Maribell B Possible NDE

Experience Description

Since the day I was born, I got sick very easily. I had gone in and out of the hospital several times prior to age five. I was always careful with my health back then, but sometimes I went overboard. One time when I was sick, I went to the hospital with my mom. The doctors thought it was a simple cold and sent us back home. An hour or two later, we returned and I was on the verge of death.

I passed out, thinking it was a dream. I don't remember having a body, but I remember there were two kind, warming presences with me, and feeling like they were helping me. Back then, I thought they were angels. I was in the sky, thinking it was nighttime and looking at the stars.

After some time, being amazed by the sight, I suddenly appeared in the church I always attended. I was facing the cross of Christ. He told me I was special and important, and then he had the two beings send me back to my body. I got better and was able to go home, but I never told my mom what had happened, since she never seemed interested. She did tell me, though, that while she was waiting to see if I would get better when I was asleep, a male nurse with a rosary around his neck gave her comfort. He told her I was meant for greatness, and I was special (even though he never saw me).

They prayed for me, and she never saw him again. Ever since, I developed an interest in what happens to us when we die. I haven't feared death in a long time, since it sounded rather comforting to me since that time. I did cry when close family members died, but, somehow, I knew they would be happy.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: Unsure

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Uncertain Illness 'When I was younger, I got easily sick. I spent a lot of time in the hospital, and this was one of the times I was there.' Other 'When I was younger, I got easily sick. I spent a lot of time in the hospital, and this was one of the times I was there.' It depends on what you mean by an associated life-threatening event.

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? I mostly became aware of everything when I was in the church.

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Time seemed to go faster or slower than usual Time went by very slowly, like I was there for an eternity, but I didn't mind.

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. Before the experience, I was getting really tired, so I closed my eyes most of the time. I saw everything the same as I would when I was tired and wanted to sleep.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I was listening very clearly before the experience, except I started to tune everything out a few moments before it had started. In the experience, I only heard Jesus' voice, which was very clear.

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

The experience included: Tunnel

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Uncertain When I was looking at the stars, I saw that there was no ground below me, so I might have been in space or in a tunnel. I'm unsure of that.

Did you see any beings in your experience? No

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? Yes

The experience included: Void

The experience included: Unearthly 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 I saw two beings made up entirely of light.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm I felt like I could float in the sky, looking at all of those stars. At least, I think they were stars.

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I was completely in awe by the vision, and I felt joyous. It's like how you feel when you first enter Disneyland, except it was very peaceful instead of exciting.

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 or purpose

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about myself or others I understood many things then, but I wasn't as surprised as I normally was. I just accepted it and continued forward.

The experience included: Life review

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? I came to a barrier that I was not permitted to cross; or was sent back against my will

God, Spiritual and Religion:

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

What was your religion prior to your experience? Christian- Catholic I used to go to church at least once or twice a month with my mom at that age. I feared death and was curious on aspects of religion.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes It made me believe that there are other beings out there, be it God or something else. I heard a voice through the cross of Jesus, but I'm not sure to whom the voice belonged. I had seen two other beings with me. I believe they were once living, but I'm not so sure since I never saw them in a human form.

What importance do you place on your religious/spiritual life after your experience? Unknown

What is your religion now? Do not know I'm not sure on what religion I am as of now. I believe in an afterlife, but I'm not so sure of a God. I welcome death now.

Did your experience include features consistent with your earthly beliefs? Content that was both consistent and not consistent with the beliefs you had at the time of your experience I saw bright, mystical beings and the cross of Jesus as well as a heavenly voice, but it didn't entirely coincide with the ideas of a white heaven.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I hadn't immediately. In fact, I grew more religious after that. Now, though, I doubt whose voice I had heard that day. I had seen two other beings with me. I believe they were once living, but I'm not so sure since I never saw them in a human form.

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 suppose I encountered three. The two light presences and the voice speaking through the Jesus on the cross.

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? Yes I believe that is pretty much what I was feeling during the experience. I was joyous and peaceful, not having to worry and feeling whole.

Did you believe in the existence of God prior to your experience? I was uncertain if God exists

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Uncertain I heard a voice through the cross of Jesus, but I'm not sure who the voice belonged to.

Do you believe in the existence of God after your experience? God probably exists

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion:

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Yes I was told I was meant for something, and I believe that was when I was told my own purpose for living.

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

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

Did you believe in an afterlife prior to your experience? I was uncertain if an afterlife exists

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Yes I had seen two other beings with me. I believe they were once living, but I'm not so sure since I never saw them in a human form.

Did you fear death prior to your experience? I greatly feared death

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

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Slightly fearful in living my earthly life

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? Are meaningful and significant

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? Greatly compassionate toward others

During your experience, did you gain information about love? No

Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Unknown After the experience, and when I got healthier, I had started to develop an interest in the afterlife: heaven, hell, religion. Now, I live in it much more comfortably than the average person my age. I grew to accept things as they are, even when they are not things I want to hear. I have grown a curiosity, as well, in things like tarot cards, spirits, and angels.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No 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 more accurately than other life events that occurred around the time of the experience The memory of the experience has always been in my mind, and I always go back to it, wondering.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes I feel more in tune with the universe as it is. I have also been considered as a psychic by a few because of the fact that my tarot cards are normally accurate (but they are very vague to me). I am told I am psychic because I take people to a deeper level and know them very well after just meeting them. However, that may be because I have been into analyzing peoples' behaviors for some time.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? Two parts are very significant to me. The first one is the space and night sky. I found it as a beautiful sight that I would be willing to look at for eternity. The second is when the voice spoke to me through Jesus. I have been curious since about the purpose for my existence.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? No

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 was unsure of what it was back then, since I was still small. I thought it could have just been a dream with a message, but I was unsure for a few years.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real Now that I look at it and compare it to other NDEs, I believe it was definitely real.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Uncertain I've had a few experiences about death afterward, but I didn't find it as similar to the experience I had. Last summer, I was reckless with my health for the first time in five years. When I was sleeping, I had a dream of a man in his mid-30's, in the house. I couldn't find my necklace, so I went downstairs to see him. After taking a good look, I saw it to be my Great-Great-Grandpa Leo in his younger years. He told me he had to get my attention, so he stole my necklace. I woke up to find my necklace was gone. I searched in the room and the house for it. A little afterwards, I had to go to the hospital because my pneumonia got worse.

Is there anything else that you would like to add about your experience? There is a probability that it could have been a dream or I was under drugs since I was in the hospital. However, since I was asleep, I wouldn't know if they gave me anything. The memory of the experience has always been in my mind, and I always go back to it, wondering. I saw bright, mystical beings and the cross of Jesus, as well as a heavenly voice, but it didn't entirely coincide with the ideas of a 'white heaven'

Are there any other questions that we could ask to help you communicate your experience? I can't come up with any suggestions at the moment considering how thorough the questionnaire was.