Lynn S NDE

Experience Description

My out of body experience surrounded several days of pain and sickness with an un-diagnosed ruptured appendix. I was a chemistry major in my second year. I had been admitted to the hospital with abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. I had been sick for seventy-two hours prior to my admission. I improved with IV fluid and antibiotics, however, twenty-six hours after admission I worsened. I felt 'impending doom'.

I saw myself lying on the bed with a resident physician sitting next to me. I had lost total control of my body; brown vomit was rolling out of my mouth onto the sterile white sheet. I couldn't speak, nor was I listening. I was floating up in the corner of the room with a dark cloud that was about half my size. I felt great! - For the first time in days, I felt total relief of my pain and nausea. It was incredible! I was surrounded by intense brightness that seemed to funnel ahead of me; there was warmth and pleasantness with it. Initially I tried to make sense of this, but then resolved to enjoy it. I had no fear. 'My cloud' and I were floating deeper into the brightness. This was perfection.

I was suddenly jolted back into my body by a nurse who had grabbed my arm. They were injecting me with drugs and shoved a tube down my nose. I knew it was too late and was back out of my body floating with my cloud. The surgeon, I had met earlier that day, walked into the room with several people. They lifted me onto a gurney, and when the resident touched me, I popped back into my miserable body. They wheeled me out into the hall and I watched the cloud hovering in the corner, but it did not follow. It seemed like an eternity rolling down the hallway, finally got into an elevator, but the doors would not close. No one seemed to notice; we weren't going anywhere 'I'm dying here', but couldn't speak.

The cloud came around the corner, entered at the ceiling, and went to the top of the elevator. Only then did the doors close in slow motion. I was floating near the ceiling with my cloud. It was over-finally! I had no pain; I was euphoric. We floated above the gurney and followed it into the operating room. I was surrounded by the brightness and warmth and was ready to leave. They lifted me onto the operating table and with that touch, I left the cloud and entered my painful body. The cloud up in the corner was the last thing I saw as the anesthesiologist placed a mask over my face.

My appendix had ruptured, walled itself off and re-ruptured several times. I talked with the surgeon a few days later about my 'out of the body experience' and he dismissed it as 'I was in shock'.

I went on to medical school and now have the privilege to care for many wonderful people, and some, at the time of their death.

I know that what happened to me was real. It was not shock, or a dream. To have gone from such despair to peaceful euphoria, and back again, is not something that the mind can create. The human touch, even that of a stranger, was enough to bring me back from death.

I know that at the time of death there is no pain, there is nothing but peace. I know our journey does not end at death; there is something else out there.

I have no fear of death now; I just hope it's 'my cloud' that comes to get me.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 1/19/1980

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Illness 'Life threatening event, but not clinical death' Ruptured appendix with septic shock.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Wonderful

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? More consciousness and alertness than normal When I was outside of my body.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? When I was outside of my body.

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 Time seemed to be slow.

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. Increased intensity of light. Colors were less intense or muted; the only colors I recall were on the side of the walls: 'lima bean green' tile with two rows of 'straw/faded yellow' tile on top, then a border of black. . Everything else was starch white or dull. I had good depth perception as I was floating above my body.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Decreased hearing; but I think I was not listening or chose not to listen to the conversations. I think I lost interest in the conversation I could hear the gurney rolling. I couldn't talk or express myself.

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? Yes Started into a funnel of light that changed intensity with the distance as I floated. There were no walls.

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: 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 Brightness, like closeness to the sun. There was a warmth to the brightness, yet, not hot, it was perfect. (This was not an artificial light).

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm I was floating with a dark cloud, but it was very peaceful. There was no fear.

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Euphoria, no pain, no suffering, no fear, felt at peace. Floating - felt free! Best I've ever felt.

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

The experience included: Special Knowledge

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? Liberal none

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No I try to be the best person I can be.

What is your religion now? Liberal none

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? No I try to be the best person I can be.

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 I sensed that there was something out there. Something continues after the body is dead. I felt strong connections with people that physically touched me, despite the fact that they were strangers. A touch would cause me to stop floating with the cloud and return me to my body with all the pain and suffering.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes My involvement with people and relationships was intensified. I try to help anyone that I can, especially people that are alone. I advise my patients that their dying family member can hear them, despite comatose states, or even death. My desire for money and possessions has decreased.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Uncertain I can describe what I saw; but the sense or the feeling I experienced cannot be expressed.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes Knowledge of a continuum that exists after the body dies. No fear of death. I perceive people's feelings more astutely. My own feelings have been accentuated i.e.: fear in a dangerous situation has been heightened.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? The sense of peace that occurs with death. Human touch could transpose me from death to life, (the sense that someone cares, even a stranger).

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes With the surgeon and a nurse two days later - they dismissed it as a dreamlike state due to 'shock'. My husband (a physician) - fifteen years after the event, He believed it. Recently with a dying friend's son, who then sent me the book 'Evidence of Afterlife'. He seemed to be interested in it. I did not ask if he believed me.

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 Transitioning from intense despair to euphoria and back again cannot be created by the mind. (I was not on any medication, other than an antibiotic.) When I was floating, I was clearly above my body, and the people that surrounded me. I could see the top of the nurse's white hat. I was definitely looking down.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real The events that happened are still very vivid. I left my body and floated; severe pain abruptly stopped when I left my body, and re-occurred when I entered my body. I feel different - I have changed from the person I was. It was an experience that you can't explain.

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? What occurred to me was real. I don't need validation or acceptance of others. It has helped me to be a better person. I have tried to make my presence worthwhile.