Marla W NDE

Experience Description

I don't remember the impact or what happened to the vehicles. I felt like I was falling asleep. When I opened my eyes, I found myself in this place. It was white and soft and peaceful -- not really cotton-like or a fog (although that's the word I use to describe it), just enveloped in white. I seemed to be walking away from where I'd been (and could see myself moving but my legs weren't moving -- I was gliding). I could hear voices around me but not make out what they were saying. After what seemed like many minutes, I became frustrated with the mumbling and stopped. I turned around and began to move closer to the voice that was loudest. As I moved back, the fog became gray and muddy in color and appearance.

Then very suddenly, I was aware of tremendous pain and I cried out. Immediately I felt jolted into blackness and felt as though people were pulling me from all direction. Then I seemed to fall asleep. I woke eighteen hours later in a hospital. Although I believe I was unconscious for eighteen hours, records show that I had drifted in and out of consciousness and was described as dazed and confused. When I woke, I thought it was December 27, 1978. It was three weeks before I regained any memory and after three months, most of it returned. I still have four years of lost memory that doctors say will probably never return.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 28 June 1999

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident Life threatening event, but not clinical death A tanker slid sideways and rolled over my vehicle, splitting open the tank and covering my husband and me with fuel. I had a severe head injury and serious laceration to my left arm. My husband thought I'd bled to death.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Mixed

The experience included: Out of body experience

Did you feel separated from your body? Uncertain Unlike other descriptions I've read at your site, I did not see my body, but saw my consciousness glide away.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? I felt conscious during the experience, however, my husband and emergency medical technicians' reports list me as drifting in and out of consciousness -- dazed and confused.

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning The plane I visited was unlike anything I'd ever experienced and time seemed to move very slowly.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Mumbling that grew in intensity.

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes But it didn't have walls, it was made of a fog like substance.

Did you encounter or become aware of any deceased (or alive) beings? No

The experience included: Darkness

The experience included: Light

Did you see an unearthly light? Yes I found myself in a place where the fog was brighter away from me and dull and muddy behind me

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? A clearly mystical or unearthly realm The fog area was beautiful.

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Peace at first, softness, calmness, then frustration as I was returning.

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about the universe I knew peace like I'd never known before.

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? 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? Moderate Baptist

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I'm less critical of others, forgiving those who I'd held in contempt for years. I no longer feel the need to find a church with beliefs that match my own, but now accept my spiritual beliefs without trying to analyze to convince others that they must agree with me.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? No

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? Best, a feeling of appreciation for every day, a love of life, no fears of death, a feeling that everything will be alright for years to come. Worst, memory loss that haunted me for nearly a year.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes Most think I was dreaming or am being dramatic. No one has said they were influenced.

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