Lori W NDE

Experience Description

I was a healthy, 28 year-old woman, giving birth to my first child. After a long labor and 2 1/2 hours of pushing, my child was stuck in the birth canal. We both went into distress. It became imperative to operate at once or they would lose us both. Everyone starting rushing and running, just like in the movies. I was given an epidural, but it didn't work to block the pain. I could feel them cutting me open and I told them so. When they put the gas mask over my face, I knew that they were going to save the baby and lose me.

Next, I was hovering above the operating table. They were holding my baby boy above my abdomen. He cried and they were expressing their pleasure at a safe delivery of a healthy baby. I heard a nurse say, 'Uh,oh, there goes her heart !' Then she said, ' 'Inaudible, inaudible. STAT!!'

I woke up several hours later, in a hospital room. No one ever told me that my heart stopped during surgery. I mentioned it to my husband years later and he was shocked that I knew about it. I told him that I was hovering above the table, when it happened.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 11/17/1986

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Childbirth. While under general anesthesia. Clinical death (cessation of breathing or heart function) Difficulty delivering child.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Neither pleasant NOR distressing

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. Same as normal, I felt completely like myself.

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

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. No difference.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. No difference.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere, as if by ESP? 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? No

Did you see, or feel surrounded by, a brilliant light? No

Did you see an unearthly light? No

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

What emotions did you feel during the experience? None, I was calmly observing.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? No

Did you have a feeling of joy? No

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 was your religion prior to your experience? Unaffiliated- Agnostic

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

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

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes A greater belief in an afterlife.

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

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

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? No

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

During your experience, did you gain information about an afterlife? An afterlife definitely exists

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? No

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

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No

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? No

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? It just confirmed my hope of an afterlife. It was cool to have a real out of body experience.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Several years. My husband was surprised, but he confirmed the actual fact of the incident.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes Books, movies and conversation.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real. I always believed that it was real.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real. I knew it was real when it was happening, I have never had a different opinion of the experience.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Yes I had a second NDE, many years later that felt similar, but not as vivid.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? No.

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? No.