Marilyn R NDE

Experience Description

One day my father took my mother, sister and myself to my aunt’s for a day visit while he went to work. My mother and her sister were making a quilt. Because it was raining outside my three cousins, my sister and I were told to go to the basement to play in the playroom. We decided to play ‘Horse & Rider’, a game where one person has a skipping rope tied around their neck, gets on their hands and knees, while another sits on their back, and rides them around. I was picked to be the horse, and my older cousin tied the skipping rope in knots around my neck. I told her it was too tight and to loosen it. She instead tied it tighter, which made it hard for me to breath. I asked her again to loosen it, and again she made it tighter and said she could not do it. I was getting very little air at this time. In a panic I said to my younger sister ‘Get it off’, which she tried but could not get the knots out. She said ‘Go get mom’. I started for the stairs but felt myself fall down and slipped into total darkness. I was able to breath but it felt like I was blind. I was scared to death and afraid to move. I could hear scary sounds in the dark, which I could not see, and started to cry.

Suddenly I saw a white light in the distance. I thought I should try to get there, but was too scared to move in the dark. It sounded like someone was walking towards me but I could not see them. I felt someone pick me up in their arms and I was surrounded by light. I looked in the smiling face of a man, who said his name was Jesus. He told me not to be frightened; he was here to take me back. He had shoulder length brown hair and dark brown eyes. He was wearing leather sandals on his feet with straps that went between his toes and tied around his ankles. He had on a long white gown with long gig sleeves, with a long light blue tunic over it. There was a gold color rope tied around his waist. His voice was very soft and kind, almost musical, and I felt a feeling of pure love, complete safety and trust.

As we were walking up the stairs, I noticed that the left side of the wall was still the basement wall, but the right side of the wall had disappeared. In its place was a beautiful garden full of long grass and wild flowers. I could hear birds singing and there were butterflies flying. I could see little children playing and chasing little lambs, and I could hear their laughter. It looked so much fun. I asked if I could go play with the kids and was told ‘No, there is no time today for that I have had you too long as it is’. He told me to be a good girl and made me promise to tell the world about what I saw, and if I did that then when my time comes, I will be able to walk in the garden with him. He had kissed my forehead with his hand on the basement door and said ‘You go back now child, it’s not your time’, and the door opened and he stood me on the floor. I was not able to breath and was gulping in air. My mother and aunt came running and cut the rope off my neck.

My neck was all red and sore and my voice was all hoarse. My mother asked ‘How did you get up the stairs like that?’ I said ‘I didn't, the man carried me up’. My mom and aunt asked together ‘What man?’. My aunt yelled down stairs ‘Girls, is there a man down there?’ They all said that there was no man. I said ‘There was a man and he did carry me’. They did not believe me. I went back down in the basement and asked my cousins and sister about the man, who they did not see. My sister said she saw me fall and started to come to help me but I had disappeared when she got to the stairs. No-one saw me being carried. I had a big cut on my chin where I hit the bottom step when I went into complete blackness. Everyone saw me fall and disappear. No-one saw me going up the stairs.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: Summer of 1963

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes 'Life threatening event, but not clinical death' Accidental strangulation.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Both pleasant AND distressing

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? No No

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 think it was when I felt myself being lifted up and surrounded by light. Then when I started talking to a man who said his name was Jesus.

Were your thoughts speeded up? No

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning It was like time stopped. It felt like I was in Jesus' arms for a long time and yet when I was brought back I had only been gone for a few minutes.

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. It was like it was real and that an actual man was indeed carrying me up the stairs.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. My hearing was fine before and after.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Yes, but the facts have not been checked out

The experience included: Tunnel

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes It was pitch black and you could not see. It was like being blind. Then a small white light appeared in the distance, but I was too scared to move towards it and started to cry.

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: Darkness

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 The light was in the distance but I was not able to move towards it because I was scared. I felt myself being lifted and then the white light was all around me and I was in the arms of Jesus. He told me not to be frightened and that he was going to take me back as it was not my time.

The experience included: A landscape or city

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm Jesus carried me through a beautiful garden. There were other children there laughing, playing, and chasing baby sheep and butterflies. There were pretty wild flowers everywhere. It was warm and sunny there.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Pure love and a feeling of being safe.

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

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 When going through the garden in the arms of Jesus I felt so much love and so safe that I asked him if I could stay and play with the children. He looked at me and smiled and said ‘No child, it’s not your time you have to go back’.

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- Other Christian I went to Church and Sunday School at the Baptist Church every Sunday.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? No

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

What is your religion now? Christian- Other Christian I am still a Baptist but do not go to Church anymore.

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 I knew for sure that there was a Heaven and a God, and I made sure my family knew.

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 The man who came to pick me up in his arms was Jesus. He had a very soft gentle voice, almost musical and very calming.

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? I actually saw them

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.)? Yes The man who came to pick me up in his arms was Jesus. He had a very soft gentle voice almost musical very calming. He had shoulder length brown hair and dark brown eyes. He had on a long white dress with a long light blue vest over it and it was tied with

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 walked through a beautiful garden in the arms of Jesus.

Did you believe in the existence of God prior to your experience? God probably exists

During your experience, did you gain information about the existence of God? Yes Jesus the son of god picked me up and carried me up the basement steps.

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 I was aware of who I was with and told my parents what happened, as I was instructed to do. I have knowledge that Heaven exists as I have seen a small part of it.

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? An afterlife probably exists

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Yes I saw small children and baby lambs in a beautiful garden. There were birds singing and butterflies. I felt warm sunshine on my skin and was told that if I was good and told what I was seeing that when my time comes I can come walk in the garden beside hi

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? Greatly 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? Slightly compassionate toward others

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Yes I felt pure love and tenderness and the feeling of safety.

Were you compassionate after your experience? Greatly compassionate toward others

What life changes occurred in your life after your experience? Moderate changes in my life Moderate changes in my life.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? No No

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes Because I felt so much love and devotion, a feeling of belonging, of tenderness, and the feeling of complete safety.

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 I will never forget my experience it was like it happened yesterday. It has left me with a excellent memory. I can remember just about everything in my life however that experience is more clear.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? Yes If someone I know is going to die I will know three days ahead of time. I have had out of body experiences, and astral projections of myself leaving me with an excellent memory. My earliest memory is in the hospital when I was one month old. I actually remember my mother, father and me looking in a door window at a baby crying in a glass crib. My parents told me many times I was not looking in the window as I was in the crib.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? Just knowing that when my time comes I will once again be able to walk in that garden by Jesus' side is very special for me.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I told my mother and aunt as soon as it happened, along with my sister and cousins. My aunt did not believe me but my mother and sister did. When I was in my teens I told some friends, and throughout my life I tell my experience to anyone who believes in things like that.

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 It was very real to me. The only way I can describe it is that it felt like I went there for a visit and had to come home.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real Today it’s like a memory and a part of my childhood.

At any time in your life, has anything ever reproduced any part of the experience? Yes When my father in-law died, the day he was buried my phone rang at 3am in the morning. When I answered the phone, my dead father in-law was on the line. He wanted me to give a message to my mother in-law. He wanted her to know he was all right. He told me I was the only one he was allowed to contact, and when I asked, 'Why?' He said because he was with someone who knew me. I asked 'Whom?' and he said ‘The man who carried you up the basement stairs when you were six years old’. The funny thing is that I never told my father in-law about my experience.