Leslie vB NDE

Experience Description

I was in a club one night watching a band with all my friends - a normal occurrence. I was at the 'Whiskey A Go Go' on the Sunset Strip and my boyfriend's band, 'Little Prisoner', was playing that night as the headliner. He was the drummer. I was standing in front of the stage and all of the sudden I felt like I was going to throw up. I got really dizzy and felt like it was hard to breathe. I turned to my friend and shouted that I was going to the bathroom. I was on my way to splash some water on my face. I tried to catch my breath and took a few steps to my left. All of a sudden, I wasn't there anymore and everything went black. I don't remember fainting; I have fainted twice before and this was different.

After a moment, I was 'awake' and 'floating' on the ceiling. I was looking down at everyone and distinctly remember seeing the club from this bird's eye view. It was wild. I was looking down on everyone for quite a while, I remember looking for me in my group of friends, and thinking 'I should be right there, I was standing next to Val.' But I wasn't there. I couldn't see myself but I knew I was there. It was weird. I wasn't there.

The next think I knew everything went black again, I couldn't see anything else and it sort of felt like I was floating higher. Then, I saw a small little pinpoint of a white light very far away. As time went by it got closer, like being in a tunnel with an oncoming train is the best way to describe it. Eventually after a couple of minutes, the light was upon me and enveloped me. I was the light. It's very hard to describe.

I don't know how long this lasted but it felt very warm, safe, cozy and comfortable. It was not at all scary. It was a nice place to be. I felt this light of nothingness. Weightlessness. Freeness. Light, light, light. There is no space or time here. No darkness or shadows. Nothing bad. 'No worries' as they say in Hawaii. Safe, light, free, weightlessness. I did many recreational drugs in my youth and this was the best high you can imagine. The high of all highs. The ecstasy of all ecstasy. The ultimate high if you will. Just so free, light and weightless. I can't stress that enough. Free, light, weightless.

After this went on for a while, I seemed to 'float' back down into darkness as something felt like it was pulling on me. Pulling me down. Very hard to describe. It got darker and darker and this was kind of scary. I didn't know what was happening and wanted very badly to go back to the light. I was trying to pull myself back up but the pull down was too hard. I was struggling and struggling to get back to the light but the pull was too hard. I descended into blackness.

The next thing I knew I felt a deep 'thud' in my chest. I think my heart started again. I opened my eyes, was back in the club, and a big bouncer was carrying me. I was limp in his arms and came back to life with a start and was quite startled to see some stranger's face close to mine looking at me with such concern. 'What's wrong,' I stupidly said. He said, 'You passed out. We called an ambulance and it's on the way. Just tell me what you took.'

They mistakenly thought I had overdosed. Impossible to do when all I was doing was smoking a cigarette (still legal in clubs in those days) and had smoked half a joint hours earlier. I was pretty sober. I wasn't even drinking, I still don't. It always makes me get sick. They laid me on the filthy floor in the kitchen and I stood up with a start and promptly got dizzy again. I leaned against the stove for a bit until I 'got my legs back' and quickly left the club, as I didn't want to face the paramedics. I never went to the doctor and don't know to this day what really happened.

I think about this every day and it happened over twenty years ago.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: Late 80's

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? No 'Felt dizzy, nauseous, couldn't breathe' 'Illness, trauma or other condition not considered life threatening'

How do you consider the content of your experience? Mixed

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? Normal consciousness and alertness As above.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Right after when I was floating above the club and looking down at everyone. It was like I was a bird.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Incredibly fast

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning Seemed like I was 'gone' for a long time.

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. Saw everything from a 'bird's eye view' on my way up to wherever I went.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Didn't hear anything.

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? 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? No

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 Light a bright light that enveloped me.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm Floated through the darkness and floated into the light and floated out of the light. This "light" was definately not on this earth.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Confusion; why wasn't I standing next to Val anymore? Lightness when I was floating. Trepidation when I was 'coming back to earth.'

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? Moderate Catholic

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

What is your religion now? Moderate Catholic

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? No

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? No

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes One minute I was there, the next I was gone. I don't remember how I got to the blackness.

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

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? I want to go back and I think about it every day. Life here sucks compared to the light.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I have told a few people over the years. Most are skeptical and think I imagined it I think.

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 In the weeks after the experience, I actually tried not to think about it because I knew I should have gone to the doctor but didn't.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real After I really thought about it for a while the thing I get out of it is: I'm not afraid to die and I kind of can't wait. My life is not good right now. I lost my business, job and house. Unemployment runs out soon. Think about it all the time. I have told my therapist about it and how I want to die. She just tells me 'It's not your time.' We have this running argument about how if it's so nice there and it sucks so hard here aren't I crazy for staying here? She just keeps telling me it's not my time. But I can tell you I'm definitely looking forward to dying because of this experience.

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? The whole thing was really weird. I think about it all the time. I wonder if there are other people out there who this happened to and what they think about it. I wonder how long I was 'out.' I wonder what happened medically. I wonder if it will be the same when I die next time.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? I wonder how long other people think it 'lasts.' Or, how long they think they're 'gone'.