in my peripheral.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. It was inside of me, somehow there was a connection to everything that channeled through me rather than around me.

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? I actually saw them

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes My friend who died in a car accident. My grandfather. Except I knew they were deceased. I can say that I swear I saw images of The Buddha, Jesus, but I could never truly recall if I put that in my head or that was there.

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 city, and even the bridge had this light. The water had these small orbs, or sparkles of light. The air was just light and glowing.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm. The clean river, the bridge and the distant city. The green pastures. The odd waiting room with floor to ceiling panel was windows looking out into a mystical sky. There was nothing earthly about these scenes, yet they were familiarly like earth-like

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Calmness Understanding Focus Guilt Even with the guilt, peace.

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 no longer in conflict with nature

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about myself or others. Though I felt a little mysterious about myself. I did not doubt any of the intentions or conversations with others. They were helpful. I understood they were at peace and at home and helping me and that was their pure intentions were to help me in that moment.

Did scenes from your past come back to you? No. I remembered my friends death and how I felt. I felt guilty for being a bratty teenager to my grandfather, he seemed to have already forgiven me. I recalled feeling depressed and how I felt guilty that I could ever be so depressed because I felt so at peace there.

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- Catholic Also practiced Zen Buddhism. My parents loved Buddhism and Catholicism; not devout either, more for kindness and spiritual fulfillment.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Christian- Catholic I am not practicing any specific religion. I pray everyday to find peace.

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 was all love and faith and inclusive, whether you followed religion or not everyone seemed to have a place there.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I looked at people differently. I worked hard to connect with people. I try to be kind and loving. But, more honest and realistic than I had been before. It’s like the world opened up.

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 The dwarfish man, who called himself my guide. The weird room with the people, they seemed empty. The dwarfish man seemed like he had maybe never been to Earth, but understood more than anyone or anything I have connected with. He was shower with a beard, with beautiful braids. His hands were interesting, like worker's hands but in the softest way possible. His clothes looked as if they should be scraggly but they were actually well tailored and beautiful. His face looked sun drenched, a bit pale, but in the most aesthetically pleasing way. His eyes, I can’t remember his eyes but they were peaceful, enchanting. I trusted him with my being, so to speak. The crowd was full of individuals, all teenagers. I felt like we all had had similar experiences, when I saw my friend, it was him but elevated. I loved him more in that moment than ever. It helped me to see him happy. The people in the room seemed empty, focused on living for the drugs and parties. I can’t even explain the voided emotion I grasped from them; except I didn’t personally feel that emotion.

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? I actually saw them

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 I felt as if this all existed prior to US. The dwarf-like man seemed unearthly. I felt like maybe my grandfather was different from him due to having existed in Earth.

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes I knew that many religious figures were present. I just felt them. I feel like I may have seen them, but at that moment my guide was like their messenger for me. I can’t pinpoint it.

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes The whole point of this experience according to my grandfather and my guide was I am to understand I have purpose and I needed to fulfill whatever it was they told me.

During your experience, did you gain information about the meaning of life? No

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? Yes I knew that I would return when it was my actual time. I understood that I needed to see my guide so he could inform me. The weird thing is, I remembered I would have my bits, but the rest that I was told had been forgotten but somehow I understand that I was needed to live. I had an enormous feeling of being forgiven and being told to forgive myself.

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

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Yes Love is the ultimate feeling. It was every intention that came from love. Except for that far hallway, that felt devoid of love.

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

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes I became more empathetic and trusting of people, and I am more aware of symbols and signs in our world. My gut feelings became sharper, as well.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes I don’t think the adjectives or words truly exist to describe the feelings nor aesthetics of what I experienced.

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? Uncertain I have dreams that come to fruition. I also have a sixth sense about people, that also come to fruition.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? Seeing my grandfather and my friend. When I walked away from the void like area, it was like I cracked open my heart.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I only tell people who I absolutely trust. Far and few between. I told my Mother right after it happened.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes Just articles and reading materials that would come across.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real I don’t think I ever doubted it wasn’t real. Plus, I had some very weird experiences after it had happened. Even coming across strange feelings of that void I felt.

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

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