Mary L Possible NDE

Experience Description

I had a three hundred sixty degree fusion and the doctors nicked my femoral artery in my abdomen. When they took me to my room to hook me up to the machines, they sat me up and I became extremely tired that I couldn't keep my eyes open. This happened a few separate times. I don't know which time it was that this happened. I remember watching people running into my room from my lower left (which is odd because my feet were facing the door to my room). I remember watching this Asian male doctor and this other young male that reminded me of Joey, from the show Friends. They were leaning against a counter or wall. A nurse came into the room and the Asian man asked the nurse about how long it would be for the other two units? The nurse told him that it would be about eight minutes. He then said, ‘she needed them about eight minutes ago!’ This told me that he was in charge! I couldn't see who all these people were talking about because there were too many of them around the head of the bed giving cardiopulmonary resuscitation and talking and relaying different stats to the Doctors.

It all seemed like it wasn't real, like it was a movie or something. Next thing I remember is that I was being wheeled down the hallway on a gurney, and I was in extreme pain. I believe this was when they took me to the intensive care unit.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: 8-15-2007

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Uncertain Surgery-related. CPR given. 'Coded' 4 times, was told this by a nurse.'

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? Yes 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? Less consciousness and alertness than normal I was unaware of time or what was going on. I could feel death rolling up on me like a fog drift rolling over land, blanketing me.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? I remember telling my husband that I was really tired and he told me to go ahead and go to sleep. I awoke with about thirty five people in my room. Someone said that they had just given me some medication that would counter act any anesthesia that was in my body. I was begging them to not let me die because I wasn't ready. My husband, sister and Aunt came into the room and said their goodbyes, because they were taking me to the operating room. In the operating room, I was pleading with them to hurry because I could feel that I was dying, and I wasn't ready. They said that they were going to give me a central line and I asked how long it would take? They said about two minutes. I said that they needed to hurry because I didn't have two minutes. I could feel that death was coming for me. I fell asleep again and I awoke in what seemed like a few seconds, and the central line was done. They then put an oxygen mask over my face and that is all I remember, until I awoke to what I thought was the next day. I looked to my right and saw my husband sitting in a chair and a ventilator was next to the head of my bed. But they had already removed the tube from my throat.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Faster than usual

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Everything seemed to be happening at once; or time stopped or lost all meaning

Were your senses more vivid than usual? No

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. While the experience was happening, it all seemed like it was a movie that I was watching. Like it wasn't really happening. I still ask my husband if that really happened.

Please compare your hearing during the experience to your everyday hearing that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. There was so much noise from the code team that I was only able to hear the loudest people in the room.

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? No

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? No

The experience included: Strong emotional tone

What emotions did you feel during the experience? I felt like I was not in my body and for the first time in years, I felt no pain.

Did you have a feeling of peace or pleasantness? Relief or calmness

Did you have a feeling of joy? No

Did you feel a sense of harmony or unity with the universe? I felt no longer in conflict with nature

The experience included: Special knowledge or purpose

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? No

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? No

God, Spiritual and Religion:

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

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

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

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 used to be afraid of dying, but now I am not. I know that when it is my time, it is not the end.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes I believe that this life is not the end. I also believe in ghosts and spirits.

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? No

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? I was uncertain if an afterlife exists

Do you believe in an afterlife after your experience? An afterlife definitely exists Yes If I was dead, how would I have known what people looked like or what was said, which was confirmed later when I spoke with the Asian doctor.

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? Unknown

Were you fearful living your life after your experience? Slightly 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 probably meaningful and significant

Did you gain information about how to live our lives? Yes Life after death does exist and that the doctor's that say it is just your brain firing and shuttin down, have no clue!

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? Yes I did feel peace and love, but it wasn't super intense.

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 I do not know how my remembrance of the experience compares to my remembrance of other life events at the time. I still have trouble believing that it really happened. And since that all did happen, my memory of other past events is not clear, or is gone.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes Yes I am a better mother to my children, and I realize that life is too short to hold grudges.

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 do not know how my remembrance of the experience compares to my remembrance of other life events at time I still have trouble believing that it really happened. And since that all did happen, my memory of other past events is not clear, or is gone.

Do you have any psychic, non-ordinary or other special gifts after your experience that you did not have before the experience? No

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes When I awoke in the hospital and I saw the Asian doctor and the one that looked like Joey, from the show friends. I called them into my room and recalled to them what they were wearing and what they had said. They were shocked. Within a short time it was all around the hospital that I had experienced a near death experience.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Yes I had seen studies of it where doctors were saying that it was just your brain firing and shutting down. Wrong!

What did you believe about the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened? Experience was probably real Unsure of my recollections. I ask my husband if it really happened.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real I know that it really happened.

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