Melanie W NDE

Experience Description:

I had severe head trauma after being hit with a shot-put at a track and field tournament. I remember feeling like I was drowning in my own blood, then rising above the scene. There was no pain associated with this. My account was brief. I remember feeling as if I was part of the air, warm and weightless, as I drifted upward. I was wearing a shirt from my childhood that my mother had made me when I was a small child. I watched the activity on the field and saw an ambulance van pull on to the field, and a body placed inside it. I felt I had no connection to it. I was just an observer. I then remember going back into my body, and the paramedics cutting my shirt off. That was my last memory until waking up in the hospital. I found out later that someone had wrapped my head in ice and towels immediately after the accident, so there was no way I could have seen all that was happening. During my NDE I felt only love and peace.

Background Information:

Gender: Female

Date NDE Occurred: Fall 1977

NDE Elements:

At the time of your experience, was there an associated life-threatening event? Yes Accident Direct head injury Other Life threatening event, but not sure of clinical death. Severe head trauma.

How do you consider the content of your experience? Wonderful

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? More consciousness and alertness than normal I felt like I had experienced being truly present. This is something that stayed with me after the event, and I have tried to keep since.

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? I don't know.

Were your thoughts speeded up? Neither

Did time seem to speed up or slow down? Neither Time seemed to stop.

Were your senses more vivid than usual? More so than usual

Please compare your vision during the experience to your everyday vision that you had immediately prior to the time of the experience. I had a very wide angle of view, like I could see as clearly with my peripheral vision as I could with direct vision.

Did you seem to be aware of things going on elsewhere? Neither

Did you pass into or through a tunnel? No

Did you see any beings in your experience? Neither

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

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? No

Did you seem to enter some other, unearthly world? Clearly mystical or unearthly realm Nothing distinct, but it felt like a different dimension.

What emotions did you feel during the experience? Peace, love and no fear. I felt comfort that can't be described in human emotion.

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? United, one with the world

Did you suddenly seem to understand everything? Everything about the universe

Did scenes from your past come back to you? Neither

Did scenes from the future come to you? Neither

Did you come to a border or point of no return? Neither

God, Spiritual and Religion:

What was your religion prior to your experience? Liberal Raised Catholic, but had a lot of unanswered questions.

Have your religious practices changed since your experience? Yes God is love, and everywhere.

What is your religion now? Liberal I believe that most religions speak the same truth when looked upon closely: Love and Forgiveness.

Did you have a change in your values and beliefs because of your experience? Yes God is love, and everywhere.

Did you seem to encounter a mystical being or presence, or hear an unidentifiable voice? Neither

Did you see deceased or religious spirits? Neither

Concerning our Earthly lives other than Religion

During your experience, did you gain special knowledge or information about your purpose? Uncertain I no longer feared death, and feel like I have a special understanding of it.

Have your relationships changed specifically because of your experience? Yes I feel a great closeness to my special friend who I can share this with.

After the NDE:

Was the experience difficult to express in words? Yes The feeling of weightlessness - that everything was right in the world - love.

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 like I am more intuitive, able to read energy. I denied this for years, but have now come to trust it almost unconditionally.

Are there one or several parts of your experience that are especially meaningful or significant to you? Just that as a teenager, I no longer feared passing over. I know it'll be okay when it's my time.

Have you ever shared this experience with others? Yes I first shared it with a nurse in the hospital, and she got me the book 'Life After Death'. I continue to talk about it with close friends. Most are afraid of it, but just the other day, a friend shared his own NDE. It gave me great comfort to hear him speak of it, as he's not a very spiritual person.

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 still in bad condition after the event, being on drugs, etc. Even though, I never doubted that it was real.

What do you believe about the reality of your experience now? Experience was definitely real Through my own spiritual growth, I have become grateful for the experience.

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