Marsha T NDE

Experience Description

This experience was very quick because the perpetrator was scared off of me.

What happened is that I quickly entered a tunnel of white light. The tunnel was white. The end of the tunnel was like a grey dot in the distance. It was the most wonderful experience ever. So peaceful! Then there was the music. I was overwhelmed by it. I have never heard anything like it before or since. I look forward to hearing it again. I cannot describe it but I will never ever forget it. Then I was back and I was very disappointed.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: December 1990

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Criminal attack. Life threatening event, but not clinical death I was being strangled by another human.

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

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? More consciousness and alertness than normal It seemed like I was struggling with my attacker and then in the tunnel. I stopped fighting immediately and surrendered to the light. It was instantly that my consciousness was in that tunnel. It just seemed clearer, more detailed. My senses heightened and, well, cleared is the best way to describe it.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? Immediately

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 was of no consequence. Not aware of it in any way.

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. Much more detailed and vivid.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. Same as vision but I was more in tune with the hearing because of the music. It was so, so perfect.

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

The experience included: Tunnel

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? Yes Described earlier: my tunnel was pure, untouched whiteness that I believe would have blinded an earth-bound human. Unfortunately, I did not make it to the end. I still feel very sad about that.

Did you see any beings in your experience? No

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

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 tunnel consisted of this light.

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? No

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I felt excitement and pure awe.

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 no longer in conflict with nature

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? No

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? Not important to me

What was your religion prior to your experience? Unaffiliated- Nothing in particular- Secular unaffiliated I spent many years finding my true spirituality. I found it after this experience.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes My search for spirituality ended. The meaning of Gnostic is 'seeker of truth', and because I experienced this I found some truth. It sent me on a quest to eliminate dogma from modern religion. It was easy to do (but hard to explain here).

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 am currently and always will be a Gnostic (no "A")

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 It put to rest the question of 'is there or isn't there an afterlife', in my estimation anyway. It also answered my questions about organized religion.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? No

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? Uncertain I knew that I was not alone even though I did not see anyone. I felt that at the end of the tunnel I would meet and reunite with many forms of life - like we are not alone in this universe. Previously I attributed this to the heightened senses.

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? 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? No

Did you believe that our earthly lives are meaningful and significant prior to your experience? Are not 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 does not exist

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Uncertain The music was not of this earth. I was given the sense that it was made by instruments not available on earth.

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

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

Were you fearful living your life prior to your experience? Not 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 not 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? Moderately compassionate toward others

During your experience, did you gain information about love? Uncertain I just had an overwhelming feeling of being loved.

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 Large changes in my life. It helped to show me the path I needed to take to find my spirituality.

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

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes There just are no words to describe it accurately. It must be experienced. You can call it overwhelming or awesome, anything you like and it still is not enough to describe the experience.

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

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? The music

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes It was almost immediately and the reaction was mostly 'Oh, really? That's nice.' So I stopped talking about it.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes I had heard of it but had not researched or read about it. Mostly, I did not believe in it.

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was definitely real It was so vivid and real. Only a fool would discount it.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real

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? No