Laura P NDE

Experience Description

For the past three days I had been taking a new medication prescribed by my cardiologist to control my heart arrhythmias. On the morning of the fourth day, I awoke with severe chest pains. My husband immediately called the paramedics, who quickly arrived within twenty minutes because we lived very close to their station. They put me in the ambulance and gave me something that would help me relax. Shortly after the medication, I fell asleep.

At some point, I became aware that I was no longer here. I mean here in this world. And it was not a dream. I can't really explain it, but I was very much aware that I had entered into some other place. I felt an overwhelming feeling of love and an amazing sense of tranquility. I felt badly that I was leaving my husband behind with the kids in our cramped home in town, but somehow I knew he and the children would be all right.

In the far distance, I saw a light. I could vaguely make out movement, as if there were several people in the distance. I could not make out whom they were. I was headed in the direction of the activity. I did not know how I was moving, but I was. Suddenly, I felt a crushing pain in my chest. My eyes opened. I found myself in the emergency room surrounded by medical personnel. The floor was covered with a long printout strip from the electrocardiogram machine. ‘Don’t do that again!’ I yelled. The doctor exclaimed, ‘She's back! She's back!’ I later learned that they had hit me with the paddles three separate times and then resorted to a cardiac thump, which finally broke the deadly rhythm my heart had fallen into. A ‘Cardiac Thump,’ or precordial thump is a blow to the mid-sternum with the medial portion of the physician's fist, from twelve inches above the patient's chest. It can generate five joules of electricity and restore a healthy heart rhythm. (From Wiki Answers).

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 1994

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes 'Life threatening event, but not clinical death' I was taking a new medication to control my heart arrhythmias. The medication caused a cardiac arrest.

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

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? Normal consciousness and alertness

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Once I entered the other place, I was very aware of what was going on. Before that, I felt really ill with pain, dizziness, and nausea.

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? No

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 was the same.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. It was the same.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? No

The experience included: Tunnel

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Uncertain I haven't thought of it as a tunnel, but I guess you could say that is where I was.

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? A light clearly of mystical or other-worldly origin

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes There was light surrounding the images in the distance.

The experience included: A landscape or city

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm It was dark where I was at, but there was an area of light in the distance with individuals and movement that I could not really make out.

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? An amazing sense of tranquility and a deep feeling of love for my husband, kids, and family.

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

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Protestant I was raised catholic but I am not practising

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

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

What is your religion now? Christian- Protestant

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was entirely consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience I experinced something that is consistent with my christian beliefs. I don't know why I did not see an angle or Christ but I figured that must have been because I was not there very long.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I was having relationship problems. After that, I mended the problems and worked toward keeping good relationships.

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

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? No

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 After the experience, I realized that my priorities had been all wrong. I had been working very hard for a nice home and life for the kids. I realized that material things do not matter. It is the love and relationships I have with my family and friends that matter. Everything else is just secondary fluff.

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

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

Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? An afterlife definitely exists

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Yes I felt like a I was seeing behind the "curtain" in the wizard of oz.

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

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

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Moderately 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 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? No

Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Large changes in my life This experience had a massive impact on my life.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes Yes I cherish the relationships I have with others.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes It was so amazing and unlike anything I had ever experienced. It took a few days before I told anyone what had happened.

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 This was a very defining moment in my life that caused me to reevaluate my lives direction. I remember it very well.

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

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes It was a couple of weeks before I told my husband what had happened.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes I had heard about it. I was not sure it was real.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real I have a friend who is a Seventh Day Adventist. He tried to convince me it was some kind of neurological episode. I told him that it was as real as going into a store I had never been into before.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real Very real. I do not doubt it happened. It changed my life.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? No