Maggy C NDE

Experience Description

My father had taken us to a small beach. I was alone where I was, bobbing up and down in the waves, squatting so that my head was under the water each time. My legs grew tired and I could no longer raise my head above the water line. I tried hard to stand erect and when I couldn't I panicked, but the fear did not last long.

I soon found myself feeling comfortable, peaceful, relaxed. My consciousness was no longer in the water. I was in darkness, but I was not alone or afraid. I had no sense that I might die and I was starting to become curious about where I was.

That's when my father plucked me from the water. The water drained from me and I began breathing on my own, but I was very sick. I was surprised to find that I was still at the beach and felt robbed of the opportunity to be in the other place. I did not speak of the experience until last year (age 45). My father had never told my mother, but he remembered the day clearly. Both were surprised about what I had to share

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 1969

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes 'Illness, trauma or other condition not considered life threatening' Drowning at age three.

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

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? No 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

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Just before I was plucked from the water.

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Time seemed to go faster or slower than usual I felt that I had been gone for a while. I don't know how long it took my father to find me.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? More vivid than usual

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I was in darkness and I felt more awake.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I did not hear anything.

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

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

Did you see any beings in your experience? I sensed their presence

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? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm I could not "see" anything, but I was no longer with my body.

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Love, joy, contentment, all was right with everything.

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 myself or others Yes, but not in a way that I can explain.

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? Unknown

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Protestant

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes My practices have changed. My beliefs have not.

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

What is your religion now? Other faiths- New age I pray, meditate.

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was entirely not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience The faith I was being raised in was highly judgmental. I went to a place of total acceptance, not judgment.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes The faith I was being raised in was highly judgmental. I went to a place of total acceptance, not judgment. I was very young, but I was fearful attending church. I always felt that it was a place where people thought bad things about you. As an older child, I felt the lessons were there to incite fear so that people could be controlled. It annoyed me that other people were not questioning these things. I felt hurt at times, like as if someone was spreading nasty rumors about a friend. I felt that it was wrong to represent God as judgmental. As an adult, I look upon the church as a place for community development and good will. However, the acts of the people do not always reflect kindness and compassion.

The experience included: Presence of unearthly beings

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 I was not alone. I felt comforted and protected. I knew that I was safe.

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? I sensed their presence

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 Love was everywhere. I felt it through and through.

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

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

Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? Unknown

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Uncertain I was with others. I was not with my body.

Did you fear death prior to your experience? Unknown

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

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Unknown

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? Unknown

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? Unknown

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Yes Love was everywhere. I felt it through and through.

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 After my experience, I could see energy move through the air and auras around people and living things. I was young when this happened, so I thought for a long time that everyone could see these things. When I realized this wasn't so, I thought there must be something wrong with my eyes. It took me a long time to accept that what I was seeing was actually there. I also felt that the church my family attended did not properly represent God. I left at age 12, something that was unheard of in my community. I searched for other religions and stayed with some for a while. I am now without a church, but still feel deeply connected to God and the universe. I also hear things and I will receive messages about people or what to do in difficult situations. The messages are always helpful and positive. People will say that I just ‘know’ things or that I can read people. I have a strong intuition, but on occasion, I have information that no one could sense. In these cases, I am very aware that my brain is not involved with detecting any special insight. The information is just given to me. I have no control over it.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes Yes I have always felt like a visitor here. I see a lot of illusion governing society. People seem to be wound up in false things: power, materialism. None of it seems worth pursuing to me. I love very easily and the love lasts, even if the life partnerships do not.

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 more accurately than other life events that occurred around the time of the experience The experience was profound. I have a very good memory of my early childhood years, but this experience was much more vivid.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes Seeing energy, auras around living things; sensing things; hearing messages. I can also move energy with my hands. I seem to be able to channel healing energy for people who have aches and pains. I don't believe that this is special, really. I think people just have to open themselves up to things beyond the 5 senses.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? Not feeling afraid, feeling peace and love. Not needing to breathe, how easy that was!

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes It was over 40 years before I told someone. I have only shared it with my closest confidants who were already believers.

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 I lived it. I knew it was real.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real It’s as though no time has passed. I lived it and know it was real.

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