Lisa A NDE

Experience Description

My sister and I were swimming with my cousin in her parents' swimming pool. I began to feel left out of the fun as my cousin and sister were ignoring me all day, so I decided to leave them to themselves and hang out at a separate area of their pool. Feeling sorry for myself, I wondered how it would be like to drown, so I laid belly down in the water and tried to see how long I could remain like that without the need for air. My cousin and sister were still oblivious of my presence while I did this - and yet strangely I noticed I no longer seemed to need any air, so I decided to remain in that position face down in the water indefinitely. My cousin soon noticed something was unusual, and began freaking out 'What will my father say!' she cried. This really bugged me because it was now apparent that all she really seemed to care about was what my uncle would think of her, and not the fact that I could be dying.

While hearing her carry on like that and feeling resentful that she really didn't seem to care about my personal welfare, I then decided that life wasn't worth it compared to the sense of peace and calmness I was then feeling while in this condition. I then made the decision that this was going to be it. I couldn't understand why I was still able to breathe underwater, and that if I wanted to, I still could get out of the water, but I realized that if I did not get up, that I would cross over the line and my body would die.

I felt a Presence with me. I knew this Presence was our Creator. Through thought, He presented me with a question - 'Do you really want to hurt your family like this?' He did not stop me but wanted me to weigh the price of my decision - to allow myself to cross the line and die, or to choose life. I argued that no one seemed to care whether I lived or died anyway, so what was the point of life. I was reminded of my sister and mother - and how much grief my death would cause them. That alone almost made me want to get up from the water right there, but I still stubbornly remained floating and tried to see what would happen if I did die. With this intention I had, I felt God show me that if I did decide to go against what I knew He wanted for me at that time (which was to live) that I would be causing a great disobedience in my life and I could actually FEEL this friction of disobedience - that I was really pushing things. This felt very uncomfortable so I decided then to get up out of the water mainly for that reason alone even though I also knew I didn't want my mother to suffer any grief over me.

When I got out of the water and choked up the water that had gotten into my lungs, my cousin was relieved that she no longer had to explain anything to her father. My sister and her both tried to challenge each other to see if they could also stay under water as long as I had but even I could not stay under water like that again. Normally when a person is drowning, they fight for air, and if I tried it again, I couldn't take it any longer and had to come up for air. Never again was I able to duplicate that experience of not needing to breathe air while underwater. I realized that this was a supernatural experience I was permitted as a type of lesson about suicide's repercussions.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 7-8/1979

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes. I laid face down in the swimming pool and got water in my lungs- but refused to come up for air. Strangely did not seem to require the need for air 'Life threatening event, but not clinical death' Could have drowned if any more time passed.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Wonderful

Did you feel separated from your body? Uncertain 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? Normal consciousness and alertness Throughout the entire experience.

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

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

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. The water in the pool seemed much brighter.

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? Yes I became aware of a Higher Presence with me while I was lying there - and I was able to hear His thoughts directed toward me - especially when asked if I really wanted to hurt my loved ones by choosing to die.

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? No

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? A calmness and peacefulness and a sense of feeling loved by the Higher Presence surrounding me. I did feel content, yet I also felt hurt and self-pity over hearing my cousin cry 'What am I going to tell my father!' thinking I may have drowned. I felt emotionally hurt that she didn't seem to care about me - just that she would have gotten in trouble with her father.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Incredible peace or pleasantness

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

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

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes I take God more seriously after this incident - this was the first time I discovered how involved He is in our lives. Before this time, I thought God was too preoccupied with World Events to concern Himself with the average nobody.

What is your religion now? Moderate

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I take God more seriously after this incident - this was the first time I discovered how involved He is in our lives. Before this time, I thought God was too preoccupied with World Events to concern Himself with the average nobody.

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? Yes

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes I realized that life did not revolve around me, and my decisions had an effect on others. I also realized that I also could make decisions that would make God happy or grieve Him.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Uncertain Throughout my life I've experienced Empathy gifts and various premonitions. I've also sought out a closer connection with God and have been shown many things about how all types of suffering actually strengthen us more spiritually - and I now have a deeper awareness of that Footprint's poem. God doesn't leave us, but we can leave Him.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? The sense of feeling loved by this Higher Presence and knowing I had freedom of choice to completely end my life and hurt others and myself as well as Him. I am so glad I made the right choice then!

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Years later. I told my cousin but she completely forgot about it. My sister doesn't remember either. I will never forget it though as long as I live.

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 It wasn't in my imagination. I have always had a good memory of incidents in my early childhood. It was also the first time I discovered an awareness that our Creator actually does exist after all and is completely aware of our everyday lives. Many times later in my life, when I doubted that there was a God, I recalled that incident and realized, 'Yeah, don't forget that time in the pool with that Higher Presence with me!'

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? In the years following this experience I became a Christian and no longer pity myself when faced with neglect or even ridicule - those types of conditions only serve to draw me to a closer connection with God - Whom I felt in that pool with me that day years ago. I feel like a little girl holding the hands of a Father who loves me.